Chicks @ 2 Months

Here are some new pictures of the chicks--they're almost two months old now. 

We think this chick is a hen, due to the small comb.  She's a mix of Barred Rock and ...something. We're calling her "Barred What" or "Not Rock" for now. I love the delicate feather pattern.





Our black chick has developed a lot of red in her head, neck, and breast feathers. Again, small comb size, so it's probably a hen.

We keep some cinder blocks on bare earth, and flip them over to reveal tasty (in a chicken's opinion) worms underneath! Probably a rooster: well-developed comb and wattles, and a hint of iridescent green on the tail. 

Boy or girl?  I'm still not sure!  

Fresh Lima Beans

 

If you think you don't like lima beans, do not count them out until you've had fresh limas. They are tender and delicious--we consider them a totally different food than frozen and canned lima beans from the grocery store.

Cooking is simple:  put the shelled beans in a pot and add enough water to cover them. Boil them until they are tender.  Season with butter, salt, and pepper.

Here's the hard part: the shelling process before cooking.  We sell our lima beans still in the pod, which must be removed to get the beans inside. The fastest method we've found is to cut part of the pod edge off (opposite where the beans are actually attached to the pod). You can determine where to cut by holding the pod up to the light--you don't want to cut the beans inside. Once you've removed some of the edge, use that opening to pry open the pod and retrieve the limas inside. (It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it.) Limas freeze well, too!

Green Zebra Tomatoes

We just discovered this tasty little treat! Every season we select new varieties of tomatoes to test, while keeping our old favorites. One of this year's newbies is the green zebra tomato. When ripe, it has yellow skin with green streaks and spots running down the sides. The inside remains pretty green, reminiscent of a kiwi fruit. The flavor has a little zing to it, faintly lemony, that makes it different (and better, I say) than your average tomato. The tomatoes aren't that large, so you might have to use two to three slices to ensure full coverage on your sandwich.