Attention LOCAVORES -
Well, well, well...ol' Farmer Brooke can finally quit bitchin' about the rain cuz by god we got some...and not just a little...a whole helluvalot!!
It was GLORIOUS. Simply sublime. Downright delicious.
It poured from the heavens gently yet decidedly. This perfect rate of saturation continued for nearly two whole days and nights. In the end we got somewhere between seven and nine inches! Holy smokes!!! That's more rain than we've received the entire growing season!
So yes, the rain was AWESOME, but what is more awesome still is the way in which the plants responded. The transformation was instant (!!)...as if Mother Nature had taken a magic wand and zapped vitality into each and every living thing. I swear I could see about 6 inches of new growth on the leeks overnight. (Those things hadn't grown in months). The eggplant that had been tiny sun-scalded excuses for "fruit" blew up like a blowfish and are now glowing purple balls of nourishment weighing down the branches. The pastures are green again, the orchards are enlivened, the chickens are finding juicy worms in moist soil, and best of all - THE FALL CROPS finally GERMINATED!
LIFE has returned to the farm and the farmers are just about as rejuvenated as their crops. The overall feeling of "death and destruction" from the drought was weighing on our hearts and souls more than we know how to express. Every day you'd just get up and go through the motions of keeping the production afloat yet Mother Nature wasn't right. Everything around you was crispy, crunchy, burnt-up, and pleading desperately for water. When your land suffers in such a way it gets under your skin and eats at you constantly. You can't shake it no matter what you do. This rain has truly been a saving grace for people...for plants...and (best of all) for your grumbling bellies!!!
Expect extra special (rain enhanced) "yumminess" this Friday at the BADSEED Farmers' Market from 4-9 pm. Who knows...the forecast says we might even get some more!!
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Up-Coming
"Urban Homesteading" Classes -
LAST CHANCE TO SIGN-UP FOR
Chicken Butchering 101
Learn to do up a chicken, the way Grandma did...
Sunday, September 9th, 4-6 PM
*Located at URBAVORE Urban Farm, 5 miles east of the plaza - 5500 Bennington Ave., KCMO 64129
Join urban-farming maniac, Ben Wilson of Phantom Chicken Farm, and learn the careful art of processing your own meat bird. Under Bens's guidance, student's will slaughter and dress their very own chicken (!!) using traditional techniques and no fancy equipment.
The cost of class is $40 - this includes the cost of your bird, which you will take home and enjoy with your family. (yummy preparation techniques will be discussed in class)
*The meat chickens for this class have been 100% pasture-raised at URBAVORE Urban Farm in partnership with Phantom Chicken Farm.
PLEASE E-MAIL brooke@badseedkc.com ASAP to sign-up. Spots limited!!
Preserving the Fall Harvest
*(water bath canning, freezing, dehydrating, fermenting and root cellaring)
Sunday, Oct. 14th, 1-5 PM
When the Fall harvest comes, be ready to can, freeze and squirrel away the final bounty of the season!! You will learn it all in this homesteading tour de force. We will water bath can a savory relish or other seasonal dish. We’ll show you how to let nature ferment your cabbage into a wonderful sauerkraut, conveniently in a one quart jar!
Blanching & freezing techniques will be discussed and demonstrated so you can save the late harvest of greens, broccoli and other nutritious veggies. Examples of food dehydrating methods will be shown along with several types of equipment.
Finally, we will discuss how to store the many vegetables that don’t need freezing or canning, but just a good place to rest over the winter like potatoes, beets, carrots, squash, onions and garlic.
Cost of Class: $50.00
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Sexy Veggie of the Week
This week's Runner-Up is the Italian staple - Genovese Basil.
I know it seems a little strange to celebrate something as commonplace as fresh basil, but due to the intensity of the drought, we haven't had hardly any until now!! (I'm craving pesto like nobody's business). Now that we've got some rain, my basil crop is growing again and (believe me) you'll smell it as soon as you walk in the door this Friday! Genovese basil smells divine and tastes even better. I couldn't survive in the kitchen without it. It is one of those "must have on hand" types of ingredients. If you haven't had the essential culinary experience of making your own Pesto - a mind-boggling sauce that originated in Genoa consisting of crushed garlic, basil, pine nuts, and Parmigiano Reggiano - then you simply have not lived!! By god you'd best get on this right now. I suggest making lots so that you can freeze it for the winter. I personally make mass quantities so that I can eat it with a spoon like ice cream...
For a basic pesto recipe CLICK HERE!!
This week's Grand-Prize-Winner is the righteous Red Delicious Apple.
Okay, Okay...I am going to be perfectly honest...compared to the world of antique apples varieties, Red Delicious is mediocre at best. It's that supermarket staple we all grew up eating. It ships well, doesn't bruise as easily, stores forever, and sports that "classic red" color that so many folks associate with an all American apple. But hey, I'm not complaining. My grandpa planted these trees 30 some years ago and I didn't get to choose the variety. I'm just glad I've got access to (organic, local) apples!! On the up-side - these backyard beauties don't taste at all like the Red Delicious you've had in the supermarket. THEY ARE BETTER - sweet, firm, and full of integrity. This year the apples ripened early and due to a lack of cool nights, they didn't get as red as usual. Instead our "red" Delicious are sort of green with a charming blushing of red...an after-thought of sorts! All the same, they are great for fresh eating, make a mean apple crisp, sauce nicely, and meet just about all of your apple-flavored needs. We are running a special on these plentiful fruits - 1 Peck for $25.00 - 1 Half Bushel (2 pecks) for $40. Otherwise you can purchase them by the pound. (Dan and I will be making hard cider with the ugly ones...by god we're gonna need the buzz after this crazy season...)
Pictures are attached. You know the drill - print them out, blow them up, and plaster them all over the men's room!!
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THIS WEEK'S ORGANIC OFFERINGS -
Remember:
LIVE NUDE VEGETABLES!! and other organic delights...
EVERY FRIDAY AT BADSEED
Yours Truly,
Brooke
-farmer and mistress of the BADSEED
BADSEED
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