With the long, sunny, warm days of this summer comes sweet and abundant shares.  On average, the crops need about an inch of rain per week.  With little more than a half-inch of rain so far in July, we have had to make a lot of rain ourselves.

The 20,000 gallons of water it takes to put an inch on one acre is definitely a lot of water; especially when you multiply it out for every week and then multiply it out again over our many acres of fields.  The water conserving drip irrigation we have installed on a quarter of our fields means that those acres only need about 7,000 gallons of water a week.  To think that we irrigated with almost a million gallons of water this month is mind boggling.  Yet, when I think of all the time and energy we put into ensuring our crops to not get too thirsty, I better understand why I was doing the dance of joy during last week's brief thunderstorms.

We are lucky to live in a relatively water rich part of the world where the short droughts always give way to rainy periods which ensure there will be sufficient ground water for the next season.  I feel for those Midwest farmers that do not have the water needed to irrigate their crops and feel blessed for the water we have been given.

To New England water,

Farmer Dave 

Ingredients: 

• 1 medium zucchini, grated ( about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon butter (optional)

Combine the zucchini, scallions, flour, sugar, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Add the egg, lemon juice, and zest and stir until well incorporated.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter (you can use more olive oil if keeping this recipe dairy-free) in a large cast iron skillet. Once the butter is melted and the oil is fairly hot, drop in the zucchini mixture in tablespoonfuls, making sure not to crowd the pan (about 5 at a time). Cook for about 1 minute on each side until browned and semi-firm.

Remove to a paper towel to drain and repeat with the remaining zucchini mixture, adding more oil as necessary.

NOTE: this can be done a day in advance. Simply reheat the cakes in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

Arugula, Orange and Ricotta Salad

Adapted by Farmer Dave's from the Formaggio Kitchen Cheese Blog

Serves: 2-3 (as a side)

Dressing:
2 tbsps Old Fashioned mustard
2 tbsps white wine vinegar
6 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad:
4 cups arugula, washed
1 orange
¼ - ½ cup fresh ricotta

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a jar - seal with lid and shake until emulsified.  

Place the arugula in a bowl. Using a paring knife, remove the skin of the orange and segment pieces into the salad, being sure to remove all seeds. Dollop the ricotta on the salad and drizzle over dressing to taste (you will probably have more dressing than you need).  

Toss and serve.

Links for making pickles!

The first two recipes Ginger has used and are her stand-by recipes.   

• Refrigerator pickles 
• Fermented kosher dills (Yum!)
• Bread and butter slices 

Some tips for making great pickles.

• Make them within a day or two of getting your cucumbers home.  Older pickles make for mushy pickles.
• Cut an inch off of the blossom end of your cucumber.  The blossom has an enzyme in it which causes your pickles to get soft.
• The smaller the cucumber, the better the pickle! 

To learn more about the program, click here.

Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2012!