CSA
WEEK 17
Partial
Share
Basil - 1.5
oz
Cucumbers - 1
silver slicer
- 1
American slicer
Bell
Peppers - 3
Super
Greens - 6oz
Zuchini
or Patty Pan Squash - 3
Green
Beans - ¾ pound
Sweet
Corn - 3
**Fresh
Sweet Onions - 2
**Tomatoes - 1
quart glacier
Full Share
Basil -z 2 oz
Cucumbers - 1 Asian or Armenian
- 4 lemons
Bell Peppers - 4
Super Greens- 8oz
Zuchini or Patty Pan Squash - 4
Green Beans - 1 pound
Sweet Corn - 4
**Fresh Sweet Onions - 3
**Tomatoes - 1 quart glacier
- 1-2 heirlooms
**these
items are non-refrigerated and will be labeled at CSA pickup
for partial and full you have TWO separate things to add to
your boxed share this week; tomatoes and onions
Well
the summer shift in weather always happens quick and this year was no
exception. We had highs in the mid 80s for weeks on end and then, it
looks like highs in the mid 60s are what's coming up in the
foreseeable future. We are less than two weeks away from our average
first frost (mid-September)
and the farm is definitely
starting to show the transitioning of the season. We are still
seeding about 400 bed feet a week for late fall salad greens but the
majority of the planting for the year is over.
Last
week we got the very last of the potatoes out of the ground and
seeded a cover crop which will hopefully
provide some ground cover before winter, grow in the spring, get
tilled into the ground in early May, and be planted to corn next
year. Our corn currently has a beautiful patch of cover crops that I
seeded when it was about knee high, now well established it will
continue to grow until we flail mow the corn in about 6 weeks and
that is where we will plant potatoes next year.
We
still have some big annual farm tasks ahead of us for the year. We
usually harvest our winter squash the second week of September.
Some years it cures in the field (this is MOST IDEAL) but most years
we pull the squash and line them up in a single layer on tables in
our hoop house to allow the skins of the winter squash to harden up
and 'cure'. This also helps any slightly immature squash have time
to sweeten up. Last year it was so warm and dry that we were able to
take the squash directly from the field into storage for the rest of
the season (this is how squash is grown in most climates). I'm
keeping my fingers crossed because moving all that squash twice isn't
really something we look forward to...but it looks like we will be
curing the squash in the hoop house this year.
Another
fall task for us is turning over beds as they
come out of production for the year. We actually haven't even
started that yet as Every Single Bed coming out of production right
now is either getting reseeded or being prepped for fall planted
garlic and fall planted over wintered spinach.
The
hoop house is at absolute peak production right now. With the
cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and basil pumping out
vegetables at an unprecedented
rate. We are so excited to be able to be putting generous amounts of
these summer goodies in your boxes. It was definitely one of our
goals for this
year.
In
the weeks to come, the farm will just keep on with peak production,
there will be a frenzy to pick all the non-frost-tolerant
crops before the first frost, to cover everything we know can keep
producing, and to take care of all the crops that keep producing well
in cold weather. Can
you believe there is only one month left of CSA? And two months from
now the whole farm will be 'put to bed' for the winter; livestock
gone to the processors, freezers stuffed full of tomatoes and meat,
the garden beds topped with compost and hay, and all the fall
infrastructure
work (hopefully) done for the year.
Tomatoes
Brown
Butter Tomatoes….someone at market shared this recipe with
me...oh...so...good...directions from epicurious.com
but basically heat up butter until it's brown and then pour it on
tomatoes add salt.
Roasted
Tomato Soup-
Somehow
all three of our kids love lentil soup. Doesn't seem like it would
be a big hit with kids...but it is with ours. Mysteries never cease.
Last week I roasted a mixture of heirlooms and mini slicers before
adding them to my normal soup and !wow! What a good idea.
Here's
what I did. Soak lentils overnight in tepid water and rinse soaking
water in the morning. Saute onions and garlic, dice and add any root
veggies you have in your crisper (beets, carrots, turnips, etc.,),
add smoked paprika and fresh herbs or dried Italian
herbs, cover with water or broth (twice as much liquid as amount of
lentils use). While lentils cook roast tomatoes in oven (more
detailed directions on epicurious.com:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/roasted-tomatoes-235766
Cut
tomatoes in half , add olive oil and balsamic, and just a bit of salt
and sugar, and roast in the oven at 350°
until they smell like tomato heaven (about an hour). With an
immersion blender or in a blender/food processor blend the roasted
tomatoes and add to the lentil soup.
Note:
never add tomatoes to any sort of bean dish until beans are FULLY
COOKED as the tomatoes keep the beans
from finishing cooking.
Zucchini-
With
the cooler weather coming this is probably the last week for this
much zucchini in your box. Zucchini,
which have been pumping out fruits like crazy the last six weeks,
really slow down when it cools off.
If you are trying to get creative with your zucchini here is a really
awesome recipe (also from someone at market)
from smitten kitchen (always a winner!). Maybe you've seen recipes
where zucchini is used as a crust to make a pizza. I've tried that
and though...hmnn...not really the best use for
zucchini...and...that's not really passing as pizza for me. This
recipe puts the zucchini ON TOP of pizza crust. Give
it a try. Pretty
good! https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/08/summer-squash-pizza/
Corn-
Mostly,
I boil sweet corn, but if I'm feeling fancy I grill it. It's a
couple more steps because you peel back the husks, take off the silks
and re-cover the cob with the husk and then soak with corn in it's
husk in water for 15 minutes and then grill it at a high temp. It
basically steams the corn while infusing it with smokey, grilly
flavor and is wonderful.
Green
Beans-
these
are so good, of course, boiled and then doused
with
butter and salt. That's our kids favorite. My favorite is to stir
fry them in coconut oil at a super high heat with tons of garlic and
then add sriracha
and sesame oil at the end. Great as a side dish when making stir
fry. Or with rice noodles and Asian
meat balls.
Next
week—more
sweet corn, cucumbers,
zucchini, tomatoes
and greens beans, garlic
and shallots.
Lettuce mix, chard,
and either radishes or fall carrots.
Coming
in mid/late September
- Spinach! Finally!, Butterhead
lettuce, collard greens, kale, winter squash and kohlrabi.
Hope
you are all settling into your fall routine and enjoying this
fleeting season. ~J&M
