I saw this striking metallic blue wasp this past week by my garden shed. I don’t remember the exact size, just that it struck me as one of the largest wasps I’d ever seen. I believe it was a Blue Mud Dauber. If you do not like spiders, you should love the blue mud-dauber.
Its iridescent blue-black body and deep blue wings give it a tough-guy look but the mud daubers are not known to protect their nests and rarely sting people – but they do sting spiders.
They are members of the family Sphecidae, the thread-waisted wasps, and their nests are made of hardened mud tubes. I found out that they often nest on homes and their nest structures can make them a bit of a pest. So far, it was a I one time visit and I am keeping an eye out for a Mud Dauber nest.
We have officially started cherry harvest 2017! The first day of handpicking was Monday and the packing line fired up on Tuesday. This year we were fortunate to to have cherries available for the roadside stand customers during the Cherry Festival. We dodged the storm that was suppose to bring a few inches of rain and thankfully we did not lose power with the storm that did pass through last Thursday. The cooler is beginning to fill up and our refrigerated truck made a trip down state on Friday to spread some cherry joy far and wide! It feels like it is all coming together. We are very lucky to have a fabulous crew and are looking forward to a safe and successful harvest. As the season kicks-off, expect to taste your first Michigan dark sweet cherry of the year this week!
Here is the full line-up:
Black Sweet Cherries
Mixed Greens
Red Russian Kale
Rat-tail Radishes
Sugar Snap Peas or Snow Peas
Baby Beets
Purple Onions
Broccoli
Small Share
Black Sweet Cherries
Kale
Purple Onions
Rat-tail RadishesZucchini
Steamed Fish on Kale
MARK BITTMAN YIELD 4 servings TIME 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 medium bunch kale, collards or other greens, about a pound
½ cup dry white wine (or water)
1 or 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 ½ pounds skinless white fillet, like cod, halibut, hake, whiting, red snapper or sea bass
PREPARATION
Wash greens and shake dry, allowing some water to cling to leaves. Cut into rough sections, 3 or 4 inches long; cut off and discard any stems thicker than 1/4-inch.
Put greens in a deep skillet that can be covered, along with wine, garlic, half the butter, and some salt and pepper. Turn heat to medium-high, cover and cook, checking occasionally to make sure mixture does not dry out, until greens are just about tender, 10 minutes or so.
Put fish on top of greens, season with salt and pepper, and dot with remaining butter. Re-cover, and cook until fish is done and greens fully tender, 5 to 10 minutes more.
Broccoli Salad With Garlic and Sesame
MELISSA CLARK YIELD 6 to 8 side-dish servings or more as an hors d'oeuvre
This salad is made from uncooked broccoli tossed with an assertive garlic, sesame, chile and cumin-seed vinaigrette slicked with good extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. The acid “cooks” the florets a little as ceviche does fish. After an hour, the broccoli softens as if blanched, turning bright emerald, and soaking up all the intense flavors of the dressing.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
2 heads broccoli, 1 pound each, cut into bite-size florets
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons roasted (Asian) sesame oil
Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes.
PREPARATION
In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, and up to 48 (chill it if you want to keep it for more than 2 hours). Adjust seasonings (it may need more salt) and serve.
MELISSA CLARK YIELD 6 to 8 side-dish servings or more as an hors d'oeuvre
This salad is made from uncooked broccoli tossed with an assertive garlic, sesame, chile and cumin-seed vinaigrette slicked with good extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. The acid “cooks” the florets a little as ceviche does fish. After an hour, the broccoli softens as if blanched, turning bright emerald, and soaking up all the intense flavors of the dressing.
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
2 heads broccoli, 1 pound each, cut into bite-size florets
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
4 fat garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons roasted (Asian) sesame oil
Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes.
PREPARATION
In a large bowl, stir together the vinegar and salt. Add broccoli and toss to combine.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add garlic and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in sesame oil and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over broccoli and toss well. Let sit for at least 1 hour at room temperature, and up to 48 (chill it if you want to keep it for more than 2 hours). Adjust seasonings (it may need more salt) and serve.
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