Crabbing is open so corn is on the menu, whether you choose on the cob, succotash, corn risotto or elote. Days are shorter and the increasingly oblique angle of sunlight turns green to gold, complementing the pinks and purples of sunrise and set. There’s a chill in the evening air that carries whispers of coming frost. Kale, chard, escarole, radicchio, celery, cabbage, squash, and potatoes all assert their flavors and colors - a fall palate takes over.
DRY DOCK
Annual ferry maintenance is part of the pulse of Lummi Island. It means adjusting to a walk-on boat, parking on the other side, using the shuttle or dusting off the island car (we’ve seen every iteration of conveyance, even riding lawn mowers) and stocking up on food and fuel. But it is also an opportunity to enjoy the serene quiet of the island and a chance to chat with old acquaintances on the crossing.
We’re all making plans for dry dock and Full Bloom Farm wanted to let you know that we will be open during dry dock with most of our regular items, except for bagels. The Bagelry Bagels freeze very well in zip lock bags, so if you want bagels through drydock, we recommend stocking up and freezing them. September 11th will be the last day to get bagels through the Farm Stand until the end of dry dock when we will have them again.
The demand for products is high this time of year, particularly for organic, pasture-raised eggs. To keep up with demand and ensure we don’t sell-out constantly, we will offer certified organic and pasture-raised eggs from Skagit Valley Ranch during dry dock.
PICKLE KITS
We’ve restocked our DIY Pickle Kits! These have been a lot of fun to put together and we’ve really enjoyed seeing your photos of pickles in the making! Keep them coming! In about a week you can have pickles from this kit. AND Dilly Bean Kits are now available on the stand too! The dilly bean kits include an airlock top so that you can make all sorts of other fermented foods that may require an airlock for optimal results.
TOMATOES, CORN & BEANS
Our tomatoes are showing their color in the tunnels and are bursting with flavor right now. We’ve been offering Full Bloom Farm yellow and gold heirlooms with reds and pinks from our neighbors, Hillcrest Farm, to give a satisfying mix. The cool snap we had earlier in the month meant our tomatoes slowed down a bit, but now that the heat is back, they are starting to ripen much faster. We pick everyday so if we are sold out one day, check back the next!
There are only a few more harvests of green beans before we plant fall crops on that ground. This year we’ve had four varieties of green beans and we are nearing the end of the season with only a few harvests of the Provider variety left. They are delicious and succulent blanched with thick slices of fresh heirloom tomatoes, Lost Peacock Creamery goat cheese, and vinaigrette dressing (recipe at the bottom of this note).
Our corn is maturing, but not quite ready so we picked up some first-of-the-season corn from Hedlins Family Farm in Skagit. We like it on the cob with butter and sea salt, but we’ll also be eating it in a satisfying corn risotto where you use the cob to make rich corn broth. Here is a link to a recipe. Summer and winter squash and cucumbers are taking over with their vines reaching out to be picked. We’ve been making a gratin of potato, cauliflower and summer squash that’s delicious. Keep reading for the recipes.
SEA SALT
Mark has been producing salt from the Salish Sea for several years on our farm. Normal table salt is highly refined and is stripped of the nuances of flavor inherent in sea salt. Our sea salt has a flavor that is distinct to Lummi Island, reflecting the terroir of the land and the body of water surrounding it. We use solar-evaporation to extract it. This is the salt that is featured in our pickle kits. This is also our table salt and Livie uses it when baking sourdough bread.
PEARS AND APPLES
Our pears are starting to ripen and our earliest variety, Harrow Delight is available now. These pears are juicy and have very smooth flesh. We only have a limited amount of these, since the trees are juvenile, but the flavor is unique, sweet and unforgettable. Full Bloom Farm started an orchard in the lower field seven years ago and the trees are now starting to produce a reasonable amount of delicious fruit.
We also recently sourced Ubileen pears, a variety from eastern Europe with a smooth, juicy and buttery flesh from Cloud Mountain. These are tasty eaten fresh and also would be wonderful canned as they have a firm flesh.
The Akane Apples (the bright red beauties pictured here) from Three Pheasants Farm are delicious, firm, small to medium-sized fruit that have a perfect balance of sweet to tart. The Akane apple was developed in Japan and is regarded as one of the best early-season apples. It’s good fresh or for baking. Thank you Sharron Antholt for growing these! Three Pheasants Farms will be supplying apples to us this fall as they ripen so stay in touch.
MELONS
Full Bloom Farm has been offering melons of different varieties for some time. They are difficult to grow in this environment but rewarding, the aroma in the melon greenhouse is heady. Nestled in a bed of sweet smelling mulch, they are our babies and will be ready soon. This year we are growing a mini musk melon variety. They’re adorable.
In the interim, we’re lucky to be getting three beautiful varieties of melons (Arava, Halona, and San Juan) from Cloud Mountain Farm Center in Everson, WA and all of them are exceptional.
Arava melons with a light green flesh are aromatic and very sweet, with prominent floral, tropical, and nectar-like flavors; Halona melons (a musk melon with orange flesh) are unusually sweet with full flavor, these would be incredible with prosciutto, and the San Juan are aromatic and have a pear-like, sweet, and slightly spicy flavor with ivory-colored flesh.
PLUMS
Also from our friends at Cloud Mountain are giant Seneca plums which are a European variety that are very similar to Italian prune plums, but almost three times as big! They sweet and juicy and freestone.
We have many many flowers and the garden is brimming with summer color. All of this will soon be covered in frost so we’re picking as many flowers as we can while they’re here. As the season changes so too will the bouquets. The yellows of Goldenrod and Craspedia are making an appearance now.
We are looking forward to the brief respite that drydock gives us. It’s a time for walks, hikes, getting on the water, bike riding and enjoying all the beauty of this very special place. We would like to invite you to come and visit Full Bloom Farm where kids can ride on a swing and enjoy the chickens up close. Please email us at hello@fullbloomfarm.com for an appointment to insure a private and safe time.
Thank you all for your support this year. A pandemic is not an easy thing to confront, but we are all doing it however we can. Thanks for your willingness to try something very new and strange - an online farm stand! Whoa, whoa, whoa! ;o)
Lis, Mark, Livie & Roger
RECIPES
Here are some recipes we are cooking right now that we thought you’d enjoy …
Fennel-Celery Salad
Ingredients:
5 - 7 celery stalks, with leaves on (ideally)
1 Fennel Bulb
6 Sprigs of flat leaf parsley, stems removed
Juice of one lemon
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup shaved parm ( roughly 2 ounces)
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Slice the celery and fennel bulb thinly. You can use a mandolin for uniformity, but a sharp knife should do the trick. Place in a salad bowl once sliced. Roughly chop the parsley and place in the bowl. Pour over the lemon juice, olive oil, parm, and season heavily with salt and freshly ground pepper and mix well. This salad holds up well in the fridge and stays crunchy for days. It will wilt slightly, but in the best kind of way :)
Roger’s Smokey Grilled Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
12oz tomatillos
1 jalapeno or 1 serrano
½ a yellow or white onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup chopped cilantro
Juice of one juicy lime
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Heat up your grill so it’s smoking hot. We prefer charcoal, but gas is fine too. In the meantime, remove the tomatillo husks and wash the tomatillos under cool water. Fun fact: you’ll notice they are quite slippery and feel soapy as you wash them with water. This is because tomatillos naturally excrete a saponin (the same compound used in soap making) called tomatine that helps the plant defend itself against pests. Don’t skip the washing step as this saponin is quite bitter and will make your dish unpalatable. Once the tomatillos are washed, place them on the hot grill along with the pepper and onion and turn 2 minutes or so until well-charred on all sides. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
Remove the grilled veggies to a plate and let cool for a few minutes. Place the grilled items, the garlic, cilantro, the lime juice, and salt and pepper in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. We make enchiladas with this sauce, eat it with chips, or serve it with eggs, beans and tortillas for breakfast. If you’re into canning you can hot pack this salsa and it’s a real treat in the middle of winter.
Tomato, green bean salad w/ chèvre + salad dressing
Ingredients:
One large heirloom tomato or a couple medium-sized ones
½ lb of green beans (any type will do)
2 oz goat cheese
⅓ cup vinaigrette - see this blog for our salad dressing recipe
Salt + pepper
Directions:
Slice the tomatoes into thick slices and fan them out on a serving plate. Trim off the stem ends of the green beans. Fill a medium mixing bowl half full with ice and fill with water to half full, set aside. In a medium to large pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil and add green beans. You should have enough water to cover the beans while boiling. Boil for 3-5 minutes then using a slotted spoon or tongs, transfer the beans to the ice bath. Let cool for at least 2 minutes before transferring the beans to a clean towel to dry off, gently. Place the cooled beans on the serving plate with the tomatoes, top with crumbled goat cheese, drizzle with vinaigrette, and season well with salt and pepper. If you have cooked beets they are a delicious addition as are slices of peeled fresh cucumber, but by no means required.
Potato, Squash, and Cauliflower Gratin
Ingredients:
2 large red Norland (or other waxy) potato
12 oz patty pan squash
1 small head of cauliflower
1 ½ to 2 cups heavy cream
1 ½ cup chicken broth
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon Herb de Provence
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated parm
1/4 cup good olive oil
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Peel the potatoes and slice them and the cauliflower and squash into discs roughly a quarter inch thickness. Some of the cauliflower will fall apart, that’s fine.
In a large soup pot place the potatoes, cream, chicken broth, nutmeg, butter, garlic, Herbes de Provence, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs and bring to a light simmer. Try to nestle the potatoes down into the liquid as much as possible so they boil evenly. Stir occasionally to allow even cooking. Cook for 5-7 minutes at medium heat. Add the squash and cauliflower and cook for 3 minutes or until the liquid starts to thicken. It should go from milk-like to a creamy consistency. If it has not reached this consistency yet, give it a few more minutes on the stove to simmer.
Carefully pour the hot mixture into a casserole dish and try to lay the veggies as flat as possible, nestled down into the cream sauce. Top with parm and more salt and pepper and drizzle with good olive oil. Put in the oven and bake until browned and crusty and bubbly, but NOT so far that all the liquid has been absorbed. Roughly 20-25 minutes, but keep an eye on it.
The gratin should be nicely browned and have a thick sauce gurgling when you take it out. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.