In the Share - Week 12

TOMATOES (F/P) See below for some photo i.d. on a few of our favorite heirloom varities. Full shares also get a choice of romas or cherry tomatoes.

COLORFUL CARROTS (F/P)

CANTALOUPE (F) We are just a few short of filling the full shares at the BadSeed tomorrow. If we don't get you one tomorrow, you'll get one soon. Many more are ripening on the vine.

MIX-N-MATCH: CUCUMBERS AND SQUASH (F/P) Take your pick of whatever combination.

EGGPLANT (F)

SALSA PACK (F/P) For those new to the salsa packs, just chop the whole bag of goodies and add a tomato and a little vinegar. For a real treat roast your salsa like Tom did last season.

GARLIC (F) Fresh and juicy but fully cured now.

GREEN BEANS (F) Some will get the first pickings from the Rattlesnake pole beans with the purple striping.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Parsley, Summer savory.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms delivery

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and salsa. Potatoes and onions return. Cantaloupe and maybe the first watermelons.

The summer harvest is in full swing. The farm crew now harvests all day Tuesday and Friday in preparation for the CSA-assisted harvests on Wednesday and Saturday. When not juggling the fruits of our labor, we squeeze in time to tend to the fall crops. Carrots, beets, turnips, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower have been planted so far.

And when the day is done, we admire the fruits of our labor and then we eat them. Here's some of our favorites.

Brandywine - luscious, the belle of the heirloom court.

Goldie - a variety going back as far as 150 years. An oldie but a goodie.



Nyagous - small but packs a punch of smokey flavor

Aunt Ruby's German Green - ripe when bright green and oh, so good.

Cherokee Purple - full-flavored like the finest steak.

What to Do With Your Share---Week 12

Here at the halfway point of the season it is all summer. The perfect time, as they say, for gazpacho. This cold soup of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion and bread is hearty, raw, vegan and delicious.

There are many, many recipes for this traditional dish from Adalusia, Spain. Our most recent try was from Cook's Illustrated's July 2010 edition. A thank you goes out to my brother Bill for the gift of the subscription, and to Rebecca for finding the article.

The CI recipe is a little complicated, but produces a creamy, fine restaurant quality soup. The article focuses on the need to add salt to grocery store tomatoes to release any flavor they may have. You will not have that problem.

Gazpacho Theory
Gazpacho was originally a mish mash of leftovers that Spanish field hands ate. After Columbus landed in the Americas, and tomatoes made their way to Europe, they became it's main ingredient.

On the surface, gazpacho is just a big bowl of salsa, containing most all of the same ingredients (except bread and olive oil). So how do you make something that is different than salsa? The way I see it, the difference is in the "broth."

Gazpacho is at it's base a savory cold broth with some chopped vegetables. You can make the broth several ways. One is to use tomato or vegetable juice and olive oil. This is a simple and favorite way for me, as tomato juice is readily available during canning season.

A finer way to do it is to puree some of the vegetables along with bread and olive oil to make an incredibly creamy soup. The recipe below is a simplified version of the CI recipe.


A big advantage of gazpacho is that you don't have to turn on your stove or oven. This not only keeps things cool, but simplifies your efforts. To make things even simpler, you only need a knife, a food processor and one big bowl to complete this recipe.

Creamy Gazpacho
The porportion of vegetables in this dish is not all that important. Simply use a good quantity of the vegetables that you like. This recipe made a somewhat thick soup, with the addition of the summer squash. More tomatoes will thin it out.



3 to 4 medium tomatoes
1 cucumber, seeds removed
1 summer squash, seeds removed (optional)
1 onion
1 green or purple pepper , seeds removed
1 hot pepper, seeds removed
2 cloves of garlic
1 large slice of bakery bread, cut into 1 inch squares
1-1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley, dill, chives or basil
Ground black pepper to taste

To make the broth:
Take half of the vegetables, chop in quarters and add to your main serving bowl with 1 tsp salt and the bread. Mix until the bread softens. If you have 15 minutes or so, let them sit so that the flavor will develop. Add to the food processor. While running the food processor, slowly add the 1/2 cup olive oil. Process for 1 to 2 minutes, or until mixture is creamy.

To make the garnish:
Take the other half of the vegetables and cut into a dice. Add 1/2 tsp salt and mix.



To make the soup:
Combine broth, garnish, vinegar and herb in your serving bowl. Season with plenty of cracked black pepper and let sit in the fridge for at least a half hour for flavors to develop.

Bulk List---Week 12

We have stopped picking the pickling cucumbers, even though there are some left on the vine. A limited amount are still for sale. LAST CHANCE. If you want to see what it takes to pick pickling cucumbers, you can come out and pick your own for free between now and Sunday.

Bulk List

Salsa Packs: $2.50/pack
Jalapenos: $2.50/pint
Pepperoncinis: $4.00/quart
Basil bunch (large pesto size): $4/bunch
Summer squash/cucumbers-lg $1.25 ea
Summer sq/cucumbers-med $0.75 ea
Summer sq-small $3.25/qt

Pickling Packs:
Pickling packs are available in a limited quantity this week. We have lots of cucumbers perfect for spears and chips. When placing your order, be sure to specify what types of aromatics you want.

Choices are:
cornichon (tarragon, thyme, garlic, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
dill (dill flowers, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
garlic (garlic, hot peppers, grape leaves)

Pickle pack (medium cukes): $13/pack
Pickle pack (large cukes): $11/pack

What to Do With Your Share---Week 11

We are bursting with cucumbers and squash right now, the truest sign of summer. We try growing a variety of squash shapes, sizes and colors. Right now the flying saucers and round ones are in peak harvest.

These squash are the best for grilling. Just cut a big "patty", marinate it in your favoarite grilling marinade, and grill. They are easiest vegetable out there to grill.



Just a note that we still have pickle packs available. They are a chore to pick, but they ain't done fruiting yet. They will soon though, so place an order if you want some and we will fill it as possible.

Bulk List---Week 11

Pickling Items:
We have some hot peppers available this week in a limited quantity.

Jalapenos: $2.50/pint
Pepperoncinis: $4.00/quart

Pickling Packs:
Pickling packs are available in a limited quantity this week. We have lots of cucumbers perfect for spears and chips.

When placing your order, be sure to specify what types of aromatics you want. Choices are:
cornichon (tarragon, thyme, garlic, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
dill (dill flowers, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
garlic (garlic, hot peppers, grape leaves)

Pickle pack (medium cukes): $13/pack
Pickle pack (large cukes): $11/pack

Other Items:
Basil bunch (large pesto size): $4/bunch
Summer squash/cucumbers-lg $1.25 ea
Summer sq/cucumbers-med $0.75 ea
Summer sq-small $3.25/qt

In the Share - Week 11

TOMATOES (F/P) We send in ripe ones and some that will be ripe within a week. Store on your counter and eat when it's brightly colored and soft.

POTATOES (F/P) I'd really like to tell you what variety we are digging tomorrow, but a thunderstorm kept us from sampling the crop tonight. We'll just keep it a suprise until pickup.

WALLA WALLA ONIONS (F/P) More sweet ones, now from the curing loft upstairs in the barn. Thanks to all those hard-working CSA members we've got over half of the onion crop harvested.

SUMMER SQUASH (F) Every summer there comes a time when we have more squash than we can shake a stick at. That time is now. There will be extra at the end of the line this week and more will be donated to area food pantries.

CUCUMBERS (F) Ditto on the cucumbers. It's time for a big bowl of greek salad!

GREEN BEANS (F/P) Full shares get a choice with cherry tomatoes.

EGGPLANT AND PEPPERS (P) One of each from the developing patch. The purple peppers are 'green', or unripe. We are picking them while we wait for the rest of the crop to ripen.

SALSA PACK (F) The tomatillos & jalapenos are doing great. More salsa packs for the partials next week.

CABBAGE OR BEETS (F) The last of the cabbage or beets until fall (partials, you get 'em next).

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Parsley or Summer Savory

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares

NEXT WEEK: more tomatoes, cukes, squash, salsa and beans. Carrots and garlic return. maybe melons either next week or the week after.

THANKSGIVING IN JULY

The tomatoes are ripening, the cooler is bursting with summer squash and cucumbers, and we can barely walk in the fields without tripping over melon and butternut vines, yet there's alot of signs of the coming fall around here.

We start the fall crops at the picnic tables where we seed the flats.

They sprout and grow in the shade tents. The greenhouse is far too hot.

Just before planting we spread compost and harrow it in.

Then its on to our new transplanter.

And just like that you've got 15oo plants in the ground in the span of an afternoon. Thanks to the fabulous farm crew who got the job done despite a nasty spider bite, super steamy weather, nausea, and a delayed honeymoon.

Bulk List---Week 10

Pickling packs are available in a limited quantity this week. We have one small pack available and one to two large packs. If we cannot fill your order this week you will be put on a wait list for next week.

When placing your order, be sure to specify what types of aromatics you want. Choices are:
cornichon (tarragon, thyme, garlic, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
dill (dill flowers, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
garlic (garlic, hot peppers, grape leaves)

Pickle pack (small cukes): $17/pack
Pickle pack (medium cukes): $13/pack
Pickle pack (large cukes): $11/pack

Other Items:
Basil bunch (large pesto size): $4/bunch

What to Do WIth Your Share---Week 10

All the signs of summer are in the share this week. One has been the return of the salsa pack to the share list (at least as a choice). Check out last year's blog for the definitive recipe for fresh salsa and roasted salsa. As the tomatillos start coming in we plan to have more available.

Other recipes that are filled with recent share items includes:
Green Bean, Potato and Onion Hash
Asian Green Beans
Garlicky Bread and Tomato Gratin
Carrot Ginger Salad

While not a share item, we farmers have been accumulating a small batch of green tomatoes this week. As we tie up the tomatoes, weed, hoe, and harvest, the occasional fruit falls to the ground. These greenies won't ripen but are still very edible. So tonight I fried some up to pair with a batch of fresh salsa. The ones we didn't use will be in the swap box.

Fried Green Tomatoes (or Summer Squash) with Salsa
Though we didn't try it, summer squash and zucchini should substitute nicely for green tomatoes.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 medium tomatoes
1 egg
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp summer savory
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper



Method:
Slice green tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick. Dip in egg and then dredge in corn meal/flour mix. Deep fry in skillet until brown a few minutes on each side in oil. Drain on paper towels. Top with fresh or roasted salsa.

In the Share - Week 10

Tendersweet cabbage

SUMMER SQUASH (F/P) A few pattypan and round zucchini are in the mix this week. The big ones are great stuffed or sliced and grilled.

CUCUMBERS (F/P) Still lots of cucumbers. Order those pickle packs now, they won't be around too much longer.

TOMATOES (F/P) Just a couple this week, but there will be more.

COLORFUL CARROTS (F/P) They are purple, yellow and, of course, good ole orange.

GARLIC (F) 2 more heads of the Musik, a hardneck variety

CABBAGE OR KALE (F/P) That's the Tendersweet cabbage above, a new find of ours.

EGGPLANT AND PEPPER (F) Just barely enough for the fulls to get one of each. Partial shares are next in line.

GREEN BEANS (F) Should be a good harvest tomorrow, only the second picking.

SALSA PACK OR PESTO BUNCH (F/P) Salsa is lovely, but so is pesto. That's a hard choice.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms shares

NEXT WEEK: More beans, tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. Potatoes and onions.

We have had many foggy mornings lately. All of those air-borne water droplets make for a pretty picture. Here's the view from the newly renovated strawberry patch.

I can no longer enjoy a foggy morning without thinking of the Irish Potato Famine. Last year for fun I read Galway Bay , a historical novel that tells the story of the author's ancestors who struggled to survive starvation and eventually make their way to America. In the years of 845 -1850, most of Ireland's potatoes rotted due to Late blight, Phytophtora infestans, which came to their hillsides with the fog. Other factors included that there was only one variety of potato grown and that the British forcibly shipped all of the other food out for themselves, but I digress. Late blight is still around, however, killing off most of the tomato crop last season in the Northeastern US.

Lucky for us, there are no signs of such tragedy in our fields. But, our humid climate does provide a nuturing environment for many fungal diseases. As organic growers we do not use fungicides, which 'sterilize' the soil - killing the good with the bad. A teaspoon of soil has as much as a billion microorganisms that support the plant's growth in many ways. So, instead of killing all those good guys, we rely on crop rotation, mulching, compost and crop diversity. We also tolerate a manageable level of disease in the fields. So if you find a small spot on your tomatoes this week, we hope you take it as a sign that we are doing something right.

Bulk List---Week 9

Pickling packs are now available in limited quantities. All pickle packs include 4 quarts of cucumbers and your choice of aromatics,

When placing your order, be sure to specify what types of aromatics you want. Choices are:
cornichon (tarragon, thyme, garlic, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
dill (dill flowers, onion, hot peppers, grape leaves)
garlic (garlic, hot peppers, grape leaves)

Pickle pack (small cukes): $17/pack
Pickle pack (medium cukes): $13/pack
Pickle pack (large cukes): $11/pack

In the Share - Week 9

cucumber harvest

TOMATOES (F/P) One for each of you or a partial pint of cherry tomatoes

NEW POTATOES (F/P) Not cured, so keep these in the fridge.

CHOICE: BROCCOLI, KOHLRABI OR SALSA PACK (F) Grill the kohlrabi with your summer squash for a real treat. Salsa packs make their debut: chop up contents, add a little vinegar and tomato and you've got America's favorite condiment.

SUMMER LETTUCE (F/P) Small crispheads that can stand the summer heat

WALLA WALLA ONIONS (F/P) They're the sweet ones.

CABBAGE (F) Time for some coleslaw.

CUCUMBERS (F/P) We're proud of the crop this week - long and lean.

SUMMER SQUASH (F/P) Can't believe it took us 8 years of farming to make the Grilled Pasta Primavera in Tom's blog. Thanks, Farmer Tom for our new favorite.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Parsley, Summer Savory or a dried herb

ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. Carrots and garlic.

What a beautiful week it has been on the farm. The weather has been lovely for the work, not too hot, low humidity. 1.3 inches of rain fell over the last 2 days, a nice slow soaking rain that was just what was needed. We finally got a break from irrigating which had been continuous for the past 2 weeks.

Summer is really here, you can almost watch the crops grow. The cucumbers are coming on strong and the beans are growing their first fruits. The tomatoes are a bit slow to ripen which is in keeping with the 1 week setback that has occured amongst those crops that were in the field during the cold, wet weeks in early May. We should have more tomatoes by next week with the peak of the harvest usually occuring at the end of July into early August.

The strawberry patch received it's annual post-harvest haircut thanks to farm apprentice, Emily Lecuyer.

Mowing down the patch appears extreme but is recommended by the horticultural experts for reducing disease and pests. The second stage of what they call "renovation" includes tilling up the paths to make room for harvest and feeding the plants with organic fertilizer. With a little rain and sunshine the patch will grow back better than ever by fall.

Finally, an administrative reminder. July is here and the end of the month deadline for CSA payments is approaching. Contact me (farmer rebecca) if you need help remembering how much you owe. Thank you all for your suppport.

What to Do With Your Share---Week 9

Take Advantage
Once again this week we recommend that those of you who pickle, or want to start, take advantage of the wonderful pickling cucumbers we have for sale. You can't get these beauties just anywhere, or just anytime. They are peaking right now, and today (Tuesday) we picked over 70 lbs. The harvest won't last forever, so get your salt, vinegar, spices and canner ready.

While pickles packs of the tiny cornichon size cukes are limited, plenty of medium and large cucumbers are available this week.



Grilled Pasta Primavera
Our meals are often predicated on Rebecca's yearnings. This last week we searched for the perfect pasta primavera to satiate her. Her notion of crispy but not soggy summer squash as a main ingredient led us to grilling the vegetables as a first step.

On July 4th we did just that at a friend's house and the dish was delicious. A rainy day on Monday had us trying out our Chambers stove broiler as a grill substitute. It worked great.

You can grill whatever vegetables you want for this dish. We even used kohlrabi. After chopping up the grilled veggies you can either saute them in a pan with some tomatoes and garlic, or simply add them to your pasta

Ingredients:
Approximately 1 cookie sheet full of sliced vegetables, such as summer squash, onions, peppers (sweet and hot), garlic, kohlrabi, eggplant...
1 lb pasta of choice, cooked
Parmesan cheese and basil for garnish

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp herb mixture of choice such as oregano, marjoram, thyme, summer savory, herbs de Provence. We used the Middle Eastern herb mix called Zahatar.



Method:
- Cut the vegetables in a suitable size and shape for grilling. Mix with the marinade for at least 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to directions on package
- Grill the vegetables
- Let vegetables cool to touch and then chop them
- Toss all ingredients together
- Top with grated cheese and chopped basil