Our California home is right on the edge of La Quinta. Once we exit out of our development, we are in farm country. When we first arrive, it is always interesting to see what crops are in and how they are doing. Although many fields are currently being prepped for their next crop, right across from us, at present, is a massive field of broccoli.
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| Lots and lots of broccoli |
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| Ready to pick and pack |
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| Harvesting by hand |
While out on our first ride, we checked out one of our favourite date gardens. The dates are starting to ripen and the clusters of fruit have been bagged to protect them from the bugs and birds that find them as delicious as we do.
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| Kate checking the date crop |
A crop that we only seem to find in the first few months after we arrive is okra. It grows on tall, spindly stalks. It looks as though it might be an easier crop to harvest as the pickers don’t have to bend over to get most of them. Did you know okra is actually a fruit that is eaten as a vegetable? It is mostly used in stews and soups.
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| Okra pods on the stalk |
I haven’t had success cooking okra in the past, but maybe now that I am being more adventuresome in my cooking, I should try it again. At least I know where to get it nice and fresh: the local farmer’s market store … we know better than to pilfer!
Asparagus is something I have much more success cooking. It is pretty much Sandy’s favourite vegetable and she would probably have it everyday if she could ... she would have to if her dream that this was a giant asparagus were to come true. 😂
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| "But it looks like an asparagus spear" |
While out riding during the first week we were here, we came across something neither of us had seen in person before. While I successfully delivered over 40 babies when I was an interne, obstetrics never was my thing and I promised myself I would never deliver another baby as long as I live. Other than assisting my former father-in-law (a vet) with a C-section on a cow, I have been able to keep that promise. But, it was almost in jeopardy a couple of weeks ago.
We were returning from a long ride when we rounded a corner to see that a cow had just dropped a calf! We missed the actual delivery (whew!), but we watched to make sure the baby was okay. It was very interesting to observe mom clean her babe and watch the little squirt try to get its legs unfolded and itself upright. After just a few minutes, two farm hands came by to check that everything was going well. They told us the cow was a first time mom, bred to a small bull (that was thoughtful). She was doing everything right, and the four of us just stood back and watched. After a couple of attempts to get up, the little one finally got those legs unfolded and operational, then started looking for milk. It just lifted its head up and tried to suck anywhere it contacted mom. She patiently nudged it around and back to her udder, and just like that, first time mom had her baby up and feeding. What a good job!!
For the farm hands, that was calf 12 of 100 they were waiting for. Late November seems to us an odd time for calving, as at home, calves arrive in the spring to avoid the perils of delivery in the severe cold of winter. Here, they arrive in the fall to avoid the perils of delivery in the severe heat of the desert summer.
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| Just born Trying to get up |
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| Up and standing First meal! |
After all that excitement, we found a few sheep quietly keeping the grounds of a date garden all trim and tidy.
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| Sheep grazing amongst the palms |
But, we don’t need to leave our property to continue this farm themed issue of Two By Bike. Sandy has decided to exercise her green thumb here. In the past, she has tried putting some vegetables in planters, but this year, she has put in some flowers and a few bulbs.
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| Sandy of the green thumb |
So far, her plants seem to be doing well, and the bulbs have really taken off. As she got rid of the packaging, it will be a nice surprise to see what they are once they bloom!
Our rosemary shrub is doing well. I have learned through experience, though, to use half the fresh rosemary a recipe may call for as this plant is potent!
Although our smaller, chronically sickly lemon tree finally succumbed last summer, our two remaining citrus trees are going strong.
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| Sandy checks out the tangerines |
The tangerines were still green when we arrived, but they are rapidly ripening now. For the last couple of weeks, we have been enjoying lots of fresh fruit every morning. We like to share the fruit with some neighbours and friends as the tree offers up more produce than we can keep up with.
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| Fresh every morning 😋 |
Once again, even though it had a good pruning while we were away, our big (and now only) lemon tree has another bumper crop on board. As many as there are, these lemons are far from being ripe enough to use, yet, though.
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| Lemons starting to ripen |
Many people in the neighbourhood have Meyer lemon trees which produce their goods much earlier than our tree. So, just because our lemons are not yet ready it doesn’t mean I have been slacking off. Having received a nice bunch of Meyer lemons, I have been busy getting together different ways to put them to use. I have baked my classic lemon pound cake for our cycling buddy, Ed, whose wife gave us the lemons. A new recipe I found, and changed up a bit, is Lemon Poppy Seed Overnight Oats. As I have oats every morning, I thought this would be interesting .
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| Topped with banana, a nice way to start the day. |
I have a couple of recipes for Lemon Pasta, my current favourite being made with a lemon tahini sauce. This time around, I used chickpea pasta, and and threw in some frozen peas to cook along with the pasta. Once drained and the sauce tossed in, this made for a very tasty and filling main course.
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| Another recipe for the keeper file |
Sandy always has a standing order in for lemon cheesecake, so I have already baked up the first batch of lemon cheesecake bars of the season.
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| Easy and always tasty |
And what is any farm without its protection animal? Yes, we have Rocket, the Jack Russell Terrier keeping a watchful eye, but you better not try any funny business as long as this little guy is around.
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| Willing and able to chase anyone away from the goods! |
Well, that’s it for the first Farm Edition of Two By Bike. We have more cycling to do now, and more crops to check on!
