Hi CSA friends! It's here- CSA season, and for those of you who've been at market this spring, this comes as no surprise, but we are rich in greens! So as CSA members, you are, too. I am so honored to grow food for you all, and so grateful to be part of this super supportive community- thanks for joining the farm and/or shopping from BPF at market.
This week's share includes a bounty of fresh greens and alliums:
1. Mesclun/Baby Salad mix- mainly mixed baby lettuces with a smattering of mizuna and/or baby kale this week. Mesclun changes every week with the season- see how many baby greens you can identify in each week's mix.
2. Rhubarb- just in time for strawberry-rhubarb pie! We'll be taking orders next week for Ware Farm's organic strawberries, or you can buy them at market from Sandee and Bernie Ware themselves. Rhubarb is also excellent in Rhubarbade- put rhubarb through a juicer or blend and strain, add to sparkling water with or without sweetener. Enjoy.
3. Swiss Chard or Kale- we'll include kale or chard every week, at least until you cry Uncle on these greens. If you're new to kale (or chard) I recommend the Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook (available to CSA members for $14, to everyone else for $20). My favorite preparation is a quick saute with a few onions/garlic in olive oil, then douse with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. Toasted walnuts, dried cherries, and crumbled goat cheese on top all optional. OR you can always juice or smoothie them!
4. Chives with edible flowers- chop the leaves into almost anything you're preparing, and sprinkle flowers on top!
5. Green garlic with scapes- this garlic is technically past "green garlic," as it has started to form individual cloves and is growing scapes, but the papery wrappers around the cloves are still soft, and you can still use the leaves, as well as the scapes- treat the entire thing as fresh garlic. No vampires allowed.
6. Lettuces- either bodacious red leaf or creamy red butterhead- these are the last of the spring hoophouse lettuces; the next planting will come from the field in a few weeks.
7. Spinach (Tues the 14th) or an equally awesome alternate surprise (Saturday shares)(and no I'm not just saying that- it's a pretty cool surprise; it's just not spinach).
Announcements:
1. Asparagus to Zucchini cookbooks are in! If you ordered one, please bring $14 if you're a CSA member; $20 if you're not. There are a few extras, so just ask if you need more.
2. The Hot Crop Planting Party was excellent- in addition to Jason, Julie, and myself, five CSA members, one neighbor, and three farm friends came out to plant over 400 eggplants, over 400 peppers, and 200 tomatoes- and we planted 300 more tomatoes after the party. So plan on some serious ratatouille this summer. Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who braved the dire weather predictions and pitched in.
3. The first film of our Films for Farms series is slated for Saturday June 25- all ages, everyone welcome. Bring your own lawn/camping chair and whatever you need to be comfortable on the floor of the barn. Sat. evening, potluck (7-ish?) followed by a film: TBA, all ages, and not necessarily farm-related, but it'll be good, I swear.
Check the farm web site (www.csafarms.org/birchpointfarm.asp) and facebook (Birch Point Farm) for some new farm photos soon!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friday, October 15, 2010
Week 20:the Last Week of CSA for 2010!
In Your Share this Week (final newsletter coming soon- keep an eye out):
Winter Squash (either butternut, kabocha,sweet dumpling or acorn)
Onions- yellow and/or red
Garlic
Celery OR Celeriac
Radishes - Small (French Breakfast or Easter Egg) OR Large (Daikon or Spanish Black)
Cabbage OR Broccoli
Carrots
Golden Grex (rainbow) Beets with beautiful Greens attached- use just like chard
Spinach!
Rutabagas- just a few, and they're small, but so, so good (time for a fall root roast!)
Potatoes - Yukon Gold and/or Red Gold
Herbs: Chives OR Parsley (for the potatoes, of course)
Winter Squash (either butternut, kabocha,sweet dumpling or acorn)
Onions- yellow and/or red
Garlic
Celery OR Celeriac
Radishes - Small (French Breakfast or Easter Egg) OR Large (Daikon or Spanish Black)
Cabbage OR Broccoli
Carrots
Golden Grex (rainbow) Beets with beautiful Greens attached- use just like chard
Spinach!
Rutabagas- just a few, and they're small, but so, so good (time for a fall root roast!)
Potatoes - Yukon Gold and/or Red Gold
Herbs: Chives OR Parsley (for the potatoes, of course)
Friday, October 1, 2010
CSA week 18: in your share this week
Katie Sulau has officially dubbed this month "Crocktober." It's time for soup and stew, friends.
Note:
Saturday people: shares may not be ready until 9 tomorrow, try to come on the late side if possible.
Also,please come to the hoophouse plastic pull on Sunday at the farm! (11-3)
Ok, here goes:
Celeriac- "celery times ten!" (the flavor) this weird, gnarled root is closely related to celery- some just call it "celery root," maybe because it's easier to pronounce. Use stalks as you would celery for cooking (it's super fibrous, not so fun for fresh eating, but great for soup, stew, stock, etc). Use root as part of your soup/stew base, or chop and roast just like potatoes, in fact, it's great as part of a mixed-roots roast. It also stores for months in plastic in the fridge, or in your root cellar, without the stems/leaves.
Leeks- more potato-leek soup? Or try caramelized leeks drizzled over potato soup or chowder.
Potatoes-same! or chop and mix with other roots, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast/bake at 375-ish for 30-60 min (dep. on size chunks).
Carrots- please don't tell me you can't figure out what to do with carrots.... ? ok, give them back, then, we'll eat them, they're delicious. :)
Herbs: Sage or Thyme- both excellent in soup stocks and roux, or try crispy fried sage (from The Splendid Table last week) sprinkled on your soup or tomatoes as garnish.
Garlic- enjoy the rest of the garlic season, then come to the Garlic Planting Party here at the farm on Halloween- come in costume!
Heirloom Tomatoes- this may be the end, my friends. If we really get the frost that's predicted for Sunday early morning, the plants will be toast, and whatever we've harvested and stored inside will be what we get the next week or so. If we don't get that frost, we could see another week or two of tomatoes (until the frost does come). I hope you've enjoyed the variety this year; we'll be asking your feedback to inform our variety choices for next year, so be thinking of what have been your favorites, least favorites, and what you'd like to try next year.
Kale, Chard, or Collard Greens- the mothership of nutrients, fall collard greens are finally starting to mature! Use just as you would kale, just cook a little longer; the leaves are heartier and require a little more cooking. Unless you're into the raw food thing, in which case, I'd recommend (for any leafy greens) chopping coarsely and massaging the leaves well with salt in a bowl (til tender). Massaging (or kneading) the leaves breaks cell walls somewhat, making digestion easier, but doesn't kill any live enzymes, like cooking with heat does. Best of both worlds. Dress massaged greens with vinegar, lemon juice, and/or chopped tomatoes, and let marinate an hour to overnight. The acid helps make the calcium in green leafies more digestible by breaking the bonds of the molecules in which it's normally bound. AND it tastes good!
Sweet peppers- colored bells, Carmens (long horn-shaped sweet red pepper), and/or pimiento (somewhat flattened, round, thick-walled red pepper). This may also be our last week of sweet peppers if we get a frost- enjoy!
Basil- almost certainly the last week of basil, as basil doesn't even like 35 degrees, let alone 32. It's been a great pesto season! p.s. if you still want to squeeze in a batch of pesto, we will have enough for one or two more preserving shares (1 lb basil for $10), but let me know this weekend!
Bon appetit everyone- and yes, we WILL keep going at least one to two more weeks, possibly more. We'll keep you updated when the end is near. For now, enjoy the turning of the season into bona fide fall.
Note:
Saturday people: shares may not be ready until 9 tomorrow, try to come on the late side if possible.
Also,please come to the hoophouse plastic pull on Sunday at the farm! (11-3)
Ok, here goes:
Celeriac- "celery times ten!" (the flavor) this weird, gnarled root is closely related to celery- some just call it "celery root," maybe because it's easier to pronounce. Use stalks as you would celery for cooking (it's super fibrous, not so fun for fresh eating, but great for soup, stew, stock, etc). Use root as part of your soup/stew base, or chop and roast just like potatoes, in fact, it's great as part of a mixed-roots roast. It also stores for months in plastic in the fridge, or in your root cellar, without the stems/leaves.
Leeks- more potato-leek soup? Or try caramelized leeks drizzled over potato soup or chowder.
Potatoes-same! or chop and mix with other roots, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast/bake at 375-ish for 30-60 min (dep. on size chunks).
Carrots- please don't tell me you can't figure out what to do with carrots.... ? ok, give them back, then, we'll eat them, they're delicious. :)
Herbs: Sage or Thyme- both excellent in soup stocks and roux, or try crispy fried sage (from The Splendid Table last week) sprinkled on your soup or tomatoes as garnish.
Garlic- enjoy the rest of the garlic season, then come to the Garlic Planting Party here at the farm on Halloween- come in costume!
Heirloom Tomatoes- this may be the end, my friends. If we really get the frost that's predicted for Sunday early morning, the plants will be toast, and whatever we've harvested and stored inside will be what we get the next week or so. If we don't get that frost, we could see another week or two of tomatoes (until the frost does come). I hope you've enjoyed the variety this year; we'll be asking your feedback to inform our variety choices for next year, so be thinking of what have been your favorites, least favorites, and what you'd like to try next year.
Kale, Chard, or Collard Greens- the mothership of nutrients, fall collard greens are finally starting to mature! Use just as you would kale, just cook a little longer; the leaves are heartier and require a little more cooking. Unless you're into the raw food thing, in which case, I'd recommend (for any leafy greens) chopping coarsely and massaging the leaves well with salt in a bowl (til tender). Massaging (or kneading) the leaves breaks cell walls somewhat, making digestion easier, but doesn't kill any live enzymes, like cooking with heat does. Best of both worlds. Dress massaged greens with vinegar, lemon juice, and/or chopped tomatoes, and let marinate an hour to overnight. The acid helps make the calcium in green leafies more digestible by breaking the bonds of the molecules in which it's normally bound. AND it tastes good!
Sweet peppers- colored bells, Carmens (long horn-shaped sweet red pepper), and/or pimiento (somewhat flattened, round, thick-walled red pepper). This may also be our last week of sweet peppers if we get a frost- enjoy!
Basil- almost certainly the last week of basil, as basil doesn't even like 35 degrees, let alone 32. It's been a great pesto season! p.s. if you still want to squeeze in a batch of pesto, we will have enough for one or two more preserving shares (1 lb basil for $10), but let me know this weekend!
Bon appetit everyone- and yes, we WILL keep going at least one to two more weeks, possibly more. We'll keep you updated when the end is near. For now, enjoy the turning of the season into bona fide fall.
Friday, September 24, 2010
CSA Week 16: In your share this week
The long-awaited return of Baby Salad Mix! It's been a long time, I know. The mid-season heat discouraged planting for so long, and this recent planting then took a long time to size up, but it is gorgeous and delectable right now, with red and/or green leaf lettuce, tatsoi, choi, baby red russian kale, red mustard, arugula, and possibly a few baby beet greens for extra red. Enjoy!
Winter Squash: you may see green or tan Acorn Squash (tan variety is called Paydon; it's our first year growing it; let us know what you think), Delicata, or Sweet Dumpling
Potatoes: Red Gold or Carola (yellow skin and flesh)
Broccoli! Beautiful fall heads, with tender stalks- peel and use stalk insides along with florets. Yes, even the leaves are edible- chop and toss in with florets.
Beets! Either Red Ace (classic red) or Chioggia (pink, bullseye-patterned inside) with beautiful greens- use greens exactly as you would Swiss chard. (next week: carrots)
Turnip greens! My southern grandmother's favorite way to prepare these is to boil beyond recognition in a pot with a ham bone, but I suggest chopping, then a gentle saute or steam, just enough to cook til tender and bright green, then add an acid like lemon or vinegar (esp. vinegar that's been soaking hot chiles and extracted some spicy goodness)
the last of the Sweet Onions- just enough for one more batch of salsa
Tomatoes- the cold weather is slowing them down, but they'll still produce until frost hits- enjoy these last few weeks!
Peppers- sweet Carmen (long, horn-shaped reds), Pimiento (squat, flattened, ribbed reds- super super sweet), red or orange bells, or sweet yellow peppers
and some hot chiles too!
Basil- either regular Italian, purple, lemon, or Thai
*one more reminder: preserving shares ARE still available - one generous pound of basil for $10, first come, first served.*
Garlic- a heads up: the Garlic Planting Party is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 31 - yes, hallowe'en- come in costume!
One more heads up: the Hoophouse Plastic Pulling Party is scheduled for Sunday Oct. 3. We'll aim for a morning work party, as wind tends to be calmer in the a.m. but the whole thing is weather-dependent. Save the date, and we'll be in touch that week when we'll have a better idea of what the weather may allow us to do.
Winter Squash: you may see green or tan Acorn Squash (tan variety is called Paydon; it's our first year growing it; let us know what you think), Delicata, or Sweet Dumpling
Potatoes: Red Gold or Carola (yellow skin and flesh)
Broccoli! Beautiful fall heads, with tender stalks- peel and use stalk insides along with florets. Yes, even the leaves are edible- chop and toss in with florets.
Beets! Either Red Ace (classic red) or Chioggia (pink, bullseye-patterned inside) with beautiful greens- use greens exactly as you would Swiss chard. (next week: carrots)
Turnip greens! My southern grandmother's favorite way to prepare these is to boil beyond recognition in a pot with a ham bone, but I suggest chopping, then a gentle saute or steam, just enough to cook til tender and bright green, then add an acid like lemon or vinegar (esp. vinegar that's been soaking hot chiles and extracted some spicy goodness)
the last of the Sweet Onions- just enough for one more batch of salsa
Tomatoes- the cold weather is slowing them down, but they'll still produce until frost hits- enjoy these last few weeks!
Peppers- sweet Carmen (long, horn-shaped reds), Pimiento (squat, flattened, ribbed reds- super super sweet), red or orange bells, or sweet yellow peppers
and some hot chiles too!
Basil- either regular Italian, purple, lemon, or Thai
*one more reminder: preserving shares ARE still available - one generous pound of basil for $10, first come, first served.*
Garlic- a heads up: the Garlic Planting Party is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 31 - yes, hallowe'en- come in costume!
One more heads up: the Hoophouse Plastic Pulling Party is scheduled for Sunday Oct. 3. We'll aim for a morning work party, as wind tends to be calmer in the a.m. but the whole thing is weather-dependent. Save the date, and we'll be in touch that week when we'll have a better idea of what the weather may allow us to do.
Friday, September 17, 2010
CSA Week 15: in your share this week
Carrots!
Arugula!
Cilantro!
Basil!
Daikon or "watermelon" radishes!
Red onions!
Garlic!
Green Beans!
Tomatoes!
Sweet peppers OR eggplant!
*** remember your boxes (Sat people)***
reminder: only 3-7 more weeks of CSA- we're estimating 5 more wks right now.
detailed newsletter coming soon
Arugula!
Cilantro!
Basil!
Daikon or "watermelon" radishes!
Red onions!
Garlic!
Green Beans!
Tomatoes!
Sweet peppers OR eggplant!
*** remember your boxes (Sat people)***
reminder: only 3-7 more weeks of CSA- we're estimating 5 more wks right now.
detailed newsletter coming soon
Salsa throwdown
For those of you not compulsively signed up for emails from CUESA (San Francisco's lovely farm market email) thought you might enjoy today's salsa recipes. Here's the people's choice winner. For more check out their link! Happy eating, Dawn
I
NGREDIENTS:
"Gutsy Red Salsa" or Roasted Red Ranchera Salsa
Recipe from Soul Cocina. It was prepared as part of the SF Food Wars Salsa ChampionChip on September 12, 2010. This salsa won the People's Choice award!
I
NGREDIENTS:4 roasted Roma tomatoes
2 slightly roasted garlic clove
3 roasted Chiles Serranos
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Salt
PREPARATION:
- Roast the tomatoes on an iron griddle (comal) over a medium flame, turning them as they char on each side. You can also use a broiler.
- Add the tomatoes to a blender with the remaining ingredients (except onions and cilantro) and blend until it becomes a chunky sauce (do not puree).
- Then add and mix a 1/4 cup of small diced sweet yellow onion, and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and serve.
Hint: If you make the salsa too hot throw in some sugar!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
CSA Week 14: in your share this week
This Week’s Share: It’s Fall! The calendar may still say summer, but we all know what’s going on here. It’s soup season.
Leeks! The first of the season- use just as you would onions- and yes, you can use all but the very ends of the green section, as well as the white. The farther toward the tips of the leaves, the more fibrous they are, but you can a) use the dark green leaf tips for soup stock (simmer with other veggies and herbs, then discard leaves), or b) slice very, very thinly and cook til very tender. Leeks are reputed to be milder than onions in flavor, but that depends on the leek (and onion) in question. I find them generally delicious and flavorful, often mellow, but not always. It’s nice to “sweat” leeks (cook in butter/oil over low heat in a covered dish to soften them completely and draw out every possible drop of leeky goodness into that fat) before adding other ingredients to a soup base or other dish. See Recipes section for my favorite simple veggie soup stock.
Potatoes - Did you really think we’d give you leeks without potatoes? This week you’ll see either more Caribe (early-season purple-skinned, white-fleshed spud), Red Gold (red-skinned, gold-fleshed), or possibly we’ll do a first harvest of the longer-season “storage” potatoes, Yukon Gold, Carola, or Sangre. Potatoes will keep for months if stored at very low temps and very high humidity (the fridge is actually not a bad place for potato storage as long as they’re not in plastic, and you have the extra space there). They’ll also keep for weeks in a paper bag or breathable bin, out of the light, at a cool room temp. See Recipes for my favorite Potato-Leek soup.
Celery- A second round! Remember when you got celery a month or so ago, and we said we’d harvested loose leaves to see if the plants would continue to grow, so you’d get more celery per season than if we’d cut the whole plants at that point? See what you think about the size of these heads- you may see more loose leaves, or whole plants. Either way, celery keeps best in a plastic bag in the fridge for one to two weeks. Cut off the leaves from the stems to maximize storage life. If you plan to cook it, you can blanch and freeze it, then store in plastic in the freezer til winter stew or soup calls.
Kale or Swiss Chard- we try to offer a mix of cooking greens (kale, chard, cabbage, Asian greens, etc) but every time we try to skip kale/chard, someone asks for more! I love our CSA members- not everyone has such an affinity for greens. You guys are awesome. And healthy, I suspect. You might toss some of those greens into your soup, concocted from the first three share items (above)….Check Recipes section for a reminder about Greens Patties, or “Leafburgers” as someone called them last year. Will you share your favorite greens recipes on the blog? The best way to post a recipe is to “comment” on an existing post. http://birchpointfarm.blogspot.com/
Beans- the beans are back, with a vengeance. And these aren’t even the pole beans I promised you- it’s the bush beans again! You may see classic green, a few different varieties, Royal Burgundy purple beans, or Dragon Langerie, a streaked flat-podded bean classically grown for fresh shelling (if you get some exceptionally large ones, you may want to try that), but we like the flavor of it as a green bean so much, we harvest it that way instead of waiting for them to mature into shelling beans. Who wants to make Dilly Beans? Beans will be available by the bushel or half bushel soon for canners and freezers.
Garlic- how’s the garlic dosage? Anyone overloaded, not enough, just right? See Recipes for my favorite garlic roasting method. We’re already looking forward to planting this fall, probably on or around Halloween, and you are all invited (look for an invitation soon). In addition to the excellent hardneck garlic we’ve done the past 3 years, I’m excited to plant some softneck garlic for making garlic braids next season!
Tomatoes are still giving us juicy, luscious slicers, sweet cherries, and the start of the roma/paste varieties. (knock on wood) so far, no late blight, the fungal disease that completely wiped out our crop last year. As long as the plants are healthy, we’ll continue to harvest until the first frost, which is usually late September/early October (but who can say, anymore? It was the 3rd week of October last year!). See Recipes section for the tomato soup we’ve been enjoying at the farmt this week.
Peppers- both sweet (bells, pimientos, and/or long, narrow “frying” types) and hot (jalapenos, citrus-scented limons, streaked “fish” hot peppers, or a few random other hot chiles) peppers may show up again this week. I like to add a little heat to winter soups, in the form of a chile or two chopped and tossed in with time to infuse the pot with extra warmth. If you’re still feeling summer, try roasting peppers over an open flame and making salsa!
Eggplant (possibly)- you’ve probably noticed this hasn’t been much of an eggplant year! As beautiful and healthy as the plants are, the flower and fruit set has been scant. It may have been the heat wave at the time the plants wanted to set their main flowering (too much heat inhibits them), it may have been a cosmic anti-eggplant year, or both. Either way, I wish we had more to share with you; perhaps they’ll kick out another wave of flowers and fruits this fall.
Melons- thanks to your fellow CSA members who came to the planting party in early June, there are a LOT of melons this year! That rain last week caused many of them to come on all at once (we had to harvest them b/c of splitting rinds, whereas normally they would’ve held in the field another week or two), but there are still a few cantaloupes and honeydews, and enough watermelons for everyone to get at least one more week’s worth. If we get another heat wave, I’d recommend “agua de melon” or “agua de sandia,” two Mexican treats- simply toss a handful of melon flesh (seeds removed) into a blender with plenty of ice and cold water (still or fizzy), and voila, a refreshing summer beverage.
Herbs: Basil and/or Parsley and/or Cilantro- there’s definitely basil for everyone, and depending on how fast the parsley is growing (it’s been slow the last month, hence the lack of parsley in shares), you may see parsley and/or cilantro as well.
Leeks! The first of the season- use just as you would onions- and yes, you can use all but the very ends of the green section, as well as the white. The farther toward the tips of the leaves, the more fibrous they are, but you can a) use the dark green leaf tips for soup stock (simmer with other veggies and herbs, then discard leaves), or b) slice very, very thinly and cook til very tender. Leeks are reputed to be milder than onions in flavor, but that depends on the leek (and onion) in question. I find them generally delicious and flavorful, often mellow, but not always. It’s nice to “sweat” leeks (cook in butter/oil over low heat in a covered dish to soften them completely and draw out every possible drop of leeky goodness into that fat) before adding other ingredients to a soup base or other dish. See Recipes section for my favorite simple veggie soup stock.
Potatoes - Did you really think we’d give you leeks without potatoes? This week you’ll see either more Caribe (early-season purple-skinned, white-fleshed spud), Red Gold (red-skinned, gold-fleshed), or possibly we’ll do a first harvest of the longer-season “storage” potatoes, Yukon Gold, Carola, or Sangre. Potatoes will keep for months if stored at very low temps and very high humidity (the fridge is actually not a bad place for potato storage as long as they’re not in plastic, and you have the extra space there). They’ll also keep for weeks in a paper bag or breathable bin, out of the light, at a cool room temp. See Recipes for my favorite Potato-Leek soup.
Celery- A second round! Remember when you got celery a month or so ago, and we said we’d harvested loose leaves to see if the plants would continue to grow, so you’d get more celery per season than if we’d cut the whole plants at that point? See what you think about the size of these heads- you may see more loose leaves, or whole plants. Either way, celery keeps best in a plastic bag in the fridge for one to two weeks. Cut off the leaves from the stems to maximize storage life. If you plan to cook it, you can blanch and freeze it, then store in plastic in the freezer til winter stew or soup calls.
Kale or Swiss Chard- we try to offer a mix of cooking greens (kale, chard, cabbage, Asian greens, etc) but every time we try to skip kale/chard, someone asks for more! I love our CSA members- not everyone has such an affinity for greens. You guys are awesome. And healthy, I suspect. You might toss some of those greens into your soup, concocted from the first three share items (above)….Check Recipes section for a reminder about Greens Patties, or “Leafburgers” as someone called them last year. Will you share your favorite greens recipes on the blog? The best way to post a recipe is to “comment” on an existing post. http://birchpointfarm.blogspot.com/
Beans- the beans are back, with a vengeance. And these aren’t even the pole beans I promised you- it’s the bush beans again! You may see classic green, a few different varieties, Royal Burgundy purple beans, or Dragon Langerie, a streaked flat-podded bean classically grown for fresh shelling (if you get some exceptionally large ones, you may want to try that), but we like the flavor of it as a green bean so much, we harvest it that way instead of waiting for them to mature into shelling beans. Who wants to make Dilly Beans? Beans will be available by the bushel or half bushel soon for canners and freezers.
Garlic- how’s the garlic dosage? Anyone overloaded, not enough, just right? See Recipes for my favorite garlic roasting method. We’re already looking forward to planting this fall, probably on or around Halloween, and you are all invited (look for an invitation soon). In addition to the excellent hardneck garlic we’ve done the past 3 years, I’m excited to plant some softneck garlic for making garlic braids next season!
Tomatoes are still giving us juicy, luscious slicers, sweet cherries, and the start of the roma/paste varieties. (knock on wood) so far, no late blight, the fungal disease that completely wiped out our crop last year. As long as the plants are healthy, we’ll continue to harvest until the first frost, which is usually late September/early October (but who can say, anymore? It was the 3rd week of October last year!). See Recipes section for the tomato soup we’ve been enjoying at the farmt this week.
Peppers- both sweet (bells, pimientos, and/or long, narrow “frying” types) and hot (jalapenos, citrus-scented limons, streaked “fish” hot peppers, or a few random other hot chiles) peppers may show up again this week. I like to add a little heat to winter soups, in the form of a chile or two chopped and tossed in with time to infuse the pot with extra warmth. If you’re still feeling summer, try roasting peppers over an open flame and making salsa!
Eggplant (possibly)- you’ve probably noticed this hasn’t been much of an eggplant year! As beautiful and healthy as the plants are, the flower and fruit set has been scant. It may have been the heat wave at the time the plants wanted to set their main flowering (too much heat inhibits them), it may have been a cosmic anti-eggplant year, or both. Either way, I wish we had more to share with you; perhaps they’ll kick out another wave of flowers and fruits this fall.
Melons- thanks to your fellow CSA members who came to the planting party in early June, there are a LOT of melons this year! That rain last week caused many of them to come on all at once (we had to harvest them b/c of splitting rinds, whereas normally they would’ve held in the field another week or two), but there are still a few cantaloupes and honeydews, and enough watermelons for everyone to get at least one more week’s worth. If we get another heat wave, I’d recommend “agua de melon” or “agua de sandia,” two Mexican treats- simply toss a handful of melon flesh (seeds removed) into a blender with plenty of ice and cold water (still or fizzy), and voila, a refreshing summer beverage.
Herbs: Basil and/or Parsley and/or Cilantro- there’s definitely basil for everyone, and depending on how fast the parsley is growing (it’s been slow the last month, hence the lack of parsley in shares), you may see parsley and/or cilantro as well.
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