What do you do with 13 lbs of green cabbage? In our house you make kraut. This was one of my favorite farm successes last year and while we won't have farm pig to go with it it will be great for all kinds of applications. This was four very large and oddly conical head of Danish ballhead cabbage and 8 tbs of pickling salt. It was fresh enough that no extra brine was needed and I am at about 1/2 capacity in my 3 gallon pickling crock. Last year I used food grade plastic buckets and am excited to break-in the crock.
I think my yield will be about 15 pint jars. I must pack it as that math doesn't translate. It is finally summer here so hopefully fermentation will be fast but not go off the rails. We have a lot more cabbage out there.
Incidentally, kraut Is vastly easier when using a food processor with a slicer attachment. I managed to do mine in about an hour start to finish. The Magpie crashed en route home from Seattle after a very successful 24 hr visit from her buddies Henry and Iris. Not much sleep to be had but lots and lots of fun including NW Trek and the farm. We will have to do that again soon.
Eric off at Rainier today emoting some split board action with Robie and I am looking forward to easy dinner out after the crazy weekend!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
photos for real
Finally - meet the Magpie.
Apparently it is very difficult to post photos from an iPad, and I have been lazy about posting from our regular mac laptop.
My fix? Using my PC at work. I promise - it's lunch time, and I won't do this regularly. But really, didn't we need some pictures? I thought so.
Thanks to Keith for the images!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Lost post
Oh Blogger - why do you hate me? I just wrote ON MY IPAD which is not easy an entire post about the farm tours we put on today for the retirement community where Doug works. Yes, our hosts have "real" jobs too, as well as the farm. But the post is now lost so I will just say it was a really nice day with some great folks. Sheep were coaxed to run for kettle corn, blue eggs were oohed and aahed over, berries were sampled, and the Magpie got a ton of attention. She also got some really good kid time with her farm friend and some visiting new friends.
The thing that I lost that I liked the most wasn't actually about the tour, it was shortening Doug's job description to recreationista, which is just perfect. And I will leave it at that.
The thing that I lost that I liked the most wasn't actually about the tour, it was shortening Doug's job description to recreationista, which is just perfect. And I will leave it at that.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
No excuses
I could get into all of the reasons why I haven't been posting but that is no fun and I am typing on an iPad during Magpie's swim class.
So I won't.
At the farm things are finally growing as now that we are in JULY summer seems to have hit. We are eating peas, onions, garlic, garlic tops, GREENS' herbs, lettuces, radishes, strawberries, raspberries, broccoli and beet greens. I don't count those with the masses of cabbages and kales. We have carrots, beets, and basils coming up from seeds, tomatoes putting on fruit in the hoop house, and the chiles are starting to take off. I have visions of late summer bounty and will plan on preserving mightily!
Things already preserved and, in some cases consumed: cabbage kimchi, green onion kimchi, strawberry jam, pickled onions (quick). I am so excited fo sauerkraut that I can hardly wait - last year that was a huge hit. Fermenting and pickling are more interesting than the sweet stuff but we will probably have a mix of all of it.
Off to help clean up the farm for the annual tours.
There are some photos to post but I need to figure that out....
So I won't.
At the farm things are finally growing as now that we are in JULY summer seems to have hit. We are eating peas, onions, garlic, garlic tops, GREENS' herbs, lettuces, radishes, strawberries, raspberries, broccoli and beet greens. I don't count those with the masses of cabbages and kales. We have carrots, beets, and basils coming up from seeds, tomatoes putting on fruit in the hoop house, and the chiles are starting to take off. I have visions of late summer bounty and will plan on preserving mightily!
Things already preserved and, in some cases consumed: cabbage kimchi, green onion kimchi, strawberry jam, pickled onions (quick). I am so excited fo sauerkraut that I can hardly wait - last year that was a huge hit. Fermenting and pickling are more interesting than the sweet stuff but we will probably have a mix of all of it.
Off to help clean up the farm for the annual tours.
There are some photos to post but I need to figure that out....
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Thirty five
Another birthday. Celebrating with friends and family at the farm was just perfect. Great food, yummy drinks, and a passel of free range kids - what could be better? Then off to NW Trek with Eric, Magpie, and Paakka for the slug festival which will be even more fun when M can participate in the slug races.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Sailing and grit
Brave new world here as I try to post from my new toy (thanks Eric!).
Swim class this weekend failed miserably but I chalked it up a sick Magpie on the mend so we headed to the zoo and met up with Pakka for a great morning. good thing we went early as it was the first real summery day and PDZA was thoroughly overrun with people by the time we left. We took advantage of the sun and headed out on Pakka's boat for a sail. great fun but M was really most interested in the flashlight from the nav station.
Saturday evening was nice and lowkey with our first dinner on the deck.
Sunday we headed down to the Fair for the MotherEarth News fair for a morning of green living and DIY fun. We didn't have the best luck with classes until my afternoon canning class, but picked up some books and a cheese kit and did some great people-watching. I am very excited about the canning class and predict that this will be the year of the pickle at the farm.
Speaking of the farm, while I enjoyed my class E and M headed to the farm to meet some friends, do some work, and have some fun. much weeding and tilling was done. M watered.
Swim class this weekend failed miserably but I chalked it up a sick Magpie on the mend so we headed to the zoo and met up with Pakka for a great morning. good thing we went early as it was the first real summery day and PDZA was thoroughly overrun with people by the time we left. We took advantage of the sun and headed out on Pakka's boat for a sail. great fun but M was really most interested in the flashlight from the nav station.
Saturday evening was nice and lowkey with our first dinner on the deck.
Sunday we headed down to the Fair for the MotherEarth News fair for a morning of green living and DIY fun. We didn't have the best luck with classes until my afternoon canning class, but picked up some books and a cheese kit and did some great people-watching. I am very excited about the canning class and predict that this will be the year of the pickle at the farm.
Speaking of the farm, while I enjoyed my class E and M headed to the farm to meet some friends, do some work, and have some fun. much weeding and tilling was done. M watered.
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