We have been busy bees preparing the farm for the season ahead. With just a few more fields to be planted, we are excited to watch everything sprout and grow!

Caroline planting some brussel sprouts and onions! Yum!

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 Speaking of bees... RSVP now for your spot at our bee keeping class this Saturday from 9am-11am!

Beekeeping: Hive Management and Spring Swarm Management at DeLaney Community Farm, will be hosted by beekeepers Allan and Debbie Brown. We are incredibly happy to have them start us off with our first class of the season!

-Learn some beekeeping basics, the three hive types at the farm and how to manage your colony's growth during its spring buildup. All DeLaney workshops are free for DeLaney shareholders and WIC participants, and there is a $10 suggested donation for all public attendees. RSVP required, class is limited to 30 participants.

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DeLaney Farm Staff and Interns went to visit Flowers for 3 today! This is where DUG gets all their seeds and transplants. Vicky and Kevin are the owners, and the name, Flowers for 3, comes from their triplet girls.

    Germination room - where all of our seeds start!

hey - it's us! 

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 Metro's Environmental Club was great fun and help.Thank you to all of the lovely individual volunteers who came out and shared their time with the farm, and also to The Spring Institue and Metro College's Environmental Club for all of your help!

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 Upcoming Events

May 

• Beekeeping Workshop: Hive Management and Spring Swarm Management at DeLaney Community Farm
  Saturday, May 19th, 9:00 - 11:00am
  This workshop is hosted by beekeepers Allan and Debbie Brown at Denver Urban Gardens' DeLaney Community Farm in Aurora. Learn some beekeeping basics, the three hive types at the farm and how to manage your colony's growth during its spring buildup. All DeLaney workshops are free for DeLaney shareholders and WIC participants, and there is a $10 suggested donation for all public attendees. RSVP required, class is limited to 30 participants.RSVP online here. 

June

• Shareholder Kickoff Potluck
  Saturday, June 2nd, 9:00am - 12:00pm  
  All shareholders are strongly encouraged to attend this orientation to learn about the season ahead, understand Community Partner Shares, the WIC program, meet community and farmer partners, ask questions and meet & greet your community! Please bring a breakfast dish to share!  

• First Shareholder Vegetable Pickup
  Thursday, June 7th, 4:00 - 7:00pm
  Shareholder harvest begins! Vegetable pick-up will occur every Thursday from 4:00-7:00pm at DeLaney. 

What a great way to start off the season but by introducing this years wonderful crew! 

 Caroline Schiller - Farm Intern 

Born and raised in the bluegrass state to a moonshine making lawyer and a stay-at-home mom (who holds more degrees than most lawyers), I feel incredibly blessed to find myself here at DeLaney Community Farm in the beautiful state of Colorado.  I left Kentucky to pursue a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Dayton, Ohio, during which time I also studied French, music, and some Spanish.  In 2005, I followed a friend to Alaska for the summer, and returned to the "lower 48" hoping to recreate the experience somewhere a little closer to home.  I ended up in Colorado, where I have remained for 7 years, most of which has been spent in Breckenridge.  After a whole slew of service industry and childcare jobs, I was still finding myself curled up at night reading books about environmental ethics and looking at pictures of my friends' farms on facebook.  Working at DeLaney is a chance to roll my sleeves up and do what I feel so drawn to.  And I'm excited to have a real relationship with the land that produces all the yummy vegan food that I eat.  You can still find me waiting tables in Breckenridge on the weekend, where I live in a cozy cabin full of dogs in the White River National Forest.   I must say, I've never been so excited to be driving east on I-70 as I am since I've started working with all the wonderful folks at DeLaney Community Farm!  

 Patrick Kenney - Farm Intern

I am grateful that I got this internship at DeLaney community farm and I hope to use what I learn to encourage community, self-sufficency and sustainable living.  I am very interested in ecosystem sciences and believe that sustainable agriculture is an integral part to bringing humanity back into balance with nature.  I also believe that having a strong sense of community empowers people and allows them to be much more resilient.  Like any ecosystem, the more diversity and connections that are made, the more stable the system or community will be.

                                          Christopher Dorr - Second Year Farm Apprentice 

 
This is my second year as an intern here at DeLaney, where I have enjoyed growing community in addition to good produce.  Working at the farm has given me the unique opportunity to meet, learn from, and share with people from all over the globe.  The experience has certainly expanded my idea of what ‘community’ means, and has given me a real sense of how important it is to feel you are a part of a local, as well as global community.  I look forward to another season of helping impart that sense of belonging to others while demonstrating how valuable sustainable agriculture is for the health of our societies.

 Maryia Martineau - Programs and Outreach Intern

I am so very thrilled to be a part of DeLaney Community Farm and can hardly wait to meet all of you!

With being the Programs and Outreach Intern, I will be the one sharing weekly posts with you; you should look here this season for everything from events and announcements, recipes for weekly harvest, what to expect in your harvest, and special features from the farm and community! 

I recently moved to Colorado from Florida for this internship and fresh mountain air. Back in my hometown of Saint Augustine, Florida I studied photography and spent all of my free time in our community garden and in local school gardens. I worked directly with the Education Coordinator and organized and led 'Sprout Camp', our children's summer gardening camp.  Although it is always bittersweet to leave home, I am incredibly ready to be very hands on and dive into helping an organization such as Denver Urban Gardens. To me, the importance is in community involvement and sustainability while working in harmony with our environment.

  Aside from this years interns, we have DeLaney's two full time coordinators. These two really run everything year round, season and off season!

Faatma Mehrmanesh - Farm Operations Coordinator 

Faatma is the wonderful Farm Operations Coordinator. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, things such as; season planning, projections for seed and farm supplies, purchasing (any and everything needed for the farm to function), documenting of all field related points, eight year crop rotation planning, and she also oversees/teaches all farm staff and intern. She is the grower... our farmer!

Faatma is essentially a Denver native, being here since the age of four. She has always been a patio gardener, but 14 years ago she began ground planting. She spoke of how she has dreamt of farming and having a farm for quite some time, but is a city girl at heart. After some time owning an all local cafe, she decided she really wanted to not only better understand the chant of local food and where it truly came from, but also help it be more readily available. When she got to DUG and began working on the DeLaney Community farm as an intern, she knew she did not want to do anything else. She wanted to flourish in the technical side of what happens on the farm and has been doing just that, and plenty more ever since. 

 Heather DeLong - Programs and Outreach Corrdinator

Heather is our lovely Programs and Outreach coordinator here at DeLaney! She is the one who takes care of all things from; finances, shareholder/volunteer information, community partner shares, WIC clinics and workdays, fundraising, events, classes, planning for all things listed and more, and she also loves to be hands-on in the farm as well! 

  She grew up in Southwest Virginia, where she went to school at Radford University for dance for two years, before switching to a double major of geography and psychology. Her love for agriculture first started growing roots when she spent a summer in Brazil studying and working directly in the field of biogeography. After graduating from undergrad she began a 3 and a half year journey into the PeaceCorp where she was an agroforestry volunteer with a focus in natural resource conservation and reforestation. She started with DUG in 2006 as Farm Manager, which was the sole position at DeLaney at the time. As DeLaney grew into the community that is now is, the Farm Manager position was able to split into the two current positions. She is so grateful to now be able to run the farm with Faatma, each having the position that suits them best.

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Upcoming Events and Workshops:

• Beekeeping Workshop: Hive Management and Spring Swarm Management at DeLaney Community Farm

  Saturday, May 19th, 9:00 - 11:00am

This workshop is hosted by beekeepers Allan and Debbie Brown at Denver Urban Gardens' DeLaney     Community Farm in Aurora. All DeLaney workshops are free for DeLaney shareholders and WIC participants, and there is a $10 suggested donation for all public attendees. RSVP required. RSVP online here

• Shareholder Kickoff Potluck 

  Saturday, June 2nd, 9:00am - 12:00pm  

All shareholders are strongly encouraged to attend this orientation to learn about the season ahead, understand Community Partner Shares, the WIC program, meet community and farmer partners, ask questions and meet & greet your community! Please bring a breakfast dish to share!  

• First Shareholder Vegetable Pickup

  Thursday, June 7th, 4:00 - 7:00pm

Shareholder harvest begins! Vegetable pick-up will occur every Thursday from 4:00-7:00pm at DeLaney. 

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  We all greatly look forward to meeting you, and are flowing with excitment for the season ahead of us!

First, there is some info on everything you need to know about drying peppers.  I stumbled upon a website of a St. Louis chilihead who posted a thorough list of instructions on how to dry peppers.  He has several methods and I just decided to post all of them.  If you have a second, follow the link and check out his Scoville scale chart on all things spicy.  I bit into a habenero pepper for the first time this weekend and thought my face was burning off.  I wouldn't know what to do if anything spicier entered my mouth but there are hot sauces and pepper hybrids out there that are simply insane!

 

Why Dry Hot Peppers?

The main reason to learn how to dry hot peppers is simply to enable you to keep them for a long time. Peppers can last for several days to a few weeks at room temperature or in the refrigerator before they start to rot. Freezing peppers, if done right, can make them last several months, but the thawing process can be a tricky one where often you're left with overly soft and mushy chiles. Dried chiles can last from several months to a few years if store properly.

Removing moisture from peppers will magnify and intensify the heat, flavor, and natural sugars it contains. Dehydrated chiles pack more fiery punch and ferocity in both solid food and hot sauce recipes than fresh peppers. Plus, if you grind or crush dried peppers, you can use it as an all-purpose flavoring and seasoning for any occasion.

 

Preparing Chile Peppers to Be Dried

Before you start drying peppers please take the following precautions:

If you're drying peppers indoors, keep the area well-ventilated. Warmed peppers will give off pungent fumes that are irritating to the eyes. If you have a ceiling fan, use it; or better yet, open your windows and bring in a portable fan or two to keep the air circulating and minimize the watery eyes and burned nasal passages. Take extra precaution around young children, pets, or anyone who is sensitive to spicy foods.

If possible, always wear gloves when handling hot peppers. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after touching hot peppers. Do not scratch your eyes, nose, face, or any other sensitive area of your body after handling.

Inspect each pepper before starting the drying process. Discard peppers if they have:

Soft, mushy, or spoiled areas

White, grayish, or diseased-looking spots

Have a questionable or rotten odor 

Wash the peppers with warm water and dry thoroughly with a cloth towel.

Remove the stems from your peppers. If you're drying in them in your oven or food dehydrator you may wish to slice the peppers length-wise (this will allow them to dry faster). If you're drying the peppers indoors you may want to keep them whole as it usually takes a few weeks to dry and not cutting them open help prevent premature spoilage (but you may wish to experiment based on your regional humidity levels and temperature).

 

Drying in the Oven

You can dry peppers in any regular kitchen oven. It's convenient that this method of drying can be done in just about any kitchen in the western world, but there is one big disadvantage; it may take several hours to a few days for the peppers to fully dry, depending on the size. It can also heat up your kitchen considerably if you're drying on warm spring or hot summer day.

Simply position the peppers on a pan or cookie sheet in a single layer and place it in the oven. Set the oven to its lowest temperature setting, which is usually labeled as "WARM", or just below 150 degrees Fahrenheit (120° to 140° is desirable). To allow moisture to escape, keep the oven door slightly open at least a couple of inches (now you know why it can make your kitchen hot). Every hour, rotate and/or flip the peppers over for even drying.

If you find peppers getting soft, brown/black, or extremely hot on the side where they touch the pan, then they're getting cooked; you certainly don't want this, as you're just trying to dry these to use at a later date. To prevent this, try one of the following:

Turn down the temperature slightly. Not all ovens are calibrated the same - some may be off by 10° or more from the "real" temperature.

Flip the peppers over and move them around more often

Open the oven door wider 

As soon as they're fully dry, remove from the oven and place in an air-tight container. Larger, thicker-skinned peppers will take longer to dry than smaller or thin-skinned chiles.

 

Drying Hot Peppers Indoors

This is the "easiest" method of drying peppers, yet probably the most time-consuming. Place whole or sliced chile peppers single-layer in a bowl, plate, or sheet and set them in a very dry, warm, and extremely well-ventilated area with loads of sunlight. Rotate the peppers regularly and discard any that show signs of softness or spoilage. If at all possible, place your bowl or sheet outdoors when the forecast calls for hot, sunny, and dry weather (this will speed up the drying process). Within one or two weeks, you should start seeing your beloved chiles get dry and brittle.  Also, there is the classic way of drying peppers indoors by simply knotting them to a string and letting them hang in a sunny window or placing them in a paper bag clipped at the top to get the same dry and brittle results.  Every kitchen is different so try all the methods to see which is best.  

 

When They're Dry

Properly dried peppers should be devoid of any signs of moisture or soft "fleshiness". Fully dried peppers can still retain a bit of flexibility in their skin - you don't have to dry them until they're brown, crumbling, or hard as a rock. But when in doubt, the pepper should be uniformly dry, slightly brittle, and have a tough skin.

What to do with them you're done? You can:

Plant the seeds for a new crop of chile pepper plants.

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What about Storing Root Vegetables?
I also want to add a quick reference on how to store root vegetables.  There are techniques out there that involve digging pits and burying your vegetables in holes but I want to just take a simple approach that is not specific to any particular situation.  Find a cool dry place to store them and stay within the 32 to 38 degree range.  I am going to choose a crawl space under my porch and storing the veggies in a cooler.  You do not want a space that does not get enough circulation either.  Take these factors and find your own space.  It can be a fun experiment but just know that these root veggies have high tolerence to cold but not freezing temps!

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All-Encompassing Vegetable Soup

It is a trick with all of the frugal folks out there to always understand how to make vegetable soup out of whatever is in the fridge or freezer.  Lets focus on DeLaney crops and just see what happens!  

A large pot of soup needs to have a solid foundation.  1 quart of broth to every 6 cups of vegetables can be a start.  Always have ample amounts of garlic, salt, pepper and random herbs available to add to your foundation.  

When preparing your soup, separate the slow-softeners (carrot, onion, potato) and the quick-softeners (tomatoes, corn, squash).

Using a deep heavy-bottomed stockpot, saute garlic and slow-softeners for 4-6 minutes in oil with a pinch or two of salt.  

Add broth and bring to a simmer.  Add everything else and reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Whatever you have and come up with, its going to be great when everything is put together.  

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It was a pleasure to be a part of DeLaney and to have the opportunity to relay information from the farm to the community through this blog every week!  Hope it was a good read and that you continue with another author at the beginning of the season next year!  Take care and happy gardening!

Stephen

October 6th is our last Harvest and Pick-up day for our shareholders.  

Gleaning Week is the second full week of October.  It is the last week that our remaining vegetable plants will be in the field. After the 14th, it will all be turned in and prepped for the winter.  Come and take what you can find (encouraged to come during normal farm hours) before its all gone!  

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The Spring Institute came out to catch a tour and to help out around the farm last Thursday.  They may not share a common language, but they worked beautifully together in clearing out all unwanted plants from our raspberry patch.  They are a true pleasure to have at DeLaney and we always learn something about a different culture each time they visit! More on the Institute:

Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning is a nonprofit, training and consulting organization with a focus on language and culture. We work with people and organizations all over the world, enabling communication and increasing cross-cultural understanding.

For 30 years the Spring Institute has provided language training, direct services, technical assistance, training, and consulting services for individuals, communities, organizations, and corporations regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Photos taken by The Spring Institute's ESL Teacher/Photographer Lena Karabushin.
It is easy to smile when there are hundreds of raspberries to pick around you!

They got an A+ on herb identification! I got a B-

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Many winter squashes have been harvested and their distribution began last week.  I have been making suggestions for cooking these giants the past few posts so if you get stumped, reference those to start!  Today I found a super tasty pumpkin seed recipe and also a quick idea to prepare those unique deligata squashes.

Taco Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:

1 Cup seeds from freshly cut pumpkin, washed and dried
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon taco seasoning mix
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 

Preparation:

In a skillet, saute pumpkin seeds in oil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer seeds to an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and garlic salt; stir to coat. Spread into a single layer. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until crisp. Remove to paper towels to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Garlic Delicata Squash

Ingredients:

3 delicata squash
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Peel delicata squash, slice in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place in baking dish, and toss with olive oil, garlic, and parsley.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until tender.

Balsamic Roasted Harvest Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash, cubed
2 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
1 red onion, quartered
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
In a large bowl, combine the squash, red bell peppers, sweet potato, and Yukon Gold potatoes. Separate the red onion quarters into pieces, and add them to the mixture.
In a small bowl, stir together thyme, rosemary, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan.
Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 10 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through and browned.

Happy Gardening!

DeLaney

October 1st is DeLaney's last WIC and shareholder workday.  Shareholders, that means you have just a few days left to add to your work hours.  We would love to see you out there!

October 6th is our last Harvest and Pick-up day for our shareholders.  It will be a nice and strong finish!

Gleaning Week is the second full week of October.  It is the last week that our remaining vegetable plants will be in the field. After the 14th, it will all be turned in and prepped for the winter.  Come and take what you can find (encouraged to come during normal farm hours) before its all gone!  

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Farm News:  So we are taking steps at the farm in order to get it straightened out for winter.  Fields are being cleared and prepped for their cover crop.  We have had tasks like pulling up the irrigation line and chopping down corn fields with machetes (safety first!).  Garlic will be planted soon and more chilly afternoons will settle in.  It has been exciting to see a farm rise and fall right along with the seasons!

Athough the weather is still hanging in the 80's, there will be some great fall vegetables coming your way! I have posted some great pumpkin-related recipes for you to try out!  Also, revert back to last week for a recipe on Butternut & Acorn Squash Soup.  If you are not ready to for the cold weather to come, keep these recipes for later in the year.  

Roasted Pumpkin with Shallots and Sage

Ingredients:

1 medium sugar pumpkin (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 shallots (or small red onions), peeled and quartered lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preparation:

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Divide pumpkin, shallots, oil, and sage between two large rimmed baking sheets; season with salt and pepper, and toss.

Roast until pumpkin is tender, 30 to 35 minutes, tossing once and rotating sheets halfway through.

This next recipe sounds like a real fun one.  Looks a bit challenging, so get the family and friends involved!  I like it because it looks amazing and uses a fine array of this week's harvest.

Smoky Braised Mexican Pumpkin

 Pear and Autumn-Vegetable Soup

• Ingredients:
• 2 medium Bartlett pears (8 to 10 ounces each) and 4 small Bartlett pears (about 6 ounces each)
• 1 sugar pumpkin or butternut squash (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 turnip (about 3 ounces), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 sprig fresh sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• Preparation:
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut 2 medium pears lengthwise into paper-thin slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pears are dry, about 1 hour. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, peel remaining 4 pears; halve lengthwise, and core. Place pears, pumpkin, turnip, sage, and 1 teaspoon salt in a 4-quart stockpot. Cover with water (at least 4 cups). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Pour mixture through a sieve into a medium bowl, reserving broth and discarding sage. Puree solids in a food processor or blender, adding up to 1/2 cup reserved broth as needed.
• Return puree to the pot. Stir in 3 to 4 cups reserved broth to achieve desired consistency. Bring soup to a simmer over medium-low heat. Whisk in cream, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Serve garnished with dried pears.

October 1st is DeLaney's last WIC and shareholder workday.  That means if you are waiting until the last minute to fulfill your work hours, its on October 1st!

October 6th is our last Harvest and Pick-up day for our shareholders.  Don't put away your canner and preserving kits away just yet.  

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DeLaney Community Farm had quite a wonderful event this past Sunday.  Our first farm to table meal was served on site and catered by Snooze Eatery using all that they could from the fields.  With breakfast tacos on the brain, the Snooze boys used our veggies for salsa, diced up taco filling, an eggplant spread, two different salads and a side of grilled potatoes.   

There was much prep to serve upwards to 70 hungry folks.  A fellow farmer and I had to step up and fill in as sous chefs in order to accommodate the growing crowd!

Green onion for garnish.

Almost ready for the line to be served.

Fresh garden salsa, yum! 

 Folks are showing up to see where the smell is coming from.

 Guests waiting in line to get served a plate full.

Loading those plates up!

Although the eggs were not from the farm, the chives were!

 Looks too good to eat.

 Aaron from Snooze in the zone!

 Admiring the artform.

Could not have been a more beautiful day on the farm.  Folks sat in our picnic benches or...

 ...brought blankets to perch on!

Thanks to everyone who made this event possible and to all of those who showed up and had a great time!

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Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup

Ingredients: 

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 acorn squash, halved and seeded
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 quart chicken broth
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
ground cinnamon to taste (optional)
fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish. Bake 45 minutes, or until tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Scoop the pulp from the skins. Discard skins.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion until tender.
In a blender or food processor, blend the squash pulp, onion, broth, brown sugar, cream cheese, pepper, and cinnamon until smooth. This may be done in several batches.
Transfer the soup to a pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Garnish with parsley, and serve warm.

Daikon Fettucine with Tomato-Basil Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound daikon
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) plum tomatoes
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

Using a swivel-blade vegetable peeler, remove outer skin of the daikon and discard. Continue peeling down the length of the daikon, creating long ribbons that look like fettucine noodles. Place daikon noodles in a large bowl and cover with salted water; let soak 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain tomatoes, reserving half the juice in a medium bowl. Squeeze tomatoes with your hands into the bowl of reserved juice; mash to combine. You should have about 2 cups.
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until sauce is thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain daikon noodles and dry them using a kitchen towel. Gently add noodles to sauce; reduce heat to medium. Cook until noodles are just heated through, about 1 minute. Divide among 3 or 4 serving plates; serve immediately, with cheese, if desired.

DeLaney

Brunch in the Field at DeLaney Community Farm
Sunday, September 18th, 10:00 - 12:00pm

Join the farmers at Denver Urban Gardens’ DeLaney Community Farm on September 18th, 2011 for Sunday Brunch in the Field, a farm-to-table event featuring food fresh from DeLaney and their Colorado partner farmers. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, will be preparing a delicious breakfast taco bar along with fresh fruit and beverages. Seating is picnic style, so please bring picnic blankets, camping chairs, or whatever you need to be comfortable in the grass. A suggested donation of $30 (per family) secures your spot, but there are only 100 available, so move quickly! Kids are FREE!   

Please spread the word!
Click here to RSVP for Brunch in the Field!  

Hey, our Film on the Farm events are not just for STAFF!  Grab the fam, bring some comforts (food, drink, blankets, frisbee) and have a blast watching "The Never-Ending Story" on the side of the barn!  The last show is September 30th at 6:30pm. 

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Although some fields at DeLaney are being cleared for the winter season, the other fields are still thriving and I poked around the farm the other day with my camera and took some fun pictures:
 Our pumpkins are looking absolutely beautiful and were harvested the other day.  
Sweet corn plants towering 8 feet in the air
Cherry Tomatoes of several varieties, ready to be snacked on
Tiger Tomatoes fresh off the vine
Raspberries are ready to be picked and eaten in mass quanitities
Wildflowers and fresh mountain tree fruit.  A unique and stunning combination
Mobile cabbages ready for shareholder pick-up
The shareholder info board providing imperative information
We have so many tomatoes that we misplace them all of the time...

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Tomorrow's harvest includes beets, carrots, red storage onions, sweet peppers, hot peppers, green onion, mizuna asian greens, chard, eggplant, tomatoes (roma, heirloom and cherry), cabbage, parsley, sage and pick your own raspberry, mint, thyme, lavender and stevia!  

Cherry Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation:

In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper
until combined and thickened. Add tomatoes, red onion, and parsley; toss to combine all ingredients.

Bugarian Eggplant and Pepper Spread (Kiopoolu)
 
Ingredients:

1-1/2 lb. eggplant
2 md. sized green peppers, roasted, peeled and de-ribbed
1 md. sized firm ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped*
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 15 seconds, then peel off the skin. Cut out the stems and cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Squeeze the halves to remove the juice and seeds, then coarsely chop the pulp.

Roast the eggplant in the following fashion: Prick it in 3 or 4 places, then impale it on a long handled fork and turn it over a flame until the skin chars and cracks. Or, pierce the eggplant, place it on a baking sheet, and broil it 4 inches from the heat for about 20 minutes, turning it so that it chars on all sides. Wrap the eggplant in a damp towel for 5 minutes, then peel off and discard the skin. Cut the eggplant in half, chop it fine, and mash the pulp to a smooth puree. Similarly, mash the skinned and de-ribbed green peppers.

Combine the eggplant and pepper puree in a deep bowl. Stir in the oil and vinegar a tablespoon at a time, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth. Add the chopped tomato, parsley, garlic, salt and a liberal grinding of pepper, and continue to beat until all the ingredients are well mixed. Taste for seasoning and refrigerate until chilled. 

Happy Gardening!

DeLaney

Top-Bar Beekeeping Association Meeting @ DeLaney
September 10th, from 9am to 10am. 

Brunch in the Field at DeLaney Community Farm
Sunday, September 18th, 10:00 - 12:00pm

Join the farmers at Denver Urban Gardens’ DeLaney Community Farm on September 18th, 2011 for Sunday Brunch in the Field, a farm-to-table event featuring food fresh from DeLaney and their Colorado partner farmers. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, will be preparing a delicious breakfast taco bar along with fresh fruit and beverages. Seating is picnic style, so please bring picnic blankets, camping chairs, or whatever you need to be comfortable in the grass. A suggested donation of $30 (per family) secures your spot, but there are only 100 available, so move quickly! Kids are FREE!   

Please spread the word!
Click here to RSVP for Brunch in the Field!  

Hey, our Film on the Farm events are not just for STAFF!  Grab the fam, bring some comforts (food, drink, blankets, frisbee) and have a blast watching "The Never-Ending Story" on the side of the barn!  The last show is September 30th at 6:30pm.  

Don't let this gloomy cloud cover and chilly breeze fool you!  DeLaney is still harvesting bounty galore and having a blast!  

This week's harvest includes squash (last week!), onion, bell, poblano, serrano, jalepeno and hot portugal peppers, eggplant, corn, tomatillo, cherry and (maybe) heirloom tomato, okra, garlic, dill, cabbage, beet, sage, parsley and green beans.  

If you are letting your veggies build up in the fridge, take our advice and preserve some of it.  I have bags and bags of green beans in my freezer, ready to make green bean casserole for Thanksgiving!  We have a great handout at the farm and when you pick up tomorrow, go ahead and grab one!

Grilled Corn Salad

Ingredients:

Can't deny that the weather is getting cooler so I wanted to get a soup on the page.  This one sounds really tasty and the best thing is: its all supplied by DeLaney veggies (plus vegetable stock)!  

Roasted Tomato, Pepper and Red Onion Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lbs ripe tomatoes
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
3 cups vegetable stock (or 3 cups water plus 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 -8 sprigs fresh sage
salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash and halve the tomatoes.  Halve the pepper, removing the core and seeds.  
Cut the onion in quarters.  
Place the vegetables and two sprigs of sage on a large bake pan.  
Sprinkle with the olive oil.  
Bake for 30 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees.  
Remove the vegetables from the oven and place them in an ovenproof dish.  
Add the bouillon, and bake uncovered in the oven 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked.  
Allow the vegetables to cool.  Puree with a handblender.  
Reheat in a pan on the stove when ready to serve.  Garnish with chopped sage.

FYI:  You can always make your favorite vegetable soup and after eating it a few meals, place in a freezer-safe container and throw up top in your freezer.  My mother will make a batch of soup and eat it all year!  I do not recommend that but soup is great to freeze and enjoy for the cold months to come.  

Remember this: if you have recipe, thoughts or blog ideas email me at stephen@dug.org.

Top-Bar Beekeeping Association Meeting @ DeLaney
September 10th, from 9am to 10am. 

Brunch in the Field at DeLaney Community Farm
Sunday, September 18th, 10:00 - 12:00pm

Join the farmers at Denver Urban Gardens’ DeLaney Community Farm on September 18th, 2011 for Sunday Brunch in the Field, a farm-to-table event featuring food fresh from DeLaney and their Colorado partner farmers. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, will be preparing a delicious breakfast taco bar along with fresh fruit and beverages. Seating is picnic style, so please bring picnic blankets, camping chairs, or whatever you need to be comfortable in the grass. A suggested donation of $30 (per family) secures your spot, but there are only 100 available, so move quickly! Kids are FREE!   

Please spread the word!
Click here to RSVP for Brunch in the Field!  

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This canning recipe is from Ann Atkinson who requested we spread the word on a glorious way to can the pounds of beans DeLaney provides each week.

It's from the Ball Blue Book, so not an original recipe.  These are very good as a side dish with Indian foods such as curry.  They are salty, spicy, and crunchy.  They would also go well on an antipasto plate.  I made them using the 2.5# of green beans we got last week, and it made 6 pints, even though the recipe says it only makes 4.  It's easy to expand because you can just make more of the vinegar mixture if you need it.

Dilly Beans
2# trimmed green beans
1/4 c. salt
4 heads dill
4 cloves garlic (peeled)
1 t. cayenne pepper
2 1/2 c. vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
2 1/2 c. water

Pack beans lengthwise into sterilized hot pint jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space.  To each pint add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 clove garlic, 1 head dill.  

Combine salt, vinegar, and water and bring to a boil.  Pour boiling hot over beans, leaving 1/4 inch head space.  Cap and process in water bath 16 min. (this is the altitude adjustment for my house, which is at 6200 feet--the original recipe calls for 10 min at sea level, so adjust accordingly).

Hint:  I used a pair of (sterilized) scissors to trim the tops of the beans once they were in the jars to bring them down to below the 1/4 inch head space mark and that seemed to work well.  

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So this weekend is Labor Day Weekend and those who have a share with DeLaney will have their fridge full of grill-able vegetables.  Here are a few recipes to utilize these veggies and have a tasty rockin' weekend! 

Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Basil & Tomato

Film on the Farm: Legend: August 26th at DeLaney Community Farm
Bring your blanket and camping chairs, pack snack, and come enjoy a movie at DUG's DeLaney Community Farm. $5 suggested donation. Film begins at dusk. Click here to RSVP. Click here for directions to DeLaney.

Freezing! Drying! Canning! Oh my!: August 27th at DeLaney Community Farm
 Learn how to continue eating healthy vegetables long after the harvest is over by common and traditional preservation techniques. Click here to RSVP! 

Brunch in the Field at DeLaney Community Farm

Sunday, September 18th, 10:00 - 12:00pm

Join the farmers at Denver Urban Gardens’ DeLaney Community Farm on September 18th, 2011 for Sunday Brunch in the Field, a farm-to-table event featuring food fresh from DeLaney and their Colorado partner farmers. Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, will be preparing a delicious breakfast taco bar along with fresh fruit and beverages. Seating is picnic style, so please bring picnic blankets, camping chairs, or whatever you need to be comfortable in the grass. A suggested donation of $30 (per family) secures your spot, but there are only 100 available, so move quickly! Kids are FREE!  

Please spread the word!  

Click here to RSVP for Brunch in the Field! 

 Sauteed Zucchini with Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise then cut into half moon slices

2 garlic cloves, crushed

3/4 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:
Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat; add the olive oil, swirling to coat the pan. Add zucchini; cook, stirring often, until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. 

Add the garlic; cook, stirring, until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes; stir until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in the basil, salt and pepper to taste.

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So if you haven't made salsa this season, lets get started this weekend with a unique salsa using squash and tomatoes.  It is more of a toast topper than a chip dipper!

Squash and Tomato Basil Salsa

Ingredients:
20 red and yellow grape tomatoes 
1/2 medium zucchini 
1/2 medium yellow squash 
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
2 teaspoons champagne vinegar 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/4 cup fresh basil, julienne (thinly sliced) 

Preparation:
Quarter tomatoes lengthwise. Cut zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4-inch small pieces. Combine tomatoes and squash. Add oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and mix well. Fold in fresh basil. 

Let sit for about 30 minutes before using to allow flavors to develop.