Heat Wave: shade for the chickens and "Spearjitos" with raspberries for the humans

Wisconsin is under an "excessive heat warning" for the better part of this week. I like the heat, the sweat, the lethargy I feel when it the heat index is +100. My chickens, on the other hand, are not fans. The poor ladies and their gentleman have serious needs during the dog days of summer. Like dogs, chickens don't sweat, so they cool themselves off by panting; their mouths were agape today, and their eyes seemed to be pleading with us.

We are by no means experts on this topic, so if you have more suggestions, please share. However, we monitored our flock all day, and we took care of them by doing the following:

• We filled their water containers with ice and water and updated with ice throughout the day.

• We gave them extra dishes of water.
• We fed them frozen "treats." We simply had put a few pieces of fresh fruit in the freezer early in the morning, and we also took out some frozen veggie scraps that we had been saving for stock. As the treats thaw, they get soft, and the chickens are delighted to eat them.
• We provided them with shade. The vines and trees we planted in their run are now providing some, but in prior years, we'd put up a tarp on parts of their run to provide a bit.
• We sprayed their run and their coop with cool water. Our chickens don't seem to really enjoy this process when it's happening, but they get over it quickly as they realize they're not quite as hot.
• We took them out for a few hours into a much more shaded area of our lawn. This seemed to actually be the pivotal moment for them today as they eventually settled down to rest in some random spots of sand.

The chickens cannot be left to fend for themselves on days like these. Depending on their breeds, it is dangerous to leave them to their own devices. We have Easter Eggers and Barred Rocks, which are both heavily feathered birds, suitable for winter climates such as ours. In the midst of a seven-day heat wave, however, all their hardiness is a call to action for us. Here are some pics from our Sunday afternoon spent with them under the trees.

Notice Rocky's gaping beak: a sure sign your chickens are HOT!

About an hour into the Sunday afternoon respite under the trees, the chickens seem a bit more comfortable.

Even Franklin, the dog (under EXTREME supervision) got to hang with the chickens.

Prudence is contemplating whether to make the trek over to the sand. She ponders that the sand bath idea is a good one indeed.

As for the humans, we picked raspberries and spearmint and made and enjoyed what we're happily naming "Spearjitos." This drink is adapted from the commonly known Mojitos, but why spend money on mint when you have spearmint growing in your own backyard, right? Over the last week, we've experimented with the best recipe for these, using club soda or tonic water and varying amounts of the other ingredients. By far, last night's version was the best. To make your own "Spearjitos", try this:

Ingredients:

white rum

spearmint

limes

tonic water

sugar

Instructions:

1. Inside serving glass, muddle together spearmint (around 1/4 cup per glass) and limes (around 1/4 of a lime per glass) and a Tbs of sugar.

2. Fill glass with ice (on top of muddled mixture).

3. Add two shots (or more!) of white rum.

4. Top off with tonic water. Club soda works too, but the drink isn't as tasty (in our humble opinions).

5. If you have them, top with fresh berries.

6. SERVE!

..and, of course, the doggie got lots of water and attention all day as did the kitties.

Lemon Thyme Ice Cream...with Rhubarb Syrup

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I have a few summer goals, two of which involve my health: weight loss and training for a 1/2 marathon. My intentions are good, my desire is strong, yet here I sit watching Breaking Bad and having a deliciously large helping of Lemon Thyme Ice Cream topped with Rhubarb Syrup for dinner. Hey - the lemon thyme and rhubarb are from the garden, so this can't be all that bad, right? 

Today was the last day of school with students. I graded exams, began packing up my room, and then came home to find two of my besties ill with  cases of the squirts...all over my house. So, I rushed Carmen the Cat and Franklin the Puppy to the vet, dropped all the money Andy and I will be making proctoring the ACT this upcoming Saturday (and then some), and returned home to clean up the doo-doo. A girl deserves a big helping of delectables after that, wouldn't you agree?

Since we planted a lemon thyme plant last summer, we've been hoping to use it for something wonderful. Kathy, Andy's colleague, brought him a recipe for lemon thyme ice cream last fall, but we never got around to using it before the snow (or it could have been because I was trying to lose weight and train for a 1/2 marathon...my will power is rock solid, I swear!). Finally, tonight, we whipped up a batch.

It was well worth the wait. Tart. Sweet. Refreshing. Delicious. WIN.  ...and I'm gonna work out and eat well tomorrow. Seriously.

Wanna make your own? Here you go:
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 oz fresh cut lemon thyme (rinsed)
9 egg yolks
1 cup sugar

1. Put the heavy cream and whole milk in a saucepan and heat until it is about to boil.

2. Add the lemon thyme. Stir. Remove from heat and leave to infuse for one hour.

3. Slowly reheat the mixture and remove the lemon thyme.
4. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together. Then, slowly add in the milk mixture. Be sure to whisk quickly as you pour in the milk so that the eggs do not cook.
5. Return mixture to pan. Over low heat, stir continuously until the back of your spoon is coated.
6. Cool. Then, put the mixture into your ice cream maker and follow its instructions.
7. If you want, top with a yummy, tangy syrup like our Rhubarb Syrup. Or enjoy as is!

...and 8. If you have egg-laying hens, don't forget to give them all of the egg shells! Janis and Spindy were delirious when they saw the stash of calcium I was about to give them.

Transplant #1...and Catnip?

This afternoon our jalapenos, cabbage, kale, and brussel sprout seedlings all moved up in the world. They were transplanted from trays to small pots.

Transplants marked with pink post-its

 The catnip has still not sprouted! Uh, oh kitties. Maybe that's a good thing? Last year, we were mauled by Benson, the cat, every time we came in after touching our catnip plants. Now in March, he still patiently waits on the buffet where we had stored fresh sprigs. He's going to be waiting a long time if we can't get these seeds to grow this year! Anyone have any experience starting this cat "drug" from seed?

Spare room or grow room? The catnip is still covered by the cardboard strip.

The Dump Garden

My creature empathy extends itself to plant empathy. I can't help it. We plant little seeds in trays, take care of them, nurture them, feed them, love them, put our hopes into them, and then, when it's time to plant them into the ground outside, inevitably, Andy says, "We don't have room for ALL of them."

This is how our Dump  Garden originated. Getting its name both from ritualistically receiving my extra mismatch of seedlings and because the land used was actually a dump of sorts when we first moved in, the Dump Garden is thriving and bountiful.

We've come up with a balance of extras, permanents, and new curiosities over the years. Last year, we planted quite a few perennial herbs and flowers into the garden, including: chamomile, summer savory, oregano, Brown-Eyed Susans and Butterfly Weed. Those are all still thriving.

Ground Cherries in front; Sunberries in back

We tried Aunt Molly's Ground Cherries last year and were  happy with the results, so we planted those again. This year, Sunberries were a new adventure, and the jury is still out as to whether or not they'll be planted again next year.

This summer, the "dumped" seedlings included two cherry tomato plants, some extra bean seedlings, and a mound of cucumber pickles. Additionally, we planted the herb pack we got as part of our CSA, which included: basil, parsley, and sage. My parents also gave us the basil plant that their CSA gave them (can you say PESTO?).  

Basil (among other things)

I went crazy buying herbs at the Farmer's Market one day ~ pineapple mint, peppermint, and more oregano ended up getting added to the edges the Dump Garden.

For now, all the plants are doing well, enjoying bee and butterfly company, living happy little plant lives in the fresh summer air.

Cucumbers, beans, and Brown-eyed Susans

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L to R: Sage, Chamomile (after  harvest), Parsley in front, and Spearmint

 

 

 

 

Tantalizing Tastes and Smells: The First Major Harvest

Our gardens are flourishing, and last night marked the first major food preservation event of the season.

The herb garden smells tantalizing and is growing beyond expectations . Our basil plants were ready for a good cleaning, and our summer savory was beautifully out-of-control.  Chamomile was definitely gorgeous, but also in need of a good harvesting as well. I harvested basil, spearmint, chamomile, and summer savory. My hands smelled like a Sicilian countryside (at least in my imagination).  On a non-food note, our butterfly weed is an eye-catcher. Butterflies are rapidly increasing in our yard!

Chamomile 

Basil Plants

Butterfly Weed and Caterpillar

Our first three pints of pesto are in the freezer. The same basic recipe was used as last year, but this time we also added in some green carrot tops in conjunction with the basil and used walnuts in place of pine nuts.

 Pesto...pizza anyone?

Our dehydrator wasn't working due to the humidity, so we oven-dried (yes, in this heat and stickiness!) a pint of chamomile and 2/3 pint of spearmint. Today, we're drying several batches of summer savory.

Summer Savory waiting for the oven

Chamomile and Spearmint - dehydrated and waiting to be brewed

We also pulled our first beets. The greens were blanched and are now chilling in the freezer. We plan to make Beetniks with this crimson bundle of goodness after tomorrow's 60-minute run.

 Finally, a raspberry-walnut vinaigrette is in the fridge waiting to dress fresh salads!  Our raspberries are producing well, though picking is such a continuous process as all raspberries are not ready at the same time. Jam is hard to do with just a few quarts, but vinaigrette is perfect for such an amount. Not much measuring was done for this process; it was a fly-by-the-seat-of-the-chef's-pants dressing, but it turned out fabulous. So, adapt this to your liking.

Raspberry-Walnut Vinaigrette
about 3 cups of raspberries
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of walnuts
about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil
about 2-3 Tbs. of lemon juice
a couple teaspoons of Dijon mustard
about a teaspoon of honey (or other sweetener)
salt and pepper to taste
small clove of garlic

Put all ingredients except for the olive oil in the food processor. Process until well-blended. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until emulsified. Viola! It's done! Should keep in the fridge for quite some time. Always shake before using.

Fettuccine Alfredo with a Summer Twist

A few summers ago, when we had an abundance of fresh veggies and were particularly into grilling them, Andy concocted this Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine Alfredo recipe. It has become a late summer favorite, which we look forward to all year long! We serve it with another of Andy's creations, Butter-Parsley Bread.

Roasted Red Pepper Fettuccine Alfredo
Sauce:
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 Tbs. butter
1-2 Tbs. flour
4 cups of 2% or whole milk
4-6 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. shredded Romano cheese
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 red bell peppers

Other Ingredients:
-various in-season veggies, such as cherry tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, carrots, etc.
-fresh fettuccine noodles, if possible (We enjoy Madison's RP's Pasta's.)

• To roast the red peppers, grill over an open fire until pepper skins are black. Put the peppers in a paper bag for 10 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and remove skins. Running them under cold water can aid in this process. Puree roasted red peppers and set aside.

• Melt butter in saute pan. Add garlic, and saute for about one minute. Add flour. Cook until golden. This is called a roux.
  
• Slowly mix in the milk. Heat on medium-high heat until milk begins to boil. Reduce heat. Add cream cheese in cubes. Continue stirring until cream cheese is combined thoroughly. Gradually reduce the heat as you add in the Parmesan and Romano cheese. Once the sauce is of desired thickness, add pureed red pepper.
• Cover and keep warm while you prepare noodles and roasted veggies.
  
• To roast veggies, use a grill pan over an open fire. Shake and drizzle with olive oil. Alternately, saute on stove in a saute pan.
• To serve, put noodles on plates, followed by sauce, and then top with roasted veggies. Sprinkle parsley and/or Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Butter-Parsley Bread
a loaf of sourdough bread
1 c. parsley (approximate)
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan or Romano
4 Tbs. butter (or more, depending on size of loaf)
3 cloves of garlic (minimum)

• Cut the bread down the middle, but do not cut all the way through. Then, cut cross ways, making cuts every 1-2 inches.
• Fill the crevices with butter, garlic, shredded cheese, and parsley.
  
• Wrap in foil and bake at 350 until cheese is melted and bread is golden-brown (approximately 30 minutes).
  

Herbs and Berries! Oh my!

Last week, we harvested several herbs from our herb garden, including lavender, chamomile, basil, oregano, curly parsley, and flat-leaf parsley. My mom (Darcy's) surprised us by buying us a much-needed dehydrator, which we tried out for the first time on our herbs. Additionally, we dehydrated several cups of mulberries from our second harvest.

Before we had a dehydrator, we dried herbs by putting them in the oven or hanging them upside down in a cool, dark place. The dehydrator makes drying much more convenient, but herb drying is 100% possible without one.

For our lavender and chamomile, we followed the same process, but did much more research prior to harvesting as this was our first attempt at tea herbs. We learned that when the chamomile flowers have white petals, it is time to harvest. If the white petals begin falling off, it's too late. To obtain them, I simply plucked the flowers off with my fingers; I found this to be the most efficient way to quickly harvest. As for the lavender, I cut the stems about three inches below the purple flowers. Both herbs were dehydrated in the dehydrator and stored in Mason Jars, which were then placed in our food pantry.

The mulberries needed to be dehydrated for much longer ~ 12 hours! What a delicious addition they will be to our bowls of cereal this winter!