Chasing Butterflies

This is one plot Matt has been working all summer. Getting ready for fall.

Well it's the autumnal equinox and we survived the summer. The rain didn't flood us out, too bad anyway.  The mosquitoes didn't kill us and the deer are the most healthy deer around the area I'm sure. My apologies for those of you who have been checking in to see what we have been up to.  I must admit I really thought I would have the time and energy to write and keep up on the happenings. I was mistaken.

To catch you up to speed, we have planted our fall crops and our seed starts are hanging out waiting for the greenhouse to get rebuilt.  We have officially made a full transition off the old rented land and we are finally settled into our new place.  The only thing left to get is our shiitake logs which we are keeping our fingers crossed for another nice flush before the holidays.   I really cannot take any credit for all the hard work that has been done around here except feeding the boys 3 squares and chasing a baby chasing me while I clean.  I did manage to get some tomatoes canned, peppers and eggplants froze and a few disasters in between.  I'm still finding tomato chutney in some corners. 

Cheese:)

We originally planned to take August off from market but when we came back from family vacation, everything was under water and one thing leads to another and you see, 'tis farm life.  We are patiently waiting for the arugula and radishes to be ready for harvest as well as our lettuce heads of course.  Our ETA at market is first of October now.  And that is ok. When you do what we do, you have to learn patience and the rewards are plush. 

This isn't the first time it's happened. Haha

So what is in the ground? Well we have butternut squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, radishes, carrots, arugula, salad heads chard and Asian greens. Oh and cabbage, which reminds me, I am working on my fermentation skills. I have dabbled a bit with water kefir and krauts as well as some rejuvelacs for nut cheeses but I found a book at the library titled Fermented Foods for Health by Deirdre Rawlings.  It not only reinforced my desire to ferment our food but was a very informative book about the importance of probiotics, and I recommend it highly. 

It was nice to sit down for a minute and write, I hope to keep up with it now that we are settled and have some schedule now. Check back occasionally to see what else we have in store after markets end! We are planning on a busy winter clearing land and establishing connections through a CSA.  Feel free to drop comments or emails to the Hartingers.  We welcome support from the community. 

Sometimes you just don't even need a tractor.

Transplanting 800 kale plants. Matt and baby helped.

Recipe for Tomato Chutney

2 Tbsp. coconut oil
2 small cloves garlic
6-8 cardamom pods
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper ( depends how spicy you like it)
Garam Marsala to taste

1/2 medium sized red onion
2-3 cups chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp. coconut vinegar

In a skillet heat oil and saute garlic with cardamom pods.  (You will need to fish these pods out after the dish is complete so take note how many you put in :))) Add crushed red pepper until spices are fragrant. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Stir in chopped tomatoes and vinegar and let simmer for about 15 minutes. 

Once you've got your desired taste down, remove and discard all cardamom pods.  Transfer chutney to bullet or blender and blend to desired consistency. Serve with crackers and cheese if you like.
Yum!