touchtheearthfarm.com Blog

Rosa Bianca eggplant is an Italian heirloom sought after by gourmet cooks for their mild, delicate flavor. Small by eggplant standards, they have a creamy consistency and hold up well sauteed or grilled on their own or as part of classic dishes like eggplant parmesan. They tend to take on the flavors of the dish [...]

An heirloom potato, this little gourmet nugget is a scrumptious treat. If you’re a potato lover, once you have these, you’ll be in love forever. They’re creamy… buttery… an absolute delight in the mouth.
Originally from the Baltic region, Russian banana fingerlings were brought to America by early Russian settlers. These potatoes are featured at high [...]

This is our first year growing purple dragon carrots, and while the Belgian White Carrot was a dismal failure, purple dragon looks to be a permanent addition to our seed stock.
Purple carrots originated in Asia Minor and have been grown at least since the 10th century, and probably much longer. Besides their colorful appearance, these [...]

Kohlrabi may be new to some folks, as it hasn’t really caught on in mainstream American cooking though it’s widely used in Asian and European cooking. There are several ways to eat kohlrabi from raw to cooked, and although the greens are edible, they can be a bit bitter like raab or turnip greens and [...]

This weekend, after being hit by a nasty cold, I brewed my share of thyme into a tea for use as an expectorant at the rate of about 1-2 tablespoons per small tea pot. I drank 3-4 cups a day, each mixed with approximately one teaspoon of raw honey and noticed a difference within 12-24 [...]

Drumroll, please….
I’ve place the 2008 seed order, and together with the seeds left from ‘07, we have quite a line up:
Seeds left from last year:

artichoke (saved seeds)
arugula
bean: royal burgundy snap, isar French fillet, genuine cornfield pole, Kentucky wonder pole (saved)
bok choi
broccoli: calabrese
brussels sprouts: catskill
cabbage: early jersey wakefield
carrot: red core chantenay
cauliflower: snowbell
celery: conquistador
chervil
chives: garlic, purly
cilantro
cucumber: Boston [...]

This year our annual share members will periodically receive micro-greens in their shares. What are micro-greens you ask? Well, let me tell you!
Micro-greens are plants harvested at the beginning of their growth once the plant has put on its very first real leaves, just after the sprouting stage. Micro-greens have the added advantage of being [...]

This weekend I finally planted the garlic, shallots and a new heirloom onion called an Egyptian walking onion, given to us by friends at Toboggan Hill. The weather has been so crazy warm that I didn’t want to get the bulbs in too early and risk early bloom or rotting in waterlogged soil.
I was able [...]

The New York Times published a wonderful article yesterday in the “Dining & Wine” section, titled “Preservation’s Progress,” clearly a play on the 18th century book title, Pilgrim’s Progress. I can assure you, however, that these turkeys are far more entertaining than the novel, and we love raising them here at Touch the Earth Farm. [...]

A native of Southeastern Europe, horseradish root has been cultivated at least since 1500 BC in ancient Egypt and has long been the representative of “bitter herbs” on the Jewish Seder plate for Passover. The Japanese cultivate a related variety for their fiery hot wasabi sauce, and the Germans have enjoyed horseradish as a condiment [...]