This week will be a busy one at the Farm.  We anticipate picking green beans Monday and Wednesday evenings.  Combining those with new potatoes is always a popular meal this time of year.  Also in honor of the 4th of July – Vanessa will be creating her popular patriotic bouquets.  So for only $5, make plans to share one with your guests or host/hostess this weekend!

A rich, easy recipe that earned 4 stars from my junior high “foodie,” this Pesto Recipe will be a success at backyard cookouts this holiday weekend.

Pesto

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 cups of fresh basil leaves

1 cup parsley sprigs

2/3 cup of pine nuts (WalMart has them with the other nuts)

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups olive oil

Place garlic, basil, parsley, pine nuts and Parmesan chesse in a food processer or blender.  Blend at medium speed, adding oil in a think stream until smooth.  Place in a clean jar, cover with a think layer of oil, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.  Pour away oil before using.

Vanessa’s bouquets – above, left

Star Spangled Daylily – above, right

Also for sale (and delivery) this week is a spider daylily, Star Spangled.

As you can see from this picture, spider daylilies are amazing as they can spread more than eight inches across.  And with their glorious combination of yellow and orange, it is remincent of fireworks.

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads and grandpas out there!  We have been so blessed to have a great dad who is a wonderful grandpa.  And we are grateful for our Heavenly Father who continues to care for all of us, all the time. To Him be the glory!

Thanks to all of you who visited the Farm today! We had a wonderful time visiting with you,  sharing pesto and enjoying the sunny, warm weather.  I wanted to share some photos of just how the farm is progressing in this challenging weather.

A view from the patch toward the tent… enjoying pesto and the breeze!

A His Glories Farm favorite:  Always Afternoon is an incredible daylily!  Vanessa will be offering “digs” of this glorious plant on the June 26 Produce Route.  Please let Vanessa know if you are interested…  remember “easy care” is a daylily’s middle name.

LaToya is another favorite.  An asiatic lily, we sell this gorgeous hot pink flower as a plant in the spring, and Vanessa uses it to create amazing bouquets for Friday deliveries as well.

Weeding is a “work in progress.”

More fun in the patch   

And new additions to the Farm this past week too… 

You don’t choose your family

They are God’s gift to you- as you are to them.

Desmond Tutu

This past weekend was extra special at the Farm as our family hosted an evening event for our extended family.  Family from all over Illinois, Lousiana and Missouri gathered in Mattoon at Lytle Park for the annual “Beldon Bash” a potluck lunch, pictures, and lots of catching up.  Then everyone was invited to make the drive to Strasburg for hot dogs, fishing, tours of the farm and fireworks!  A truly great day was enjoyed by all.  (And a big thank you to all of you who continue to coordinate and plan those family reunions!  They really are precious times.)

It is our hope that each of you have an opportunity this summer to reconnect with your families.

Open Patch & A Stone’s Throw

Open House

This Saturday, June 20 will be our second Open Patch for 2009.  We are so pleased to invite you to visit the farm between 8a.m. and noon. The early daylilies are blooming and fresh produce with walking tours of the farm will be available.

And to make the drive even more enticing, we wanted to share that “A Stone’s Throw” (specializing in  stain glass stepping stones and other concrete creations) will be hosting an Open House this Saturday from 9a.m. to 2p.m.  Some of their creations are pictured below:

Just two 1/2 miles north of His Glories Farm, directions to “A Stone’s Throw” are simple, and we will be glad to share them.  We look forward to seeing you Saturday!

This past week has been wonderful at the Farm.  We have added three new chicks to the group of bantams and guineas that roam the garden and yard areas.  It is always amazing to see what God created – especially new life.  We have also been grateful for the break in the rain  as this allowed us to finish planting the sweet corn, broom corn, Indian corn, pumpkins and gourds.

New to the produce route this week are:  tart pie cherries (picked fresh!), beets, cauliflower and broccoli!  It will be a busy week in the garden.

This past Saturday my husband made his Green Fettuccine.  It was incredible.  He uses fresh spinach to make fettuccine dough, creates a white sauce and adds grilled pork and wow! we are in an exclusive Italian restaurant.

We have also been enjoying the snow peas with grilled chicken or beef – at least the ones that aren’t eaten while in the patch!  J., J., and J. really like to eat them fresh off the vines.

We hope to see many of you at the next Open Patch, Saturday, June 20.  Bring a friend, come see the amazing daylilies and enjoy touring the gardens.  Have a great week and