Morning Song Farm News

The well we've dug has been at the center of a continuing saga for us, and we are thrilled to say we are stepping this week into a new chapter. Everything is installed, pump, wiring, etc. We're now ready to ask the County of San Diego for an inspection. Once our installation is approved, we can go to SDGE and get the line connected. Since the heat is here now, and the line isn't live, we'll probably still be way over our water use allotment this coming month and will be forced to pay the whopper overuse fine from Metropolitan Water District.

Great news for berry lovers! Just when the meager mulberry crop is coming to an end, blackberries are beginning to arrive to bolster our spirits and remind us that summer has arrived! You'll see them first, starting next week when there's enough to pick for every basket. A week early, I might add! Tomatoes may be in as soon as next week, as well! Pick-It Ticket for June 3-4, 2008 Item Large Basket Small Basket New Crop Valencia Oranges! 12 half Juice Limes 8 half Avos: Hass 4 half Mulberries 1 clamshell 0 Mint 1 bunch same Rosemary 1 bunch same Swiss Chard 2 bunches half Strawberries 2 baskets half Radishes 1 bunch same Carrots 1.5 pounds 1 pound Lettuce head: Romaine 2 heads half Zuchini 3-4 half Cukes 2 half Baby Lettuce 1 bag half

Many years ago we bought a mulberry tree whose fruit you've seen in baskets recently. Since then we have bought several other trees only to discover their fruit isn't as fantastic. Last week Farmer Donna searched through invoice archives from 2002 and found the purveyor of the exact trees we are enjoying this season. In horticulture, a cultivar (culivated variety) is always the same. By that I mean an Anna apple from Home Depot and an Anna apple tree from Stark Brothers produces the same, identical fruit. I haven't found that to be true with the mulberry. I bought every last mulberry tree he had, with confidence, because the trees are in fruit this month and I was able to identify for certain I was getting the right trees. I'm told it may be 4 or more years before more planting size trees are available from them! So next year, we can all expect more fruit, and every year after that a little more.

Hey, it's getting hot out here, and I think as the heat approaches it's time to change the Temecula drop off to a later time so greens aren't wilted. We've been getting to Temecula on Tuesdays by 1:00, but would like to put it out there we'd like to change it to much later, say after 4:00 to avoid the worst of the day's heat. That way your baskets haven't been sitting there waiting for the majority of you who pick up after work anyway. Any comments would be appreicated!

The licorce flavored ferny looking herb that could easily be mistaken for dill, is wild fennel. There are two kinds of fennel; one is grown for the bulb, the other is the one in your basket, grown for the ferny top. I tried something interesting that should definately be tried for St. Patrick's Day next year: I followed a standard sugar cookie recipe. I cut maybe a fourth of the fennel bunch tops into the cuisinart with all the sugar required and hit blend. What resulted was a bright (and I do mean shockingly bright) green sugar. I then made those cookies with that sugar. The result was a gently licorce flavored cookie that was so green it looked like it had to be dyed. Try it! Chef Mark Mcdonald says he's using the fennel in a pasta dish.

The wierd looking black-berry kind of fruit is Pakastani Mulberries. Enjoy them fresh right out of their little baskets! Many of our avocados that were burned in October will come back in the next couple years. One hundred of them won't. We plan to replace those 100 with the mulberry tree, which has less water needs. Tell me what you think!

Those little apricot looking fruits in the baskets are loquats. Save the seeds of a particularly good tasting one, and try growing it in a little pot. They do make decent house plants for a few years. they're as easy to start and grow as corn! Also, if you throw the seeds in your garden, many with sprout and grow without even being buried. They make an amazing fruit pie; follow a standard apricot recipe. Last night I made a tropical stir fried chicken with loquats. Here's the receipe: I used Trader Joe's frozen breast meat. I boiled several pieces in a shallow pan until just cooked through. Drain the water (or save for soup later) and cut into strips. Pour a kumquat reduction (recipe again below) over chicken, seed all loquats and leaving skins on, cut in pieces and add to chicken. Slice a few whole kumquats and scatter the rings. Heat again and serve. Finish with a little wild fennel sprig. Kumquat Reduction: Throw all washed kumquats you have in the blender. Add water to ...