Many people think of the end of August as getting towards the end of Summer, because it's almost time for kids to go back to School, and the weather does cool off a bit.....but really Summer goes until late September and the Fall equinox...and nowhere is that more true than in Northwest gardening. Many of our Summer crops are just hitting their stride, with melons in the share for the first time this week, and eggplant and peppers starting to really produce. Unfortunately our basil seems to have bit the dust for the second year in a row, but hopefully the tomatoes will make it through this cool spell and produce for many more weeks...they are loaded with green fruit right now. And there are many more beds of sweet corn we haven't even begun to pick yet.
In years past many Farm share members have told us they sometimes got overwhelmed with too much produce...one reason we decided to offer the smaller share size was to try to offer an amount that was more manageable for people who don't have as much time to cook this time of year. I've now heard from several people that they would be happy to have more produce in their shares, though....so I have made this week's share a bit bigger. I'm pretty sure there's no size (or maybe even two sizes) that works perfectly for everyone...that said, I'd also love to hear your feedback about share size. Email me! As mentioned in the email, with Labor Day next Monday, I am thinking we will switch the pickup days to TUESDAY and Thursday. Don't forget!
In this week's share:
Savoy Cabbage- We grew some really nice "savoy" (crinkly leaved) green cabbages for late Summer, and they will be making an appearance in your share this week. Depending on the weather and how you're feeling, you could serve it up cold in a coleslaw, or warm in soup, dumplings, or stir fry. Use a Gypsy pepper from last week's share in this recipe if you still have one:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/38021/thornehedge-peach-slaw/?internalSource=hn_carousel%2001_Thornehedge%20Peach%20Slaw&referringId=16326&referringContentType=recipe%20hub&referringPosition=carousel%2001
Beets- Beets haven't been in the share for a while....try making some nice cold Borscht for lunch on a warm day: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/borscht-357129
Cherry Tomatoes- The cherry tomatoes are really going full steam now, and the plants are covered in ripe fruit. I am just crossing my fingers that the plants are not negatively affected by any wet weather.....tomatoes are susceptible to late blight when the weather turns cool and damp, especially when they are putting a ton of energy into fruiting. If we can avoid blight they should continue to produce into October, but last year it took them down hard!
Galia Melon- These delicious Israeli melons are similar to a honeydew, but way better than anything called honeydew in the grocery store! They are sweet and flavorful, with a nice juicy but firm green flesh. One of my favorite treats of late Summer! We also grew a cantaloupe variety which isn't ready yet, but hopefully will be in the coming weeks.
Eggplant- Our eggplants didn't get started quite as early as last year, but man they are productive right now. They are one of my favorite vegetables. I like to cut them into pieces, sprinkle on some salt and press out some of the water it draws out with a clean cloth, and fry them in some olive oil with garlic. Here are some other recipes to try out! http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chickpea-and-eggplant-salad
http://www.marthastewart.com/274258/eggplant-recipes
Sweet Corn- The corn keeps on coming....we are picking out of new rows now, with maybe a new variety but I'm pretty sure it's still a bicolor. I also planted some white corn for later, and we planted some dry corn for Vincent that he brought back from a Slow Food conference in Italy....he's hoping to grind it into cornmeal for polenta if we can grow enough.
Lettuce- This is the toughest time of year to have a steady supply of lettuce, but I'm hoping we have enough to put a nice head in all of the shares this week! Make a salad or two...
In the Large Shares:
Lemon Cucumbers- We have some really nice lemon cukes on now. These round, yellow cucumbers are great for eating right out of your hand, like an apple....the thin skin doesn't need to be peeled. They can also be used in any recipe that you would use other cucumbers for.
Ailsa Crag onions- We have gotten almost all of our onions out of the field now, before this week's expected rain. The garlic has been out of the field for many weeks...so the leeks are the lone allium family plant still out in the ground now. Enjoy these sweet juicy yellow onions!
Red Potatoes- We are continuing to work on digging all of our potatoes, but only fingerlings are left to bring in. Our red potatoes turned out really nice, and we have many bins full of them to wash and clear out before winter!
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/76954/roasted-new-red-potatoes/
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