From the Farmer
Last week we were finally blessed with a decent amount of rain, receiving some thorough soakings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Taking a break from irrigating for the week almost felt like vacation farming! Don't worry, we didn't actually do too much lounging around. We did make a good push on weed control, cultivating nearly all the vegetable fields. We also caught up on tomato trellising, transplanting fall broccoli, and, miraculously, we kept up with zucchini and cucumber harvesting!
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Zucchinis get picked every day of the week. This harvest is getting wheeled over the bridge on a cart and pulled up to the wash room by hand.
Are you eating your zucchinis?
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How do you tell if your green beans are fresh?
You wear them, of course! Fresh-picked green beans stick to Ariana, Adrian, and Athena's shirts. The tiny hairs on fresh beans act a little like velcro. Once they've been off the plant for a while the tiny hairs disappear. No more sticking. Try this next time you're in the grocery store and see what happens. Just be prepared to buy what ends up on the floor.
These youngsters, along with their brother, Alex, come to the farm from New Mexico every summer with their mom, Anni Hanna, to visit their grandparents, Christian and Gaella Elwell. When they're on the farm they are VERY BIG helpers.
Thank you Hannas!
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Thanks also to Maria Sparrow for tagging in for Maggie these past couple of weeks while Maggie was away. Maggie returns this week to staff the checkout during CSA. Hooray for Maria! Hooray for Maggie!
Nearly as bright and cheery as Maria, these flowers are abundant and waiting for you in the you-pick rows in the field. You might also find cut flower bouquets and sunflowers for sale in the farm store at times.
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Speaking of abundance, the black caps (a.k.a. black raspberries) are amazing right now in the farthest half of the black cap row (closest to the veggies). They're ripening fast in this heat though so it would be wise to
get out there to pick before they're all gone. I'm guessing black caps will be wrapping it up for the season by next week.
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Harvest Report
Herbs: Basil, Cilantro, Parsley (Curly & Flat) Plus PYO Edible Flower & Herb Garden as always!
Roots: Beets, Carrots, Hakueri Turnips, Daikon Radishes
Fruits: Cucumbers, Eggplant, Peppers (hot and shishito too!) Summer Squash, Zucchini
Greens: Arugula, Chard, Kale, Kale Mix, Lettuce, Lettuce Mix, Mesclun Salad Mix
Other Veggies: Broccolini, Celery, Fennel, Napa Cabbage, Scallions
NEW: Celery
PYO: Green Beans, Berries, Flowers, and our Edible Flower & Herb Gardens
For Retail Sale: Everything! Some items may be limited
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Recipes are on vacation this week.
Please send us your favorites that feature farm produce and we'll share them in future newsletters.
Ok, this isn't really a recipe, but one thing I can share from the kitchen is my essential breakfast sautée, which really couldn't be simpler, but in case you don't already do this, I'll recommend it. Personally, I can't start my day without this to accompany a couple of gently fried eggs, two thick pieces of Rise Above bread toasted in butter in a skillet and a modest hunk of feta cheese on the side.
David's Essential Breakfast Sautee
~Heat up a medium skillet with a generous amount of olive oil
~Slice up a couple of yellow squashes and / or zucchinis and toss them in
~Add a modest pinch of salt. You know, enough, but not too much.
~Add one large scoop of that garlic scape puree you made a few weeks ago and have kept in your fridge. Stir that together and put a lid on it.
~If you have some scallions around, now would be a good time to chop one up and add that too. Quickly! Don't delay with the firm, white part or else it won't be tender when everything else is done.
~Chop up two or three of those huge sprigs of curly parsley you got in your share and toss that in.
~Ok, now for the fun part. I've been growing vegetables for nearly three decades, but I only learned this trick a couple years ago. Take about three or four of those enormous Swiss chard leaves and, holding one at a time in the air, run your big kitchen knife up along the stem, first on one side and then the other. Isn't that a fun and easy way to take the stem out? No? Then you must not be doing it right. It you're having trouble I can show you next time you're on the farm. I know, some folks like the stems. That's fine, I won't judge them for it. I used to be one of them myself, in fact. But these days I share my chard stems with Fred the pig and use the tender part for my own cooking. Anyhow, once you've de-boned the chard, chop that up and toss it in the skillet too.
~Did I mention that you really should keep the lid on to expedite the process? You'll get a steaming effect. Very lovely. But don't forget to take the lid off for adding ingredients and stirring occasionally.
~Ok, when the chard is bright green and tender and definitely not overcooked, drab, or sad, now is the time to scoop some of that sautee onto your plate, next to the eggs and toast and feta.
~Doesn't all fit on your plate? No problem, leftovers are great for lunch. Just leave the lid off to cool while you sit down for breakfast, otherwise the chard will continue to steam and be overdone by the time you've finished eating.
Now that's a good way to start the day!
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CSA Pick-Up
(& Produce Buying Times)
Tuesdays & Fridays from 3 to 6:30 pm
Masks are optional.
Farm store is open daily, self serve, dawn to dusk. Some produce will be available in our new retail cooler during non-CSA times for purchase, but for the full selection of veggies, non-members should also come to shop during these CSA pickup times. |
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Other News
This is garlic harvest week! We've got plenty of garlic to pull, 10,500 plants to be precise, so if any of you would like to come and lend a hand, we would be most grateful. Volunteers are welcome any time on Tuesday afternoon and we may go into Wednesday as well. Come for five minutes or come for the afternoon. If you cross the bridge and hang a right you can't miss us - garlic is on the way to you-pick flowers, beans, berries, etc.
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Fred assesses the luncheon buffet selection,
strategically plotting his itinerary.
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