Farm News

Not to be redundant, but it sure is hot! And dry. We are keeping up with the watering demands of the crops in most cases, except for corn. It’s so tall now we can’t water with our short sprinklers, so today I ordered some long risers so we can water over the top of the six foot plants. We have some nice corn coming for later in the month. Right now is a critical time because if the plants are water stressed, they abort the young kernels, and even if you water later on, the kernels will never develop. So do a rain dance, or better yet pray for a nice big watering gun on an automatic hose reel. I hope to be able to buy one next year but we have already purchased the budgeted amount of new equipment for this year, so we will just have to wait.

I’ve been getting more than a few questions on how to store your share. So I think I will switch gears and give you some information. This works for me because I usually get writers block at this time of year.

Basil: this is peak time for basil. We will have it until early September, then that’s it for the year. Make your pesto now! It freezes really well. If you freeze it in small batches (like an ice cube tray) you will always have some summer flavor for your off season cooking. Fresh basil stores very poorly—best to just get the blender out and start processing. If you have to store it you can try putting the bunch in a glass of water in the fridge. Just treat it like a bouquet of flowers and loosely cover with a plastic bag.

Corn: get the water boiling, shuck, boil for just 3 or 4 minutes, eat. Or try soaking the ears in a bucket of water and grilling the ears, husk on. Corn stores only a day or so in the fridge, and then the quality declines. What you can’t eat right away, blanch (boil for a minute, then quench in cold water), cut the kernels off, and freeze for a winter treat.

Tomatoes: field production is peaking and we will be sending a boatload to you in the next few weeks. Never store them in the fridge. Best place is cool, dry, and dark, or at least out of direct sunlight. Try to use red ripe ones first, those that are a little less ripe will hold a few days.

Carrots and beets: we will be topping them for the remainder of the season. They store well in the crisper drawer for a week or so.

Kale and chard: store in a grocery store plastic bag in your fridge, make sure they are wet. Will store well like this for up to 5 days.

Peppers: store in the crisper drawer of your fridge, uncovered, for up to one week.

Salad greens, arugula: store in vented bag, for up to one week. I like to wash a salad spinner full and just store them that way for a few days so salad fixings are always handy.

Featured this week:

This weeks box is great mix of “All American” veg, many of your summertime favorites, not too much unrecognizable produce.

Mixed greens: that little bag contains arugula, tatsoi, mizuna, and red kale. Mix these in with your torn summercrisp lettuce leaves to make a great mesclun salad mix.

‘Ailsa Craig’ Onions: big sweet onions, one of my favorite summer treats. Great for sandwiches, burgers, and general cooking. Try cutting into thick slices, brushing with olive oil, and grilling. Ailsa’s do not store well. You can hold them a few days on the kitchen counter, out of sunlight, or for a week or so in the fridge.

Beets: try shredding beets on your salad. Great taste and a monster dose of antioxidants, too.

Hot Peppers: we had a planting mix-up this year and don’t have many hot peppers but we have tried to get one to each share. Use to heat up the fresh salsa recipe below.

Also in the box: summer crisp lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, green beans, corn, pesto bunch of basil, cilantro, green peppers.

Pick your own: lots of pick your own crops available to all CSA shareholders—cherry tomatoes, green beans, herbs (get your pesto basil now!!!!), and cut flowers. Pick your own hours are Tuesday and Friday from 2:30 to 6:30 PM and Saturday 8AM to noon. Go to the front of the white barn and follow the “PYO” instructions on the white board. All crops are near the flowers, which are pretty easy to spot these days.

Recipes:

Salsa Fresca, by Shad Bridges

1 large tomato, diced

1 onion, diced

1-2 hot peppers, de-seeded and minced

1 lime, juiced

1 small bunch cilantro, chopped fine

1-2 tsp. Sea salt

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

(Farmers note: this stuff is so much better than the jarred salsa’s in the supermarket, it’s very easy to make and really delicious).

Gazpacho, from “Recipes from America’s Small Farms”

6-7 large vine ripened tomatoes 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 medium cucumbers, peeled and chopped 1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

1 medium onion, chopped salt and ground black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh bail, cilantro, or parsley

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or to taste 1 bell pepper, chopped

Core the tomatoes and dip into boiling water for about 10 seconds to loosen the skin. Place the tomatoes in ice water to cool, then slip off their skins. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the juice and seeds into a strainer over a bowl. Reserve the juice and discard the seeds. Puree half of the tomatoes in a food processor or blender. Coarsely chop the remaining tomatoes. Combine the pureed and chopped tomatoes in a bowl and add the reserved juice Stir in the cucumbers, red onion, bell pepper, oil, vinegar, garlic, and jalapeno peppers. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle the fresh herb over the bowls for garnish, if desired.