Salad Mix These greens don’t grow as well in the heat of summer so we savor them as a spring and fall treat. Your shares have a super tender mix of baby sized arugula, mizuna, red russian kale, swiss chard, and lettuces. The combination of greens lends a dynamic flavor for salads.
Kale This young kale is incredibly tender, so it might be a good week to make a raw kale salad. Try massaging the leaves with oil, salt, pepper, and a bit of balsamic vinegar. You can also cook it of course. Tomato Our tomatoes are finally ripening at full steam! In addition to cherry tomatoes, you have different colors of slicing tomatoes in your share this week. If they aren’t quite ripe yet, let them sit on the counter for a few days. Hot Pepper Each share got a different hot pepper. Colored Italian Sweet Peppers Roast them or just eat them raw, they are so flavorful! These are the larger red or orange narrow peppers. Delicata Winter Squash Roast these simply with a bit of oil and they are incredible. So sweet! The skin is edible. Apples We harvested these little apples from a friend’s unsprayed tree in Falls Village. They are wonderful for apple sauce or pies, but I’ve actually been eating them fresh and enjoying the flavor. Garlic and Onion Well cured, so these should store fine on your counter top. Oregano Add to pizzas, tomato sauces, soups, squash and beyond. If you don’t think you’ll use the oregano this week, you can dry it for another time. Kohlrabi I don’t know why this isn’t a more common vegetable- its so fun looking and delicious! Peal the kohlrabi and eat it sliced raw, or try sautéing it or adding it to soups. The greens can be used just like kale.
Kale Our first kale harvest of the season! Tomato Our tomatoes are finally ripening at full steam! You have different colors of slicing tomatoes in your share this week as well as cherry tomatoes as well as paste tomatoes which are long and thin and ideal for drier salsas and sauces. All three types of tomatoes can be used interchangeably but you can also find specific recipes for each. Jalapeño Peppers and Cayenne Hot Pepper A spicy week! Colored Italian Sweet Peppers The flavor of these long pointy sweet peppers is out of this world. Leeks Milder than onions, these are delicious in potato leek soup of course. Leeks have an especially creamy texture when slow cooked in oil. Gold Potatoes These beauties are from MX Morningstar Farm. We don’t have a ton on our farm due to poor sprouting and not having planted enough buffer in the spring so we bought some in to supplement. Nobody wants a fall without any potatoes! Green Beans OR Lettuce We generally try to give everyone the exact same share to make sure no one feels like they missed out. However, this week we had a little of these three precious crops and still wanted to share them with you even though we couldn’t give any of them to everyone. Its a good exercise in practicing acceptance I guess! Garlic and Onion Well cured and delicious:) Fennel This crop can be tricky to grow but these are gorgeous! Use the fronds in soups or salads and the bulbs in roasted veggies or salads. Anise lovers- enjoy! Dill It’s a good potato salad week! Dill is also great in broth, salads, and dressings. You can also hang it up to dry if you aren’t going to use it this week. Apples We harvested these little apples from a friend’s unsprayed tree in Falls Village. They are wonderful for apple sauce or pies, but I’ve actually been eating them fresh and enjoying the flavor.
Purple Curly Kale This kale is from MX Morningstar Farm. Our kale is coming along but isn’t quite ready to harvest yet. Try some brightly colored kale chips, steamed greens, soups, or casseroles. Tomato All the tomatoes in your share are from our farm- the many gorgeous green fruits are finally starting to ripen more rapidly! Most are ripe and ready to eat but some may need a few days on your counter top. Consider keeping the cherry tomatoes in your refrigerator as they tend to split when they get super ripe. Cayenne Hot Pepper The long thin red peppers are spicy! You can dry them if you don’t use this week. Cherry Bomb Peppers The little round red peppers are spicy, but also a bit sweet. The flavor is quite lovely if you like spice! Sauerkraut This lactofermented kraut is full of good healthy gut bacteria. It will store well in the fridge for months. Parsley Perfect for Mediterranean recipes, blending up in dips with garlic, or adding to soups and salad dressings. Gold Potatoes These beauties are from MX Morningstar Farm. We don’t have a ton on our farm due to poor sprouting and not having planted enough buffer in the spring so we bought some in to supplement. Nobody wants a fall without any potatoes! Green Beans OR Lettuce OR Peppers We generally try to give everyone the exact same share to make sure no one feels like they missed out. However, this week we had a little of these three precious crops and still wanted to share them with you even though we couldn’t give any of them to everyone. Its a good exercise in practicing acceptance I guess! Garlic and Onion Well cured and delicious:) Fennel This crop can be tricky to grow but these are gorgeous! Use the fronds in soups or salads and the bulbs in roasted veggies or salads. Anise lovers- enjoy! Dill It’s a good potato salad week! Dill is also great in broth, salads, dressings, an dos on. You can also Parsley A bit of parsley goes a long way in tomato salads, soups, dips, and dressings. You can always dry your parsley if you don’t think you’ll use it while it’s fresh by simply hanging it upside down in a well ventilated area.
Swiss Chard These greens are growing beautifully despite the heat, hence the fact that you’ve gotten quite a bit of them! You can wilt and freeze it if it’s too much. I made a new variation on my weekly batch of chana saag (Indian style chick peas and greens) by blending the chard with an immersion blender after steaming. Tomato The sun gold cherry tomatoes are from our farm but the slicers are from Hotchkiss’s greenhouse thanks to their generous invitation for us to come and glean there. Most are ripe and ready to eat while others may need a few days. This is the week for tomato sandwiches, BLTs, fire roasted tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato sauce, etc! The slicers are perfect for slicing of course but you can also cook them down as well. Cayenne Hot Pepper The long thin red peppers are spicy! You can dry them if you don’t use this week. Carrots Most of the carrots in your shares this week are white. Shishito Peppers The small green narrow peppers are shishitos. They are not spicy but they do have a deep flavor. These specialty peppers are often blackened on a grill or in a pan but can be used in a wide variety of recipes. Green Bell Pepper OR Italian Sweet Peppers Some members received a green bell pepper this week. Others received a yellow or red narrow Italian sweet pepper. Garlic Such a potent and delicious crop this year. Store on your counter top- they are fully cured. Eggplant Still a few eggplant out there on the plants and they are quite gorgeous and delicious. Basil This week you have a larger amount of basil than you have in the past so that you can make pesto. Add nuts, olive oil and garlic and blend! Melon Everyone is either getting an heirloom variety of watermelon called Sugar Baby or a cantaloupe. Both are incredibly sweet and flavorful! Swiss Chard This spinach relative cooks down a lot. You can use it raw for salad or cook it in soups, sautés, spanakopita, egg dishes, wilted greens, casseroles, and more! Nutritional quality is always highest if you cook the greens lightly enough to maintain their bright color. Tomato If you are inundated with sun gold orange cherry tomatoes because you planted the plant we gave you this spring, consider freezing them whole or making sauce out of them. Cherry tomato sauce is divinely flavorful. The long thin red tomatoes in many shares are San Marzanos, a drier variety of tomato that slices easily for salsas that aren’t too drippy or for thick sauces. The round slicer tomatoes are the juiciest of the bunch. Hot Pepper A bit of kick! Zucchini The zucchini glut is over for the season but we’ll continue to have a trickle. Green Bell Pepper Pepper season always starts with a few green peppers before the colored peppers start to ripen. Hopefully in a few weeks we’ll have some sweet yellow and red peppers! Garlic Such a potent and delicious crop this year. Store on your counter top- they are fully cured. Eggplant After an abundant run, the eggplant plants are ready to go on vacation. The fruit production has slowed and we’ll see if we get another flush before fall. Cilantro Little bunches for salsas, pestos, bean dishes, or curries. Basil The best way to store basil is on your countertop with the stems in a glass of water. White Carrots White ginger carrot soup? Yum! Watermelon This heirloom variety is called Sugar Baby and it is beautifully sweet!
Green Beans The green bean plants are slowing down production a little, which is why you have a smaller amount in your shares this week. Still tasty though! You can eat them raw or add them to stew, soup, sautéed veggies, or stir-fries. Tomato There is some range in ripeness of the tomatoes in your share. Some are ripe and ready to eat today while others could use a few days at room temperature. Tomatoes are most flavorful when stored outside of the fridge. Hot Chili Pepper The little green peppers in your shares have very spicy seeds! Zucchini The zucchini glut is over for the season but we’ll continue to have a trickle. Green Bell Pepper Pepper season always starts with a few green peppers before the colored peppers start to ripen. Hopefully in a few weeks we’ll have some sweet yellow and red peppers! Garlic Such a potent and delicious crop this year. Store on your counter top- they are fully cured. Eggplant It sure has been a good year for eggplant with all of this heat. During the power outage I did a great deal of cooking over a camp fire and I think one of the tastiest things I’ve had all summer was fire roasted babaganoush. I wrapped an Asian eggplant in foil and tossed it onto some hot coals and a low flame for about twenty minutes, then mixed with tahini and salt. Yum. Basil The best way to store basil is on your countertop with the stems in a glass of water. Dill Pickle Ingredients We’ve included everything you need to make dill pickles: small pickling cucumbers, dill flowers, and spice mix. See the recipe we’ve included in this week’s share. Note: Unlike all other items you’ll receive in your CSA shares which were raised on our farm, we did not grow most of the spices in the spice mix. The dill seed in there is from the farm but the rest of it (coriander etc.) are sourced from an organic herb supplier.
Slicing Cucumbers I’ve been topping my morning toast with slices of salted cucumbers and I highly recommend! Zucchini We are growing yellow zucchini, dark green zucchini and a striped light green zucchini. They all taste pretty similar as far as I can tell but perhaps your palate is more fine tuned:) Tomato Hooray for the very beginnings of tomato season! Store tomatoes outside of the fridge to maintain best flavor. Swiss Chard This spinach relative cooks down quite a lot. I’ve been making a chickpea and chard curry lately with garam masala and cayenne. You can also toss some chopped chard into any soup or your morning eggs. Fresh Garlic The garlic harvest is in! This garlic has not yet been cured- meaning that it is fresh out of the ground and needs a few weeks of drying before it can be stored on a countertop. Keep it in the refrigerator for now. Eggplant A good year for the aubergine alliance! We have several different types of eggplant growing on the farm this season so you will get a mix of Asian and Italian styles this season. They are interchangeable in recipes. Basil The best way to store basil is on your countertop with the stems in a glass of water. Cabbage The European style cabbages in your share store well and are incredibly crisp for coleslaws.
Napa Cabbage This Asian style of cabbage is more tender than the European cabbages. Try marinating in sesame oil, soy sauce, chili flakes, and rice vinegar for an Asian raw salad or stir-frying lightly. This cabbage cooks quickly so don’t give it too much time on the heat to prevent mushiness. Basil The best way to store basil is on your countertop with the stems in a glass of water. Cucumbers Such a sweet and cooling treat in this heat. Zucchini We are growing yellow zucchini, dark green zucchini and a striped light green zucchini. They all taste pretty similar as far as I can tell! Kale These super foods are perfect for kale chips but can also be massaged into raw salads, added to soups and sautés, or steamed as their own side dish. Garlic Scapes Before putting its full energy into making a bulb, a garlic plant sends up a delicious stalk called the garlic scape that can be harvested a full month before the garlic bulbs. Use them in place of garlic in any recipe when chopped small or sauté them like a garlicky green bean. These store well and we'll be distributing them for several weeks. Rainbow Carrots These yellow and orange carrots are the only colors of our rainbow mix that did well but they are quite pretty even without many purples! Carrots These young carrots are incredibly sweet. We’ve topped them for ease of storage.
Lettuce Heads Lots of leafy salads this time of year! This is a good opportunity to notice your own lettuce preferences and how you like to use them differently- the crunchy ribs of romaine and summer crisps, the more tender texture of butterheads, the fluff of the green leaf lettuces. Peas Yum! So special to have these crops included in the share even though they are very time consuming to harvest. Eat raw or stir-fry. Beets The beets are incredibly sweet and the greens are delicious as well. Use the greens as you would spinach as they are in the same plant family and have a similar flavor profile. Consider topping the beets and storing the greens in a bag separately for longevity. Lemon Balm This herb smells amazing. If you don’t use it in tea or to flavor your water, you can simply hang it in your kitchen to introduce a lemon scent. If hung in a well ventilated spot, it will dry easily. Zucchini You know a zucchini is super fresh if you see beads of moisture form when you slice it. Shred for raw salads, cook lightly on a grill, make zucchini bread, bake into casseroles, use in soups- the sky’s the limit. Hakurei Turnips This is the last week for these juicy turnips. Both sharp and sweet, they and delicious when eaten raw. Roast them or sautée to sweeten. The greens are fabulous raw in salad or tossed into a soup, stir fry, pot of pasta, or casserole. Kale These super foods are perfect for kale chips but can also be massaged into raw salads, added to soups and sautés, or steamed as their own side dish. Scallions (otherwise called green onions) These mild onion family veggies are great for salads, stir-fries, miso soup, or spring rolls. Garlic Scapes Before putting its full energy into making a bulb, a garlic plant sends up a delicious stalk called the garlic scape that can be harvested a full month before the garlic bulbs. Use them in place of garlic in any recipe when chopped small or sauté them like a garlicky green bean. These store well and we'll be distributing them for several weeks. Basil Plants We thought folks might enjoy having their own basil plants for the season. Leave in these pots right on your porch or windowsill or plant in the garden. Harvest individual leaves for super fresh aroma in your cooking! You can find these notes on our blog and recipes each week at fvcsa.adamah.org Check us out on instagram: #adamahcsa Carrots These young carrots are incredibly sweet! We’ve topped them for ease of storage.
Lettuce Heads You each have two varieties to keep your salads diverse. There may be some dirt on the interior of the heads to wash off. Salad Mix This mix of baby greens includes lettuces, spinach, kale, and mustard greens. It has been triple washed. Beets This week I’ve been topping my lettuce salad with boiled beets, chick peas and walnuts, yum! The beet greens are delicious as well. Try sautéing them to eat simply with rice. Use as you would spinach as they are in the same plant family and have a similar flavor profile. Consider topping the beets and storing the greens in a bag separately for longevity. Dill Such a gorgeous and aromatic herb for salad dressings, soups, and eggs. Consider drying by simply hanging upside down in a well ventilated area if you don’t think you’ll use it all fresh this week. Zucchini The very first of the season! These small young zucchinis are incredibly tender. Shred for raw salads or cook lightly on a grill or in a skillet. Hakurei Turnips These juicy turnips are different from a typical European style storage turnip. Both sharp and sweet, they are juicy and delicious when eaten raw. Slice right before eating as they sometimes get a bitter flavor if sliced too far in advance. Roast or sautée to sweeten. The greens should not be overlooked as they are fabulous raw in salad or tossed into a soup, stir fry, pot of pasta, or casserole. Sungold Cherry Tomato Plants B week members who won’t have received a plant last week should help themselves to one this week. We’ll be harvesting plenty of these orange cherry tomatoes for your shares this summer, but we thought the gardeners among you (as well as the new or aspiring gardeners!) might enjoy growing one of your own. Use plenty of compost when preparing the space, fully cover the block of soil from the pot with garden soil when you plant, and keep well watered after planting. Make sure your plant gets plenty of sun, has some support to grow as large as it will want to grow, and is kept clear of weeds. |
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