Cauliflower This may be our only cauliflower harvest- depending on how the others size up.
Broccoli This is likely the last of the broccoli for the summer. Enjoy! Eggplant We have plenty more eggplant coming this summer so get creative with variations on eggplant parmesan, braised eggplant, baba ganoush, stir-fries, curries, or your favorite eggplant dish. Green Beans Truly fresh green beans are a whole different ball game than anything found in a stiff plastic bag at the grocery store, much less the freezer or canned good section. They are delicious raw, snacked on like sugar snap peas, or lightly steamed. I also like to sear them on the grill. Basil The basil plants are on their way out so there may only be one more week of it, if that. Tomatoes We grow a number of varieties of tomatoes- red, orange, dark purple/almost black, yellow, and pink. They each taste a little different. Never store tomatoes in the fridge unless you really want to stop them from ripening for a few days- just know that they’ll lose some of their flavor at cold temperatures. Plenty more to come of these for the next month! Cucumber Lots of cultures in hot places have a recipe that is a variation on cucumber and yogurt to cool down spicy food on hot days. Persian cucumber yogurt (mast-o khiar) includes rosewater and walnuts. Indian raita includes onions and cumin. Greek Tzatziki includes fresh garlic and dill or mint. This would also be a good week for gazpacho- blending tomato, olive oil, garlic onion cucumber, green pepper salt and vinegar- blended for a long time. Summer Squash They sure do keep coming! Try making summer squash chips- cut them VERY thin and coat with olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Spread them out very well so none are touching and cook in the oven at 350 until fully dry. Scallions These alliums can substitute onions in many dishes. The white and green parts are both delicious- just cut off the roots and they’re ready. Whats Missing This Summer? You may have noticed the conspicuous absence of a very important vegetable so far this summer- garlic. I’m sorry to say that our crop contracted a garlic disease called Bloat Nematode and won’t have much, if any to distribute this season. Broccoli Some of the broccoli we harvested had nice stems and leaves so we left them on. Both are delicious parts of the vegetable. Treat broccoli leaves like kale. Broccoli stems take a little longer to steam than the florets to you may want to take that into account if you want a perfect texture on each. Store in the crisper of your fridge or eat right away for maximum texture and flavor. Eggplant We had an overwhelming number of big beautiful eggplant ready for harvest this week! We grow two types- the iconic, round Italian variety and a long, thin Asian variety that may be less familiar to some of you. They can both be used for eggplant parmesan, braised eggplant, baba ghanoush, stir-fries, curries, ratatouille or your favorite eggplant dish. Carrots A mix of orange and yellow carrots. Try shredding these up with beets and cucumbers, then dousing the mixture with lemon juice and salt for a very simple, delicious salad. The greens are useful for making soup stock. Beets These beets are smaller than the ones we harvested last week but they are the same heirloom variety. The cylindrical shape makes it easy to end up with equally sized slices. The greens are delicious and cook like chard. Basil Store these on your counter with the stems in a glass of water to avoid the blackening and wilt that can happen when kept in the fridge. Use quickly. I toss basil in just about anything to give it that aromatic complexity- sandwiches, salad dressings, soups, curries, stir-fries, and pasta. Tomatoes Its true! Our first tomatoes of the season have arrived! We grow a number of varieties of tomatoes- red, orange, dark purple/almost black, yellow, and pink. They each taste a little different. Never store tomatoes in the fridge unless you really want to stop them from ripening for a few days- just know that they’ll lose some of their flavor at cold temperatures. Cucumber Its time to get creative with so many cucumbers! Try creative salads, cucumber soup, cucumber yogurt (tzatziki), or even try tossing a slice in your glass of water for a refreshing drink. This week you have American slicing cucumbers- the big dark green one that should look and taste familiar to you from the grocery store. Summer Squash All of the varieties can be used interchangeably. Try roasting them with a light coating of oil in the oven, making a creamy pureed soup, tossing them on the grill, or shredding them up and mixing with flour and seasoning to make fritters. It may be time to whip out the zucchini bread recipes as well! WHERE DOES ALL THAT ZUCCHINI COME FROM? We only have a couple of beds planted to summer squash but the power house plants pump out at least one new fruit every other day. You can see three zucchini on the plant above. One is ready to harvest on the left with a dropping blossom. The one in the middle has a bright and robust flower and will be harvestable within two days. The one on the right, whose flower is still taut, will grow to harvest-size by the end of the week. Broccoli We harvest broccoli with a good amount of stem and leaves because both are delicious parts of the vegetable. Treat broccoli leaves like kale. Broccoli stems take a little longer to steam than the florets to you may want to take that into account if you want a perfect texture on each.
Toscana Kale You may have seen this kale called ‘Dinosaur,’ ‘Lacinato,’ or ‘Italian’. No matter what you call it, its a dark green super food that makes a delicious massaged kale salad, kale chip, or addition to soups, casseroles and morning eggs. Carrots A familiar stand by! Try shredding these up with beets and cucumbers, then dousing the mixture with lemon juice and salt for a very simple delicious salad. The greens are useful for making soup stock. Beets This heirloom variety is called ‘cylindra.’ The cylindrical shape makes it easy to end up with equally sized slices. I made a simple delicious salad this week with chopped cucumber, steamed (and cooled) beet cubes, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can shred beets for salad or steam them lightly before roasting to get a tender, candied dish. The greens are delicious and cook like chard. Basil Store these on your counter with the stems in a glass of water to avoid the blackening and wilt that can happen when kept in the fridge. Use quickly. I toss basil in just about anything to give it that aromatic complexity- sandwiches, salad dressings, soups, curries, stir-fries, and pasta. Cucumber The palate of cucumber options is expanding. This week you have American slicing cucumbers (the big dark green one that should look and taste familiar to you from the grocery store) and round yellow ones. The latter is a fun heirloom variety called a Lemon Cucumber, named more for its look than the flavor. Use both as you would any cucumber- in salad, veggie sticks, tzatziki, or try a cucumber soup since you have such bounty. Hakurai Turnips These are all the rage at farmer’s markets and local foods venues and it is hard to understand why they aren’t already a staple veggie in more American kitchens. Unlike your typical storage turnip, these can be eaten raw as veggie sticks or chopped up on top of salad. Try lightly sauteeing or roasting them as well. The greens are delicious too- raw in salad, or cooked. Summer Squash We grow several types of summer squash and you will become familiar with each over the course of the season- flying saucer shaped yellow patty pans, yellow zucchini, and the more familiar dark and light green zucchini varieties. They all cook the same way. I find them tastiest when roasted with a light coating of oil in the oven, grilled, or shredded up and added to flour to make fritters. It may be time to whip out the zucchini bread recipes as well! Now that we are in the swing of summer harvests, we are excited to announce pick-your-own availability! We did not have enough local members at the beginning of the season to warrant planting a separate pick your own patch. Instead we are opening up our production fields for members to come harvest certain items during Pick-Your-Own Hours. You are welcome to find us in our vegetable field on Beebe Hill Road during the following hours this week: Thursday: 3pm-4:30pm Sunday: 9am-11:30am We will trial these hours this week and, if they work, they will become standing weekly hours. Each week there will be different crops and quantities available. This week, we will direct you to the following crops when you find us on Beebe Hill Rd: Basil- 1 large bunch Raspberries- 1 pint Kale, Chard, and Collards- 3 large bunches of each Flowers- 1 large bunch Hakurai Turnips These are all the rage at farmer’s markets and local foods venues and it is hard to understand why they aren’t already a staple veggie in more American kitchens. Unlike your typical storage turnip, these can be eaten raw. Try lightly sauteeing or roasting them as well. The greens are delicious as well- raw in salad, or cooked. Basil Store these on your kitchen counter with the stems in a glass of water to avoid the blackening and wilting that can happen when kept in the fridge. Use quickly to get the most aroma and freshness out of this herb. I toss basil in just about anything to give it that aromatic complexity- sandwiches, salad dressings, soups, curries, stir-fries, and pasta dishes. Napa Cabbage This savoyed (meaning- crinkly leafed) cabbage is incredibly crisp and juicy. I love to make a sesame marinated salad with it. Try slicing it thin with chopped peas, basil, scallions, and cucumbers and letting it sit for a few hours in a marinade of sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic. Cucumbers The Persian variety is smallish, with smooth skin and small seeds. The round yellowish variety is called a Lemon Cucumber. Kale This nutritious green is perfect for roasted kale chips (see recipe on website), soups, massaged salads, curries, stir-fries, or simple steamed greens. Zucchini We grow a few varieties of zucchini and summer squash and you will get your pick each week for a while. You know your zucchini is super fresh when it “sweats- beads of moisture congregate on the cut side when you slice it. Garlic Chives These flat leaved chives grow beautifully and are a great addition to most dishes you would put scallions into. Lettuce You have two gargantuan heads this week- a red leaf lettuce that is delicate and a romaine that is very crispy. The Benefits of Crop Diversity are Enormous. The field above is home to Tomatoes, Lettuce, Potatoes, Onions, Eggplant, Peppers, Herbs, and Flowers. Such diversity and rotation supports a balanced insect and microbial ecosystem- not to mention a balanced diet for all of us who rely on these fields for dinner. The hay stack you see is part of our mulching program which maintains soil moisture and excludes weeds while adding organic matter to the soil. |
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