I want to take a minute to tell you how great our crew is this year.
It has been the grossest weather I have experienced as a farmer. It has not been fun to be outside most days. So muggy, so hot . . . yuck. But our crew kept their spirits high throughout, even when picking tomatoes in a 100 degree greenhouse, or when they were picking their millionth bean or tomato, or pulling weeds for hours on end, or putting up with their crazy bosses’.
Your produce would not get to the stand without them, so if you get a chance, say thanks. There are several crew members who just work mornings, 7-12 in the field, picking, planting and cultivating vegetables, who you don’t get to meet but who are just as integral to our farm – if you want me to pass any messages along, let me know!
We are still knee deep in tomato season, not quiet so many in your share this week, but still plenty to enjoy! I made some great frozen sauce (well, just cooked tomatoes, I add the garlic and herbs when I thaw it out in winter). It was Sunday, my parents came to visit so they took Harvey to the zoo, and I got to do some great preserving. I do more freezing than canning because of my limited time and excellent freezer space.
We will have seconds tomatoes for sale in the stand this week, ask the stand attendant. We sell them for $1.50/lb, minimum 5lb purchase.
My mom made Panzanella for dinner Sunday. If you haven’t ever made it or tried it, it’s simple and good! I think this is the recipe she used. We used almost 3lbs of tomatoes and kalamata olives instead of capers. It was good today at lunch too. You could also just make this as a salad and have toasted bread with it, it would also be delicious.
Also, Tuesday and Delivery Shares, I know the corn wasn’t ready for you last week – but it is this week, get ready for what most likely will be the last of our corn for the season. Next year we will probably try to plant one more round.
What’s in the share:
Tomatoes
Corn (Probably just Tuesday, maybe a few ears on Thursday)
Cucumbers (probably the last big haul of the season, we will have smaller amounts for the next few weeks)
Choice Mix: Fennel, Beets, Zucchini, Squash, Carrots, Green/Purple Peppers, Red Onions with the option to sub in lettuce, lettuce mix and basil (definitely the last basil of the season, there is serious downy mildew out there, a sad annual occurrence on organic farms. Not to worry, cilantro is almost back (along with hot peppers)!
Cherry Tomatoes/Sweet Peppers
Garlic – It was our intention to have massive amounts of garlic for the CSA this year. A delivery of terribly weedy straw in later October (and nothing to substitute) left our garlic un-mulched. In retrospect I think we should have mulched and dealt with the consequences. Frost heaves and the deep freezes of March killed about 1/3 of our seed – which has survived without mulch all other years, but the slight slope (probably only 1degree) allowed some soil to wash away from the garlic cloves, exposing them to cold temperatures.
That explanation is more for those in the know about garlic – if you aren’t ready to dive into garlic growing 301, just know that we don’t have as much garlic as we want, so we have been hoarding it to make sure we get the right amount for seed next year before distributing it (garlic is grown from garlic cloves, yes you can plant the garlic we give you – its a great choice if you like a bargain, you are getting it for about $8 a pound but if you tried to buy it as seed it would cost $18-$20/lb).
Recipes:
Baked Haddock with Tomatoes and Fennel
Roasted Tomato with Fennel and White Beans
Beet, Cucumber and Feta Salad With Basil
Enjoy!!
Upswing Farm 