What’s in the Box:
Summer squash, zucchini, sugar snap peas, green top baby red torpedo onions, english cucumber, kale, basil, and spicy micro salad mix.
What’s going on at the farm:
The season seems to always fly ahead faster then the crew can run this time of year as we keep plugging away all day every day but that is no exception to our earlier months either. Summer solstice is a time of transition for us as we plan for fall and that involves a lot of work similar to spring but we have to do it all in between the harvesting, cleaning, packing, markets, deliveries, paperwork, weeding, and mowing! This week I will be attempting clean up work and to plow down some finished crops such as the peas which are finishing up, and removing the beet beds and our strawberry field in hopes of replanting a new berry crop yet this fall using a new riskier method which could pay off in less weeding if I can execute it properly, commonly referred to as the California method (fall planting). We planted over the long holiday weekend including spaghetti squash, three types of butternut squash, and acorn squash. We also pruned the tomatoes and pulled weeds in both greenhouses this week. Our tomatoes are beginning to ripen, both cherry and slicing tomatoes alike, soaring up over 6 -7 feet in height and we should have enough for shares within another week or two when they speed up a bit, but they are coming very soon! Eggplant and peppers are also looking fantastic and we weeded all our garlic for a second time this year. Our carrots are not quite ready for harvest but we will likely start digging them late this week or early next week. Violent storms are expected tomorrow some are preparing as much as possible today for share packing tomorrow. I’m crossing my fingers its not as bad as the weather people are hyping it up to be. Here is a quick rundown of our crops this week.
Sugar snap peas: These beauties are crisp and sweet and can be eaten pod and all. No cooking necessary but they can be used in stir fries and things if you desire. This is likely the last week for these crunchy summer favorites so enjoy them while they are here!
Kale: is coming to you again this week and we have three types this year but we will try to mix it up and switch the types from last week but some folks may receive the same type they had last week as we can’t track every box on this. I am in love with this new frilly variety which has a great rich flavor and extra frilly leaves with little to no stem. I really like the curly kale too though because they make great kale chips, juice, and can be sautéed or eaten raw.
Summer squash and zucchini: You may receive zucchini, summer squash, and patty pan squash in this category. Some suggestions for the week include grilling your summer squash. I cut them in spears or thick rings on the patty pans and brush them with olive oil and garlic powder or celery salt or barbecue seasoning. A little soy sauce tastes pretty good on them grilled too.
Cucumbers: They make a great cucumber salad and there are two possible types of cucumbers in your share now, the shorter european ones and the thicker skinned european slicers which will keep better and are a denser and crisper but not quite as sweet with slightly waxier skin.
Red torpedo onions: Green top red onions is a descriptive name I use in the crop listing but these red onions are special in that they are a mediterranian variety which is a sweet summer onion and also referred to as a torpedo onion. These baby torpedoes can be used with the greens and they really do go good with everything.
Micro salad mix: is our featured micro green this week and it will have a spicy blend of arugula, mustard, kale, cabbage, and broccoli. These extra small and fancy micros’ might be little but they are packed with nutrients (up to 40 percent more then full size greens) and flavor.
Basil: Nothing smells or tastes more like summer then fresh basil! Our greenhouse basil is looking better every week right now and so the flow of fresh basil continues in shares again this week! It goes great with everything in your box, from mincing it for salads and dressings to stir fries with peas and zucchini! If you still have scapes left try pureeing a few scapes with your basil and a little oil to make a killer pesto for home made pizza or pasta.
Until next week, enjoy the veggies!
