Been adding irrigation to our todo list this week. Unfortunately this is not a small task and has been eating up a large chunk of everyday as we move our water delivery from plot to plot and field to field. Most of our watering is done with the help of 30 foot aluminum pipes we connect together in crazy configurations going up hills, around corners and under roads. We lay this pipe out each spring and in between those April days and now the mice move in. They stuff the ends with their favorite grasses and seeds, hoping these shiny metal houses will become the rodent equivalent of modern dream homes come winter. As we move the pipes and place them about the mice vacate, leaving behind all of their hard work. This means we have to flush these clogs from each 30 foot section as we link them so that their winter stores won’t clog the sprinkler heads or drip lines. Watching the matted lumps of golden hay pour forth like the drain clearing in that old Drain-o commercial with the see through kitchen sink. I think a lot about these mice and all of their hard work as I am waiting for clean the water every 30 feet. I’m glad I am not a field mouse, but I respect their labors.
Shishito Peppers
A new addition to the harvest list this year is the venerable shishito pepper. This is a thin walled frying pepper that lends itself to a quick blistering in a hot pan or the grill. Here’s our favorite way to enjoy them…..
1 teaspoon olive or sesame oil add to a small skillet. Heat under medium/high heat until oil shimmers and is almost smoking. Add peppers and turn every minute or two until the skin turns brown and blisters where the touch the pan. Don’t be shy with the salt (corse kosher or sea salt is great here) and enjoy immediately.
For those that want more we have about twenty plants in Upic….
What’s in the Share
- Lettuce
- Kohlrabi
- Shishito peppers
- Cukes
- Scallions
- Arugula
- Carrots
What’s in Upic
- Peas (waning)
- Flowers
- Herbs (varieties on the board)
- Shishito peppers