NOTE: Our "Second Spring" Plant Sale is scheduled for Saturday, August 9th and Sunday, August 10th from 10 am to 2 pm!
Midsummer is one of the busiest times of the year at Midsummer Farm! It is also one of my favorite times when the garden is in full production, the plants are all at their peak, and the days are long and bright. This summer has been oddly cool, and I have to say I am loving it! I hope that the cool nights aren't too cool for the heat loving vegetables, but so far the garden is looking very healthy. No fungus or disease no squash vine borers no cabbage moths! There are some issues like lots of Japanese beetles, but I am definitely not complaining! It is simply wonderful!
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 Harvesting at Midsummer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cabbages
Many of my early types of cabbages are ready to harvest now. You can tell if a cabbage is ready to be harvested by squeezing the head. If it feels hollow or loose, it is not ready, but if it is hard and tight, it is ready to harvest. And cabbage is one of those vegetables that after you have tasted a fresh one, the ones in the store don't even seem like the same vegetable....
I also harvested shallots recently, so I made one of my favorite vegetable side dishes... This recipe is absolutely delicious despite its quickness and simplicity. I think it is so good because the cabbages are fresh picked and because shallots, simply, are magically delicious onions!
Cabbage and Shallot Sauté
1/2 of a small, fresh cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 medium shallots, sliced
1 tbsp grassfed butter
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Heat butter and oil in a saute pan. Add shallots and cook just until starting to get tender, about a minute. Add cabbage and cook until bright and tender. But don't cook too much so it's mushy. Taste as you go and season... So good and so healthy! Cabbage is one of the healthiest foods on the earth.
 Some more about cabbage Although all the brassica family vegetables (kale, collards, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) are super-nutrient rich superfoods, cabbage is in a class of its own. Cabbage holds a strong and diverse array of antioxidants and has been shown in many many studies to reduce the risk of many types and forms of cancer. As the cabbage plants sit in the field, with those big wide leaves gathering sun and giant long tap roots going deep into the earth, they gather up tons of nutrients, vitamins, and important minerals and then synthesize them so that all those good things are perfectly bioavailable to the human system! What wonderful plants!
The amount of minerals in cabbage is amazing - and there is more variety of minerals in cabbage than in its darker leafed cousins. Cabbage ranks highest of all leafy vegetables in boron, a mineral that helps to appropriately raise estrogen levels in the blood and has been linked to helping in preventing osteoporosis for that reason. Combining cabbage with calcium-rich broccoli or kale could make a great bone-strengthening recipe.
Cabbage is also great for the digestive system - it provides fiber;  and if made into sauerkraut, cabbage provides all sorts of wonderful support to the gut, diversifying and balancing the microflora and fauna. Sauerkraut settles and calms the stomach and strengthens the digestive track. When eaten raw or juiced, cabbage also contains two anti-ulcer compounds. Runts!
Don't leave runts (oddly small fruits) on your plants. Take them off and feed them to your chickens or just eat them as baby vegetables. You see runts a lot as pepper, cucumber, and summer squash (zucchini) plants first start making fruit or if things just didn't get pollinated properly. If you leave them on the plant, the plant will take up too much energy focusing on the runt when you want it to be focusing all its energy on producing new good fruits! I always pick the first green bell peppers when they only get about 2 inches long. They're really tasty and refreshing out in the field and the plants always produce so much better and longer if they are removed early.
Basil and Herbs  Don't forget to harvest and trim your herb plants - the plants will grow back bushier and stronger. Extra basil can be easily frozen. I usually trim my plants in late morning when the dew has dried and trim directly into zip lock bags and pop the bags into the freezer. In a day or so, when the basil is totally frozen, you be able to crush the leaves down in the bag and add more fresh sprigs.
Alliums
If you haven't already done so, it is time to harvest your garlic and shallots. And start checking your onions as they may be ready for harvesting - if they have yellow tops that have started to fall over, carefully pull them when the ground is dry, trim the leaf part about 6 inches from the bulb, and spread out in a dry airy spot out of the sun to 'cure' for a week or two, until the tops are totally dry and curled up.
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Planting at Midsummer or "Second Spring"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  We call this time of year, "Second Spring" because it seems like we are repeating a lot of the growing and planting tasks that we were doing in March and April. The plan is to plant the seeds or transplants of cold-loving vegetables and greens now so we can continue harvesting great healthy vegetables into the fall.
It is the perfect time to replant the seeds of beets, radishes, cilantro, dill, peas, turnips, mustards, lettuces, greens mixes, spinach, and arugula directly into the ground in your garden. I plan on planting some of these things every other week or so right through the end of August.
Other vegetables need a head start - so I planted trays and trays of broccolis, cauliflowers, collards, kales, chards, lettuces, Asian greens, endives, chicories, and escaroles right around the 4th of July indoors. I've been hardening them off and transplanting them to pots these past couple weeks. And they can go into the ground anytime during mid August
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"Second Spring" Plant and Seedling Sale
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We'll be selling our "Second Spring" seedlings at our Upcoming "Second Spring" Pla  nt Sale, which will be open: Saturday, August 9th, from 9 am to 2 pm
Sunday, August 10th, from 9 am to 2 pm
We'll have a wide range of cold season veggie seedlings - such as:
Various heirloom broccoli
Several Hybrid broccoli
Big budded broccoli types
Cabbages - quick growing types
Kales
Collards
White, green, and purple cauliflower
Chards - Rainbow and Japanese
Frissee endives and escaroles
Kohlrabi in red and white
Various Radicchios and Chicories including puntarelle
Asian greens - Various pak chois, Japanese and Chinese Cabbages, Tat Soi, Mibuna
Lots of lettuces - romaines, oak leaves, deer's tongue, crispheads, and butterheads
These can all be planted in the garden now for fall harvesting or in a cold frame for winter harvesting.
 I also transplanted some new traditional sweet basil plants in case anyone is in need of some fresh plants! And we will have lots of lovely perennial plants on sale as well as perennial herbs.
We accept cash or check and occasionally we have enough cell service to take credit cards .... If you haven't been to our farm yet, we're located at 156 East Ridge Road, Warwick, NY 10990. And welcome! Driving directions can be found on our website!
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Building a Sustainable Herbal Apothecary
5 Session Course - Registration now open !
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In this intensive course, you'll be building your own herb-based household health plan, as well as your own herbal medicine cabinet, beauty spa, and emotional well-being resource. Along with delving into natural herbal approaches to healing and vital health, each session will also involve how to grow and maintain a plentiful and abundant herb garden as well as how to harvest, store, and make use of the herbs you grow effectively. Autumn is a great time to plan and experiment with what herbs you will want to grow in the spring and plan for your herb garden. See full outline below...
Empower yourself and Naturalize your household with 5 Intensive All-day Classes! Classes run from 10 am - 3 pm
~Discounted early bird registration due August 19th!~
We're offering two different sessions of this course - one on weekdays and one on weekends:
Weekday (Tuesdays) Session Dates:
Tuesday, September 16th 2014 - Liver Cleansing Detoxing, Gut and Bowel Health Tuesday, September 30th 2014 - Anti-biotics, Anti-virals, Anti-fungals, Colds and Flus, Respiratory Health Tuesday, October 21st 2014 - External Healing - Skin Health Tuesday, November 4th 2014 - Anti-inflammatory Herbs, Bug Bites, and Allergies Tuesday, November 18th 2014 - Hormone Balancing, Digestion and Metabolism, Stress
Weekend (Saturdays) Session Dates:
Saturday, September 27th 2014 - Liver Cleansing Detoxing, Gut and Bowel Health Saturday, October 18th 2014 - Antibiotics, Antivirals, Antifungals, Colds and Flus, Respiratory Health Saturday, November 1st 2014 - External Healing - Skin Health Saturday, November 22nd 2014 - Anti-inflammatory Herbs, Bug Bites, and Allergies Saturday, December 13th 2014 - Hormone Balancing, Digestion and Metabolism, Stress $485.00 per person (Discounted price of $450 is available for early discount registration before August 19th 2014.) Price includes materials, herbs, handouts Registration form and Pay Pal options are on our Workshop Webpage!
OUTLINE
The below outline provides a focus for each session, but much  more will be covered as the course evolves.... Session 1) Liver Cleansing Detoxing, Gut and Bowel Health
HERB FOCUSES: Milk Thistle, Dandelion, Mucilages, Burdock, and more.
USING: Teas (water decoctions), Tincturing (alcohol-infusions)
FOOD FOCUS: Raw Food Salads, Herbal Juices
Session 2) Antibiotics, Antivirals, Antifungals, Colds and Flus, Respiratory Health, Infections, Sore Throats
HERB FOCUSES: Garlic, Echinacea, Marshmallow, goldenseal, thymol, baical skullcap, elecampane, oregano, and more.
USING: Syrups and lozenges
FOOD FOCUS: Broths, Soups
Session 3) External Healing - Skin Health, Cellulite, Varicose Veins, Cuts, Burns, Bruises, Dry Skin, Wrinkles, Chronic Skin Issues, Sunburn,
HERB FOCUSES: Calendula, Violet, Yarrow, Arnica, Comfrey, Self Heal, Umbelliferae family, and more.
USING: Oil-infusions, salves, lip balms, ointments, poultices.
FOOD FOCUS: Seeds, Roots, and Spices of Umbelliferae family
Session 4) Anti-inflammatory Herbs, Bug Bites, and Allergies
HERB FOCUSES: Licorice Root, Pain-killers, nettles, plantain, tumeric, chickweed, feverfew, meadowsweet, and mints.
USING: Variety - bringing them all together.
FOOD FOCUS: Green, Chlorophyl Rich Recipes
Session 5) Hormone Balancing, Digestion and Metabolism, Stress
HERB FOCUSES: Nervines and Adaptogens, Oats, Kelp, Tulsi (Holy Basil), Skullcap, Lemon Balm, Motherwort, Red Clover, St. John's Wort, Blue Vervain, and Raspberry Leaf.
USING: Variety - bringing them all together.
FOOD FOCUS: Herbal Cocktails, Chickpea and Cannellini Bean and Herb recipes
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Upcoming Workshops!
You can register for a workshop by visiting our website, and either downloading and mailing in a registration form and check or through our PayPal option. You must register in advance; I will send you a confirmation email a couple days before the workshop.
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 Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop
Friday, August 22nd, 11 am - 1 pm
For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. They also provide backyard joy. They are easy to take care of, are not noisy or smelly, and are an important part of the Organic garden. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 8/20/14
Backyard Organic Poultry Rearing Workshop
Saturday, September 6th, 10 am - 12 noon
For anyone who has dreamed of walking out to your own chicken coop and collecting fresh eggs for breakfast, this course will guide you through starting up your own flock and in organic and natural rearing methods. We will discuss all of our secrets to Organic chicken care that we have discovered over the years. Chickens are wonderful stewards of the earth; and kept in proper conditions, chickens are valuable assets to the garden, lawn, and compost pile. They also provide backyard joy. They are easy to take care of, are not noisy or smelly, and are an important part of the Organic garden. (Please be sure to check with your town to make sure that chickens are allowed where you live.) Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 9/3/14
Too Many Zucchini! Cooking Summer Squash Workshop
Friday, August 8th 2014, 11 am - 1 pm
By popular request - I'm doing a workshop on what to do with all your summer squash. I also used to feel overwhelmed and even bored by summer squash, but now I can't wait to get my hands on as many as possible! I have a wide range of truly delicious recipes that I am thrilled to share with you so you too can fully enjoy all those zucchini you're pulling out of your garden this time of year! You'll take home a variety of recipes and building outlines for creatively designing your own meals. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 8/6/14
Cooking with Dark Leafy Greens - The #1 Missing Ingredient in Today's Diets!
Friday, September 5th 2014, 11 am - 1 pm
We will demonstrate a wide range of ways to use dark leafy greens of all
types. You will leave feeling empowered to live more healthily with a solid
collection of great recipes. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 9/2/14
Legumes!!! Cooking with Beans Workshop
Sunday, September 7th 2014, 10 am - 12 noon
Beans are one of those things that can make a huge difference in your health
and well-being just by adding them to your weekly eating plan. And we'll go
over a bunch of different ways to integrate them into your every day life
easily. This workshop will lead to better overall health. Beans have been
missing from the typical American diet and people have strange opinions of
them, but they are delicious, easy to digest when prepared properly, and
nourishing on many, many levels. We'll do a selection of fabulous bean dips,
refreshing bean salads (great for packing for work or school lunches), and
a big variety of other recipes which will integrate beans in easy and tasty ways!
Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged- Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 9/4/14
Dressing Your Salad - Creating Dressings Workshop
Friday, September 12th 2014, 11 am - 1 pm
This time of year, especially in a nice cool summer like this one has been, we harvest lots of great salad greens and sometimes need some new ideas and flavors in our dressings for spicing them up! Bottled salad dressing is one of the biggest wastes of money - they are overpriced and usually full of corn syrup, cheap oils, and chemical preservatives, not to mention that most of them are sold in dangerous plastic bottles. It is SO EASY and QUICK to make your own dynamic and health-promoting salad dressings and that what we'll do together in this workshop. You'll go home with a new set of recipes and the skills for designing your own new recipes. I believe the dressing should add nutrition and balance to the greens - the fats and proteins help the nutrients and minerals in the greens get fully absorbed and metabolized by the body. Workshop is hands on and tasting is encouraged - Cost is $36 ($39.50 online)| Registration closes 9/9/14
You can register for a workshop by visiting our website, and either downloading and mailing in a registration form and check or through our PayPal option. You must register in advance; I will send you a confirmation email a couple days before the workshop.
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Disclaimer
© Copyright 2014 Barbara Taylor-Laino, HHC / Barbara Taylor Health. All Rights Reserved. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Barbara Taylor Laino is required.
This information newsletter is designed as an educational tool for better health. Recipes and information are included as examples for you learn from; they are not diagnostic or prescriptive. Everyone's health needs are different. This newsletter is not to be used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed to your own physician or other healthcare provider. The entire contents of this newsletter and the websites of Barbara Taylor Laino and Midsummer Farm are based upon the opinions of Barbara Taylor Laino, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author(s), who retains copyright as marked. The information on the www.midsummerfarm.com website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Barbara Taylor Laino. You are encouraged to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
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Midsummer Farm Contact Info:
Barbara and Mark Laino
Midsummer Farm
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@midsummerfarm.com
Holistic Health Counseling Contact Info:
Barbara Taylor-Laino
Barbara Taylor Health
156 East Ridge Road
Warwick, NY 10990
845-986-9699
info@barbarataylorhealth.com
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