Spring has sprung!

by Joe Dennis, Nostalgia Farms

Spring has sprung here at the farm, the baby ducks are hatching, the Red Wing Blackbirds have made their feisty appearance, and our first fruits of spring are bursting forth every day.  Since we started our farm in 1998, we are amazed how many more of our customers and friends seek us out for wholesome, fresh, and locally grown produce and poultry.

“Farm to Fork,” “Buy Fresh – Buy Local,” and chemical free are just a few of the catch phrases sweeping the country in recent years. We’ve made it our personal passion to bring local chemical free produce and pasture raised poultry, lamb and rabbit to the Quad Cities since for 12 years. We grow for nutrition and taste and are happy to share our thoughts on growing, cooking, storing and saving all that we grow with our customers.

So what’s up with us this month? Everything!! Juggling 100′s of heirloom tomato plants in and out of the greenhouses, transplanting, digging and watering 1,000 of additional herb, vegetables and perennials for sale or farm use. The second wave of baby ducks are starting to break through their shells in the basement hatchery. Harvesting greens, cut herbs and as of May 1, harvesting delicious fresh strawberries from our greenhouse two to three times a week, is keeping us busy. We’re rotating plantings of lettuce, beets, carrots and the like every 10 days or so.

As soon as the evening temperature get to 60 degrees, warm weather crops will go into prepared beds in the field: plantings of tomato, pepper and eggplant have been in the greenhouse for almost three weeks.

As of now, it’s a cool Friday morning, and I have 60 loaves of bread to bake, a strawberry whoopi pie to make, and 3 or 4 batches of sweet and salty pecans to ready before Ed gets back in from the farm. Ed is at the farm with the family crew (Mom Janet, Mom Pat, Dad Ed SR. and Sis Julie) and they are picking, washing, sorting produce and loading the van and trailer. All so we can get up before sunrise on Saturday and go “play” with or customers and friends at the Freight House Farmers Market.

My thought for a spring dinner? A salad of fresh spinach, strawberry (chopped sweet), salty pecans, purple onion and feta cheese paired with a grilled lamb chop. Dinner will not only be fast, but almost entirely local.

The following vinaigrette recipe is one of many I use, changing the type of vinegar, herbs and even oils to suit my pantry, season or whim. This makes a great simple dressing for fresh greens and simple basting sauce for grilled meats and chicken.

See you at the market!

Orange\Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp each-stone ground mustard, grated orange peel, fresh thyme
• 1 clove minced garlic or shallot
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley and or chives
• 1 tsp honey
• 1-2 tbsp orange juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• Whisk in a bowl with 1/4 to1/2 cup olive oil or oil of your choice until of desired consistency.

Joe Dennis is a farmer at Nostalgia Farms in Walcott, Iowa. Together with his partner, Ed Kraklio, they sell locally-grown, organic produce at the Freight House Farmer’s Market in downtown Davenport, IA near LeClaire Park, every Tuesday (3-6 pm) and Saturday (8 am -1 pm). You can visit the farm’s website at: www.nostalgiafarms.com. Read more of Farmer Joe’s blog posts on MVHNews, or try any of the Nostalgia Farms recipes on this website.