Things are humming along on the farm. Crops seem to be surviving and thriving in this heat wave we're having, but it is keeping us running to get all the irrigation done! I love hot weather, unlike many Whidbey Island residents, but that said, when we do get hot weather it often makes me grateful for our cool climate. I enjoy the wonderful months of warm weather, and I definitely am unhappy when it is 55 degrees in July...but I'm also glad that it's not hot and dry six months out of the year. It would just be tiring. That said, here is our first downright summery farm share:
Green beans- These are I think the best batch of green beans I've ever grown! So tender and delicious. They are great for a raw bean salad, but I've heard raw green beans upset some peoples' stomachs, so if you are going to cook them only cook them briefly! I will be enjoying them raw myself, both while I am picking them and for dinner tonight.
Here is a recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Goddess-Green-Beans-231809
(I would cook them for half the time they say, and if you're feeling lazy you could just use Annie's Green goddess dressing from the store...it's pretty great)
Basil- Delicious basil! The plants are loving this weather; they are just beginning to leaf out, so the amount of basil is a bit light, but perfect for garnishing a pizza or pasta or putting in a sandwich. We'll try to give out more and bigger shares of basil in August.
Summer squash- Nice mix of summer squash today. More than last week, as promised. The plants are really starting to crank out the squash...we've harvested over one hundred pounds since Saturday morning! A mix of green, yellow, and green tiger (striped) zucchini, eight ball and cue ball squash (the round ones), crookneck and lebanese (the light green ones).
Carrots- No introduction needed, after a week's break the carrots are back in the share this week.
Lettuce- In the share this week is Bergam's Green, a green head lettuce that is one of my favorite varieties. It has such pretty frilly leaves with a beautiful lime green color, and it holds up super well both in the field and in the fridge. Big enough for several salads too.
Onions- These are the same walla walla sweets we were giving out before, but they've begun to dry down and so now are topless! Use for any recipe that calls for yellow or white onion, but they add a bit of sweetness.
Kale- We hadn't done kale since early June and figured we'd better squeeze it in this week before all the summer produce comes on and there won't be room for it. This is lacinato, tuscan, or dinosaur kale...three names for the same kale. This variety seems particularly good for making kale chips or massaged kale salad, both very fashionable ways to prepare kale! Here are some links for how to do it if you're unfamiliar:
kale chips: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/
massaged kale salad: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/massaged_kale_salad.html
Have fun cooking and eating your food this week! Happy summer....
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