Post-Winter-Clean-Up and Creamed Leeks

I'd wager a bet that when people think of farming, they imagine harvesting, planting, probably weeding. What I am sure they don't consider is all the clean up after the plant has left the farm. This can be quite a chore with most winter crops when it is too wet to stay on top of the weeds (ever try hoeing the mud? Horrible if not impossible. I'm just not a fan.) and with crops that need staking, trellising, shade cover, or other fancy things. Here is a tool that has become my best friend.

Nope, not a torture device, I promise. It's a stake puller. These stakes were set in to hold down the shade cloth to keep the winter lettuces from freezing. You can see the metal hoops to the right that worked as a support to keep the cloth up off the lettuces. Those are not rusted into the ground and need to be worked out with pliers. Let's here it for getting things done on time! Hip hip...wait I forgot I was supposed to be doing nine other things! Ah well, strength training! P-90 FARM anyone?

Here you can see how it leverages on it's one leg and pulls the stake up (the stake is the pole to the right). It might be hard to imagine, but it works quite nicely. This is a picture of it working out in the tomatoes, you can see Byron helping in the top middle. Yes, we have tomato plants right now! We do early tomatoes, they might be ready the beginning of July!

This time of spring puts you in a weird place of straddling seasons. The winter garden is still trying its darndest to keep making food against all odds and hot weather, but we're picking now out of the spring garden. Much of the spring crops are in the ground just starting or hardening off- waiting to get into the ground, but the green house is full of summer's promise. The weather is beautiful though, and I love being busy, so I am pretty happy!

The chickens are laying like crazy too! The hens just love the sunshine and squawk all day about it. The yolks this time of year are beautiful. All the green grass sprouting in their enclosure gives the yolks a dark, rich orange. Our first set of babies hatched out the other day. I'd share a picture, but I don't want to get bitten. Yes, turkeys bite- hard. They puff up something fierce, feathers on end, and hiss to let you know you're too close to their eggs or babies. When the mommas, yes two of them- they seem to want to sit in sets- come off the nest I'll grab a picture to share. For now, here are some photos of a few of our more eccentric chickens taken by the wonderful, generous, and extraordinarily kind, Deborah Lattimore:

This is one of our silkie chickens. Fun fact: silkie skin and bones are black. They also look like they missed out on the "nothing is broadcast in black and white anymore" memo.

This is Phyllis. Like Phyllis Diller. It's a wonder this chicken can see with that fabulous crown of feathers. 

The recipe for this week honors the straddling of seasons: creamed leeks. Leeks love being over-wintered. This means planting them in late fall, letting them bear the frost, and harvesting them in the spring. The leeks in your box are about 5 months in the making! They might be a new vegetable for you, but never fear, these onion relatives are a tasty new friend!

Creamed Leeks:

• All the leeks you have on hand
• Cream, broth
•  Butter, oil

Heat the oven to 425*. Cut off the white to light green portion of the leek. This is the "edible" part. The upper leaves are a bit too leathery to eat, but make amazing stock! Pop those babies in a bag and shove them in the freezer for stock making later! Cut the roots off the bottom of the leek. What you have left is for eats. Split it long-ways and rinse under running water, careful to get in between the outer few leaves. Dirt loves to hide here.

Set the leek halves, still mostly in tact hopefully,  in a baking pan in a single layer. Mix up your liquid and fat of choice. How much? Meh, make enough to barely cover the leeks in the pan. I like half cream- half stock with butter- but you can do veggie stock and coconut oil for a vegan version. Feel free to add fresh herbs or garlic to the party. Pour the liquid over the leeks and toss in the oven. Cook until the liquid has almost evaporated or the tops of the leeks are browning, whichever comes first. turn the leeks over and brown on top. 

What you're removing from the oven is a leek transformed! It is creamy, soft, and slightly oniony perfection! Toss this goodness on toast or my favorite, puree it and add a bit more cream and some grated Parmesan and mix into cooked pasta!

Enjoy!