Hello CSA friends, this is your farmer writing. I have been away from the computer (you may have noticed) for the past two weeks (gettin hitched, and all the hoopla leading up to the wedding!), but I'm back! I hope the interns and the farm crew treated you well in my absence. More farm updates coming soon! Meanwhile, in your share this week:
Tomatoes! More cherry tomatoes from the hoophouse and the field, and just a few of the first big heirloom slicers. Ask a farmer for details on varieties.
Cilantro OR parsley- time for salsa? or a bowl of tabouli?
Lettuce- "Devil's Ears" a strikingly pointy-leaved leaf lettuce, the first of the late summer heading lettuces, more to come (and baby salad mix will be back on the scene soon, too- that drought and heat wave really set it back, but there's a new planting coming on beautifully)
Beans! Our tri-colored mix (green Jade, purple Royal Burgundy, and yellow Rocdor)- they're so tender there's no need to cook them, unless you want to.
Shallots- the first of the season. Shallots are interchangeable with onions, but their lovely, sweeter flavor really shines when used raw. I recommend a sherry-shallot vinaigrette to dress your lettuce-and-tomato salad or your lightly steamed beans with garlic
Garlic- more! Please let us know how the garlic quantity works for you- too much? too little? would you rather have a giant quantity at once, to store yourself, or continue getting one to two bulbs in each share? These are still relatively fresh bulbs, harvested about a month ago, so they're still nice and juicy. You'll notice the garlic drying and becoming easier to peel as the season progresses.
Radishes- either French Breakfast (pink and white) or Easter Egg (multi colored). These were grown under reemay (frost fabric) to protect them from insects, which resulted in incredibly tender greens (diffused light made them grow long, and protection from wind made them tender), so if you're steaming or sauteing greens, toss in the radish tops!
Carrots- probably the last of the early carrots- the next planting is still small, so we'll have a carrot gap in the next few weeks. But never fear, more tomatoes and other summer items will be happy to fill that gap!
Beets- So, you thought you'd get off easy (without beets) this week? Think again! They're just so pretty and delicious (and you all requested more last year), AND they store wonderfully (remove greens and store in a plastic bag in the fridge, for months if necessary). We thought we'd load you down with roots one more time before the onslaught of summer fruit-vegetables hits (tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, peppers, etc).
A note about cucumbers and summer squash (and melons and winter squash)- Why haven't we had any yet? The first planting we put in all died- we planted, it rained torrentially, many seeds washed away, and those that remained and germinated got fried in the heat- dried and crispy. So we scurried to re-plant, and now the second round is lovely, with baby squash and cukes forming, but later than I wanted. If the heat wave and/or late frost holds out, we'll have PLENTY of everything, including melons and winter squash, just late. If not, we'll still have plenty of cucumbers and summer squash over the next couple of months. Thanks for "sharing the benefit, and sharing the risk" in this most bizarre season of heat and drought.
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