They're here! the very first Birch Point Tomatoes of 2010! You'll see Sungold cherry tomatoes (the ridiculously sweet orange cherry toms), Fargo yellow pear tomatoes, or the first ripe heirloom slicers (most likely Cherokee purple, Rose de Berne, "Penny's Yellow," or Valencia- some of the earliest to ripen). There will be more each week; this is just the beginning. Enjoy as is, or sliced with salt, olive oil, basil and fresh mozzarella....
Scallions are back! These mid-season green onions are a harbinger of the autumn lurking right around the corner (just barely being held at bay by the onslaught of ripening tomatoes and peppers!).
Basil- to make another batch of pesto or enjoy with your tomatoes
Hakurei Turnips OR Radishes- we can't get enough of these- and they keep giving. You may see small turnips; we're coming to the end of this particular batch, but they are so tasty you can toss whole turnips into salad when they're bite-sized. And don't forget to steam or saute the greens and enjoy with vinegar or hot sauce! Radishes can be enjoyed fresh with salt, OR roasted whole with other root veggies- cooking mellows out the bite and lends sweetness to the spice.
Carrots- we're also getting to the end of this early carrot planting, so you may see small and/or funky roots- the next generation is coming on in the field, but may be a couple weeks away from harvest. Next week: either beets OR baby beet thinnings from the new fall beet beds.
Kale or Chard- did you even notice we took a week off from these last week? We thought you would enjoy the break and take the opportunity to clean out the past week's veggies, but so many people asked for more, they're back this week! What's your
favorite, kale or chard?
Cucumbers are not quite over yet- the first planting has peaked and declined, but the second generation is starting to come on. This week, I took all the old, funny-looking, and left-over cukes, sent them through the cuisinart (slicing not processing), and made a salad with them, with thinly-sliced red cipollini onion, a big pinch of fresh mint, minced, lots of salt, pepper, dash each of cayenne, ground mustard, and sugar, and cider vinegar to mix it all together. We enjoyed it for lunch today, then I added even more sliced cukes, and it's in the fridge right now, getting more marinated by the moment,perhaps dreaming of feta cheese.....
Summer Squash- so who tried the fritters last week? Not I, not yet. I followed my chef friend Abra's lead yesterday and made a gratin-style dish of pan-fried thinly sliced zucchini, baked in a dish with lots of grated parmesan. How could that go wrong, really, even with zucchini? :)
Garlic- please do let us know if it's too much, not enough, if you'd rather have it as an optional extra, loads all at once, or just as is. It will keep for months if properly stored in a cool, dry space (i.e. not the refrigerator- way too humid, and probably not the kitchen- usually too warm AND moist)
BEANS- will be available as optional U-pick for on-farm shares only this week. The first planting is on its way out, but a few stragglers are still there for hard-core gleaners to gather. The next planting is starting to flower, but will still be one to two weeks before harvest.
There, perhaps I'm forgetting something.... if so it'll be a surprise for us both. Real newsletter on its way this weekend. :) buon appetito.
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