A Very Happy New Year to all and each of you!

Well, all that sitting around eating chocolate, watching movies, visiting and being visited certainly throws one out of sync, doesn't it?  I, for one, am happy to be back into some kind of routine.  I was starting to get used to sleeping in until 7.  

I had a "duh" moment Monday when I decided to get the leeks started extra early this year so they'll be nice and fat by fall.  Enthusiasm is a plus but not having seeds to start the leeks is definitely on the negative side.  Note to self:  must order seeds this week.  So, it begins, again.  I'll be ordering all of the seeds for this year's gardens in the next few days.  When they arrive, inventory will be updated, the Garden Planner will be re-instated so I can change it several times before putting the first trowel into the ground, discussions will begin with possible part-time weeders-planters-pickers, and seed packages will be stored in their appropriate containers with the leek seeds being kept out so they can be planted into trays to start their journey of growing.

It's 20C in the greenhouse right now, it was 10 degrees the other day when it was too cccccold to be outside - it's just a nice place to be.  The smell of the celery, chard, parsley, greens, fall rye and kale growing is very comforting.  My neighbours driving by must think I'm daft.  I was out digging up leeks in the field an hour ago.  I could hear some cars slow down but I didn't look at them.  To me, it's perfectly normal to be digging leeks out of my garden, whether or not there is a foot of snow to trudge through to get there or to move aside.  :)

Just before that bitter cold the other night, we brought in all of the onions stored in the garage, I didn't want to take any chance of losing them.  When they're compiled together, there are a LOT of onions.  So, they're back on the menu now.  I read an article that suggests using the entire onion once you cut into it.  The gist of the message was that onions were once used to "soak up" illness in the room of a sick person.  So, if you cut an onion and leave it you might be making yourself sick next time to you go to finish using it with whatever "badness" that onion is absorbing.  That makes sense to me.  I've used or sold to restaurants all of our big onions and I love little onions to use for little recipes.  

I'm also pleased that I'm still using tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions and herbs grown here on the Farm to make the tomato/pizza sauces and salsas. Storing and/or freezing the veggies has worked out very well.  

For the fresh stuff, there's a little bit of each, not too much, after all, it is January.  The Salad Greens have survived this week's bitter cold but I've decided to let them have another week out there so there'll be enough for everyone by then.  Oh, and we're getting 3 1/2 dozen eggs a week now, silly chickens.  I made a lovely Tomato Sauce with a good amount of the onions and started some sprouts for you - you'll see these on the menu, which goes like this:

 

Chard  $2 bunch   

Eggs  $2.50 6/pack  

Garlic  $1 each

Herbs, fresh:  Mint, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Citrus Thyme, $2 bunch    

Kale  $3 bag

Leeks  $3 bunch

Onions, mixed  $2 pound

Tomatoes, cherry: roasted way back in summer time in olive oil & sea salt, then frozen  $2 bag 

Granola:  with fruit and nuts (cranberries, pistachios and almonds)  $10 500mL jar

    with fruit (barberries and currants)  $8 500mL jar

Salsa  $8 500mL jar  Hot or Quite Hot

Sprouts:  $3 bag

Ancient Eastern Blend (fenugreek, lentils, kamut & adzuki) I have one bag, was just finishing up a bag of seeds.  

Crunchy Bean Mix (peas, lentils and garbanzos)

Sandwich Booster (clover, alfalfa, radish and mustard) 

Spicy Lentil Crunch  (lentils, red clover, alfalfa, radish & mustard)

Spring Salad Mix  (broccoli, radish, alfalfa & clover)

Tomato Sauces:  $6 500mL jar

Caesar (Celery added)

Crazy Green (made with ripe green zebra tomatoes, looks unusual, tastes great)

Crazy Green Hot

Herb (fresh garden herbs, mostly oregano and parsley)

Hot (a few hot peppers tossed in)

Hotter Hot (ring-of-fire peppers - that just sounds hot)

Just Nice  (the right amount of everything, just a pleasant tomato/pizza sauce)

Kale?  Why Not.  -one left, must make more when the kale starts growing faster

Roasted Onion 

Warm (just a little bitty bit of hot pepper)

Vampire Buster (deliciously garlicky - about 20+ cloves per pot instead of 2 or 3 in this sauce)

Please keep in mind that I deliver to my customers weekly.  If you'd like to purchase any of the above items, I'd be happy to provide them if there are any left after regulars have ordered.  Perhaps you might like to be added to my Weekly Delivery List.  No obligation to you up front, you'd be in on what's growing on around here sooner, that's all.  I send my email out every Wednesday, collect orders Thursdays and deliver Fridays (or another day convenient to us and you if you're not too close to home).  

Until next post, have a great every day.
Jo