Author Archives: Russo Family Farm

The summer squash “Yellow crookneck” greeted me with plenty of flowers and only half a dozen fruits. From the look of the immature plants, they will surely greet me next weekend. The yellow pattypan squashes are also blooming well, however … Continue reading →

Every week brings surprises. The unwieldiness of the weeding tasks every weekend is punctuated by this bright, gigantic sunflower, whose stalk is far stouter than I would ever expect. The 50 pounds of buckwheat seeded an area of the farm … Continue reading →

The fall-planted garlic suddenly seems ready for harvest. The scapes were harvested several weeks ago and the top leaves are yellow and brown. If they stay in the ground too long, the stem breaks off when you pull the bulb. … Continue reading →

… no no not that. They make you work because when they are ready and you’d better be picking. The sugar snap peas are at their peak. They have climbed to about 6 feet tall and are producing abundantly. At … Continue reading →

Several humid days and a shower last week and the weeds are clearly winning. Some of the vegetables nearing its harvest date I am no longer weeding. Flowers I had started are nowhere to be seen. But when I leaned … Continue reading →

Ironically as most people are starting their summer season, we are on the downward slide out of the growing season. The radish and asian greens have way too much time in the ground and are done. As the weather heats … Continue reading →

We made it onto the Indian Road Cafe menu this week. The garlic scapes are served with Arthur Avenue ricotta ravioli! I’ve been making korean-style pajeon with the scapes. It’s a savory pancake that cooks up very quickly, has a … Continue reading →

I had my doubts about the timing of sugar snap peas, but ladies and gents, here they are. They are 4 feet high, and still have a couple more to go. The flower pairs on side shoots grow into the … Continue reading →

Have you ever noticed the marketing trend of elevating the common, everyday item to the altar of high culture? Think Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, and now, garlic scapes. The fall-planted garlic leaves were yellowing for a couple of weeks and I … Continue reading →

Every weekend, I note new seeds that should be planted, and a second sowing of strong germinating varieties. When I step on the farm and do a walkabout, the need to weed becomes a much higher priority. There’s weeding of … Continue reading →