Hello, farm share members!
We are quickly approaching my favorite time of year. Beginning in late August, and lasting until around mid November, is an excellent time to be on the farm. Irrigation duties have become much much easier, as we have fewer crops in the ground, we've cut off water to many things like potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and winter squash that we are hoping to let dry out a bit, and the shorter days mean it doesn't dry out quite as fast. Weeds and crops are growing much slower, so weed pressure is greatly reduced. There are fun projects to do, like big harvests of storage crops such as potatoes and winter squash, that don't have quite the time crunch and intensity of other harvests. There is tons of great food to eat, and none of the financial stress of the Spring. Plus, I just love the weather! The shorter days feel like a relief after the craziness of Summer, and the cool mornings and evenings are really nice. I am looking forward to it...and hoping we'll have a nice Fall.
We are going to try to do a little push to sign up a few more members for the last ten weeks of the farm share (September 10th until November 12th), so if you know of anyone who may be interested, please put them in touch with us! As the tourist season winds down we are anticipating a little less traffic at the stand, the market, and the restaurants, so we'd love to have a few more sign ups...it seems like a good time of year, too, when people are done with Summer vacations and settling back into a routine. We'll have info up at the farm stand.
If you have a pile of blue bags lying around, remember to bring them back! We still have plenty, it seems like for the most part everyone's been doing a great job this year of returning them, just thought I'd send out a reminder.
As a final note, I am super happy to say that Jack and Whitney are both thinking they'll be back working with me next year! We thought Jack would be leaving to pursue a Masters degree (in teaching) but he has decided to stick around and try to find a way to get some credits online. I am going to try to hand off more responsibility to them in the future to reduce my own work load, and one way I hope that can happen is by having Whitney help me with writing the blog and emails sometimes. So you may be seeing some blog posts by her in the coming weeks.
Thanks for supporting our farm! Great share this week:
Carrots- Back in the share this week, carrots pair great with dill, their close cousin. See the (video) recipe below for a soup using your spinach, carrots and dill:
http://www.marthastewart.com/1088344/carrot-and-spinach-soup-recipe
Dill- Our first two planting of dill were quickly and utterly overwhelmed with quack grass, and we ended up giving up and tilling them in....in hindsight though, it seems like it worked out okay, as this is really the best time of year to have dill. Something about the flavor is great in late Summer, and it goes great with carrots, cucumbers, corn, squash....and of course also with seafood! The salmon are running, here's a recipe for salmon and dill:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/salmon-and-dill-chowder-109309
Spinach- Great time of year for a nice spinach salad. We have a lot of spinach planted and should have it in the shares several more times throughout the Fall.
Eggplant- OK, I changed up the plan again last week after writing the blog, so I'm sorry if anyone was disappointed by the lack of eggplant. The melons came on so suddenly and they looked so good...I thought it was a great chance to get melons in the share. I hope everyone enjoyed them, in case you were wondering, that was a "Galia" type melon, an Israeli honeydew. Eggplant in the share this week, I promise! Refer to last week's blog below for recipes.
Corn- Sweet corn is back in the share after a week off. This is our first harvest of "Luscious" which is my favorite mid season corn. Put some corn on the grill!
Tomatoes- It is peak tomato season and the fruit is really great. I am crossing my fingers and praying that the rain last week won't have done too much harm...tomato plants and rain are a bad combo this time of year, as moisture spreads late blight, which can reduce a tomato field to a rotten mess in no time. I may try using a beneficial organic spray this week that is supposed to help the plants combat the disease. Anything to keep the tomatoes coming!!
Cauliflower- Usually I don't plan to have cauliflower this time of year, but I am surprised with how great it seems to be growing. Should have some really nice cauliflower for your share this week. This recipe looks really good, but so did a bunch of other cauliflower recipes I saw on epicurious.com
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/parmesan-roasted-cauliflower-51143020
Italian plums- Another surprise addition to the share, we have a big hedge of Italian plum trees at our house and they are loaded with fruit. I haven't had a plum that was truly dead ripe yet, but they are ripening very quickly and I'm hoping they'll be delicious by the time we pick them for the shares. Not sure how many we will have until we pick them, but we should be able to get at least four or five small plums in all the bags.
Have a great week, and thanks as always!
Week.....12?
Hello everyone,
Another week of beautiful weather. Other than some very obnoxious deer who have been getting into our strawberry field, everything has been going great on the farm. We have had several very busy weeks with the farm stand, the farmer's market, and wholesale orders keeping us hopping, but it feels like this week will be a bit slower, which is good as I'm ready for a bit of a break from the constant picking.
The Orchard Kitchen has been open for business for several weeks now, and it sounds like everything is running smoothly. If you haven't seen their new commercial kitchen, it turned out beautifully. They are featuring lots of late Summer produce from the farm, so call Tyla for reservations if you are interested! I can't remember if I've already put up a link to their website, but the info is all at: http://www.orchardkitchen.com/buytickets/
We have another nice share for you this week.
Potatoes- I have been stingy with the potatoes this year. I apologize. Early on I began to suspect that we hadn't planted enough spuds, so I've been trying to hang on to them and let them size up as much as possible. We haven't really been sending them to the market, and we've only put them in the stand when we were digging them for Vincent and had extra. But now, the spuds should be pretty much fully sized, so we can afford to be generous! These ones are still fresh potatoes (not fully cured for storage) but aren't as delicate or perishable as they were in July, and can be used just like the spuds you'd get at the store. I had some delicious home fries for breakfast this morning:
http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/20462/home-fried-potatoes/?mxt=t06rda
This recipe will use some onion and parsley from this week's share....I put summer squash in mine, so if you have any kicking around in the crisper drawer from last week....
Lettuce- We didn't get lettuce into the share last week, as it was still on the small side and the share looked okay without it. This week, lettuce for sure. And we should have lots of lettuce for September, too, which is good news. I always screw up the lettuce plantings one way or another in mid Summer. I am going to try to make a note to self so that next year I do the plantings differently.
Candy onions- I can't remember if we've given out the Candy onions yet....they are similar to walla wallas, a large yellow sweet onion. They keep a bit better and sometimes have a bit more kick. They are an excellent onion, and would be excellent with home fried potatoes. OR as onion rings!
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/crispy-fried-onion-rings
I use beer instead of water.
Apples!- I definitely didn't plan on this, but we have an apple tree in our yard (across the street from the farm) producing tons of delicious apples. I am no apple expert, and I don't know what variety this is. It is an old tree that hasn't been pruned well in a while, so it was not easy to pick, and the fruit is not super uniform in size...but every apple I've eaten has been delicious. We have been picking up the windfalls to make baby food for Nico, apple sauce, or pig food. These ones were all picked from the branches. Enjoy!
Cherry tomatoes- More Sungold tomatoes. They are so tasty right now. Some of the plants are really getting out of control, over 7 feet tall and outgrowing their trellis. This recipe sounds good if you have a sweet tooth! I may have to make it tonight with the leftover sungolds from the market this weekend.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/honey-roasted-cherry-tomatoes-51174600
Eggplants- We only gave you one small eggplant a few weeks ago, so this time around I hope to give all of you at least 2 or 3, enough to make a real meal with. Here is a repost of the link from a few weeks ago for eggplant recipes:
http://www.marthastewart.com/274258/eggplant-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#1004630
Parsley- Parsley is a delicious and versatile herb that goes well with so many vegetables. Unfortunately, most people only think of it as a little sprig of garnish on the side of the plate, but it can be a really essential ingredient once you start using it. We grow an Italian flatleaf parsley that has a nice mild flavor and is easy to chop and use in a variety of dishes. Here is a link to a Saveur article that puts it more eloquently....they recommend using parsley with seafood. Yum.
http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Parsley-Recipes
Kale- The kale plants are still alive and kicking that we planted all the way back in April. The great thing about growing kale is its ability to keep going without having to be replanted frequently, like broccoli does for example. We have Fall kale and collard greens planted now that should be large enough to pick from in just a few weeks.
Cucumbers- The cukes are holding up really well and still going strong this year. Sometimes I've felt like the quality of the cukes really took a dive after the plants had been producing for a month or so, but so far this year they are still growing some beautiful cucumbers. Try throwing some cuke slices in a pitcher of water for something different. That just reminded me of a delicious cucumber cocktail I used to get when we lived in Portland...I couldn't find a good equivalent online, but "cucumber cocktail" does bring up an interesting mix of stuff on Google.
Have a great week!
Another week of beautiful weather. Other than some very obnoxious deer who have been getting into our strawberry field, everything has been going great on the farm. We have had several very busy weeks with the farm stand, the farmer's market, and wholesale orders keeping us hopping, but it feels like this week will be a bit slower, which is good as I'm ready for a bit of a break from the constant picking.
The Orchard Kitchen has been open for business for several weeks now, and it sounds like everything is running smoothly. If you haven't seen their new commercial kitchen, it turned out beautifully. They are featuring lots of late Summer produce from the farm, so call Tyla for reservations if you are interested! I can't remember if I've already put up a link to their website, but the info is all at: http://www.orchardkitchen.com/buytickets/
We have another nice share for you this week.
Potatoes- I have been stingy with the potatoes this year. I apologize. Early on I began to suspect that we hadn't planted enough spuds, so I've been trying to hang on to them and let them size up as much as possible. We haven't really been sending them to the market, and we've only put them in the stand when we were digging them for Vincent and had extra. But now, the spuds should be pretty much fully sized, so we can afford to be generous! These ones are still fresh potatoes (not fully cured for storage) but aren't as delicate or perishable as they were in July, and can be used just like the spuds you'd get at the store. I had some delicious home fries for breakfast this morning:
http://m.allrecipes.com/recipe/20462/home-fried-potatoes/?mxt=t06rda
This recipe will use some onion and parsley from this week's share....I put summer squash in mine, so if you have any kicking around in the crisper drawer from last week....
Lettuce- We didn't get lettuce into the share last week, as it was still on the small side and the share looked okay without it. This week, lettuce for sure. And we should have lots of lettuce for September, too, which is good news. I always screw up the lettuce plantings one way or another in mid Summer. I am going to try to make a note to self so that next year I do the plantings differently.
Candy onions- I can't remember if we've given out the Candy onions yet....they are similar to walla wallas, a large yellow sweet onion. They keep a bit better and sometimes have a bit more kick. They are an excellent onion, and would be excellent with home fried potatoes. OR as onion rings!
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/crispy-fried-onion-rings
I use beer instead of water.
Apples!- I definitely didn't plan on this, but we have an apple tree in our yard (across the street from the farm) producing tons of delicious apples. I am no apple expert, and I don't know what variety this is. It is an old tree that hasn't been pruned well in a while, so it was not easy to pick, and the fruit is not super uniform in size...but every apple I've eaten has been delicious. We have been picking up the windfalls to make baby food for Nico, apple sauce, or pig food. These ones were all picked from the branches. Enjoy!
Cherry tomatoes- More Sungold tomatoes. They are so tasty right now. Some of the plants are really getting out of control, over 7 feet tall and outgrowing their trellis. This recipe sounds good if you have a sweet tooth! I may have to make it tonight with the leftover sungolds from the market this weekend.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/honey-roasted-cherry-tomatoes-51174600
Eggplants- We only gave you one small eggplant a few weeks ago, so this time around I hope to give all of you at least 2 or 3, enough to make a real meal with. Here is a repost of the link from a few weeks ago for eggplant recipes:
http://www.marthastewart.com/274258/eggplant-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#1004630
Parsley- Parsley is a delicious and versatile herb that goes well with so many vegetables. Unfortunately, most people only think of it as a little sprig of garnish on the side of the plate, but it can be a really essential ingredient once you start using it. We grow an Italian flatleaf parsley that has a nice mild flavor and is easy to chop and use in a variety of dishes. Here is a link to a Saveur article that puts it more eloquently....they recommend using parsley with seafood. Yum.
http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Parsley-Recipes
Kale- The kale plants are still alive and kicking that we planted all the way back in April. The great thing about growing kale is its ability to keep going without having to be replanted frequently, like broccoli does for example. We have Fall kale and collard greens planted now that should be large enough to pick from in just a few weeks.
Cucumbers- The cukes are holding up really well and still going strong this year. Sometimes I've felt like the quality of the cukes really took a dive after the plants had been producing for a month or so, but so far this year they are still growing some beautiful cucumbers. Try throwing some cuke slices in a pitcher of water for something different. That just reminded me of a delicious cucumber cocktail I used to get when we lived in Portland...I couldn't find a good equivalent online, but "cucumber cocktail" does bring up an interesting mix of stuff on Google.
Have a great week!
Week 11 Farm Share...
It is officially August. It feels like it, too, with all the Summer crops up and running at full speed. There are so many great things to eat right now it is hard to narrow it down and decide what to put in the share. Here's what I'm leaning towards.
Tomato- We are growing a lot of tomatoes this year. I think somewhere between 200 and 300 plants! Tomatoes take a lot of work all through the Spring and Summer, but they are definitely worth it when they start producing heavily, as they are doing now. We planted a mix of several heirloom varieties and standard red slicer that also has a delicious heirloom like flavor. The heirlooms come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, so some are ripe when they are yellow or purple or orange. If the tomatoes still seem a bit firm and under ripe when you unpack your share, just let them sit at room temperature for a day or so and they should ripen quickly. Don't put tomatoes in the fridge!
Cilantro- The theme of the share this week is salsa! It is finally salsa season. Our earlier plantings of cilantro germinated poorly and were quickly and completely overwhelmed by quack grass, a weed that we have been having to wage war against for the first time this year. But now that we have tomatoes, corn, and peppers, it seems like the cilantro is right on time and it was meant to be.
Here is a recipe for vegetable quesadillas with a fresh salsa...you can modify this recipe and throw in any veggies taking up space in the fridge! I would use the carrots, pole beans, corn and pepper from this week's share, and the tomato, garlic, and cilantro can go into the salsa.
Peppers- The peppers are just starting to ripen and change colors....we mostly have two types, one that changes from green to red that is similar to a bell pepper, and one that changes from pale yellow to coral pink, my personal favorite named "Gypsy". They are delicious before they are fully changed, though. Most green peppers are just red or orange peppers that are picked a bit earlier, so they are slightly less sweet and more tangy. Enjoy these ones now, and we will hopefully have ripe sweet peppers soon! By picking some early, it makes is easier for the plants to ripen the remaining fruits.
Corn- More corn in the share this week! The warm weather has been so great for the corn this Summer, and it seems like we are going to have the best yields we've ever had. Knock on wood. Aside from just the sweet corn, we have a ton of dent corn planted, a different type of corn that we will dry down for use as polenta or cornmeal. Vincent asked us to grow this for use in the Orchard Kitchen in the winter months, when there isn't as much fresh food in the field. The plants are much taller than sweet corn stalks.....right now I think they may be 8 or 9 feet tall!
Pole beans- We grew a pole bean mix from Fedco Seeds that seems really nice. There is a beautiful variety of purple, speckled, yellow, green, and other colored beans. Pole beans have a really great flavor, as the plants are so much bigger than bush beans they are able to photosynthesize a lot more. Use these beans the same way you would use any green beans...they are just a bit more flavorful.
Squash- The summer squash plants continue to produce, although they are starting to slow noticably from their peak a few weeks ago. That is fine with me! The fruit all needs to be picked, three times a week, so it is a lot easier when there isn't quite so much of it!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/zucchini-fritters-with-herbs-and-cheese-106460
Carrots- The carrots have been so great this year. I hope you're not getting tired of them, I kind of assume that people can always use a few carrots, as they are so easy to use in so many different ways. I haven't been eating enough carrots myself, I think I'll take some home this afternoon.
Turnips- It has been a while since we put salad turnips in the share, and we have a lot right now. These turnips are still tasty and great raw. They could actually go great with raw carrots, beans and pepper slices. Don't forget, you can saute and eat the tops! With no other braising greens in the share this week, the time is now! Here is a simple looking recipe:
http://addapinch.com/cooking/spicy-skillet-turnip-greens-recipe/
Garlic- It's been a while, so I thought you might be ready for another head of garlic.
Lettuce- Our Summer lettuce struggles continue. First it was the deer, then a timing of planting mistake on my part, and now we are have issues with wire worms, an annoying pest that has killed some of our new planting. I have to say, though, lettuce has been the only crop we've really struggled with this year, and it isn't so heart breaking to not have lettuce. Our next planting is coming in and may be ready by Thursday, so if possible we'll put a head of lettuce in your share.
Tomato- We are growing a lot of tomatoes this year. I think somewhere between 200 and 300 plants! Tomatoes take a lot of work all through the Spring and Summer, but they are definitely worth it when they start producing heavily, as they are doing now. We planted a mix of several heirloom varieties and standard red slicer that also has a delicious heirloom like flavor. The heirlooms come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, so some are ripe when they are yellow or purple or orange. If the tomatoes still seem a bit firm and under ripe when you unpack your share, just let them sit at room temperature for a day or so and they should ripen quickly. Don't put tomatoes in the fridge!
Cilantro- The theme of the share this week is salsa! It is finally salsa season. Our earlier plantings of cilantro germinated poorly and were quickly and completely overwhelmed by quack grass, a weed that we have been having to wage war against for the first time this year. But now that we have tomatoes, corn, and peppers, it seems like the cilantro is right on time and it was meant to be.
Here is a recipe for vegetable quesadillas with a fresh salsa...you can modify this recipe and throw in any veggies taking up space in the fridge! I would use the carrots, pole beans, corn and pepper from this week's share, and the tomato, garlic, and cilantro can go into the salsa.
Peppers- The peppers are just starting to ripen and change colors....we mostly have two types, one that changes from green to red that is similar to a bell pepper, and one that changes from pale yellow to coral pink, my personal favorite named "Gypsy". They are delicious before they are fully changed, though. Most green peppers are just red or orange peppers that are picked a bit earlier, so they are slightly less sweet and more tangy. Enjoy these ones now, and we will hopefully have ripe sweet peppers soon! By picking some early, it makes is easier for the plants to ripen the remaining fruits.
Corn- More corn in the share this week! The warm weather has been so great for the corn this Summer, and it seems like we are going to have the best yields we've ever had. Knock on wood. Aside from just the sweet corn, we have a ton of dent corn planted, a different type of corn that we will dry down for use as polenta or cornmeal. Vincent asked us to grow this for use in the Orchard Kitchen in the winter months, when there isn't as much fresh food in the field. The plants are much taller than sweet corn stalks.....right now I think they may be 8 or 9 feet tall!
Pole beans- We grew a pole bean mix from Fedco Seeds that seems really nice. There is a beautiful variety of purple, speckled, yellow, green, and other colored beans. Pole beans have a really great flavor, as the plants are so much bigger than bush beans they are able to photosynthesize a lot more. Use these beans the same way you would use any green beans...they are just a bit more flavorful.
Squash- The summer squash plants continue to produce, although they are starting to slow noticably from their peak a few weeks ago. That is fine with me! The fruit all needs to be picked, three times a week, so it is a lot easier when there isn't quite so much of it!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/zucchini-fritters-with-herbs-and-cheese-106460
Carrots- The carrots have been so great this year. I hope you're not getting tired of them, I kind of assume that people can always use a few carrots, as they are so easy to use in so many different ways. I haven't been eating enough carrots myself, I think I'll take some home this afternoon.
Turnips- It has been a while since we put salad turnips in the share, and we have a lot right now. These turnips are still tasty and great raw. They could actually go great with raw carrots, beans and pepper slices. Don't forget, you can saute and eat the tops! With no other braising greens in the share this week, the time is now! Here is a simple looking recipe:
http://addapinch.com/cooking/spicy-skillet-turnip-greens-recipe/
Garlic- It's been a while, so I thought you might be ready for another head of garlic.
Lettuce- Our Summer lettuce struggles continue. First it was the deer, then a timing of planting mistake on my part, and now we are have issues with wire worms, an annoying pest that has killed some of our new planting. I have to say, though, lettuce has been the only crop we've really struggled with this year, and it isn't so heart breaking to not have lettuce. Our next planting is coming in and may be ready by Thursday, so if possible we'll put a head of lettuce in your share.
Week 10 is here...
It is week 10 of the farm share, and we are now in the heart of Summer. Rumor has it the heat is returning later this week. Irrigation duties are finally easing up a bit, as we begin to cut off water to crops like winter squash, potatoes, fall onions, and tomatoes, and till in old beds of Spring crops that we are done with. We planted buckwheat in the top field nearest the farm stand, a Summer cover crop that you'll be able to watch rocket upwards over the coming weeks and help preserve our topsoil and fertility during dry windy weather. And we have been making a big push to get the last Fall crops in, so over the last few weeks we have been transplanting broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, and collard greens, and direct sewing seeds of rutabaga, turnip, winter radish, kale, chard, and spinach. There are about two more weeks of planting and sewing, and then we'll be done and able to relax a bit when harvest is over! Late August until November is probably my favorite time on the farm, as we have tons of food but less hectic insanity.
It is the time of year when it is hard to decide what to put in the share, as there is so much food in the fields! I was almost Considering trying to do a share entirely made up of Crops that begin with the letter C, as the list of possible share additions included chard, carrots, cilantro, corn, cucumbers, cauliflower, cherry tomato, and celery. Not a bad share! Except I don't think the cilantro is quite ready, or if there's enough corn or cauliflower for all the shares, and I wanted to put strawberries back in the share and put in some baby leeks. So now it is just a farm share with many C vegetables.
Chard- It's been a while since we've had Swiss chard in the share, so it's time. I love to eat Swiss chard in the Summer. Its mild sweet flavor seems to go best with the other Summer crops like zucchini and tomatoes and corn. Here is Martha's page, which is kind of Fall themed but has some nice recipes for chard. Use the little arrow on the right to scroll through them.
http://www.marthastewart.com/274967/swiss-chard-recipes/@center/1009845/fall-produce#967833
Carrots- Carrots are back in your share. We are in to a newer bed, so they are back to the medium small size, but the same delicious orange variety. We may do them topped rather than bunched this week, as that's how we've been selling them lately, but if so it will be basically the same amount of carrots. Enjoy!
Strawberries- Strawberries are back in the share! They are coming on strong and the quality is super nice right now. The biggest and I think sweetest berries we've gotten all year. I think the plants enjoyed a bit of cooler weather, and the relatively small amount of rain we got hasn't seemed to do them much harm. They should be easy to get rid of.
Cucumbers- With squash in the share last week, it is time for cukes again now. They are continuing to yield heavily and look very good. Try making a chilled cucumber soup!
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/creamy_cucumber_soup.html
And I will be sure to put extra squash up in the farm stand on Thursday, so feel free to grab some for free if you'll use them! We are feeding quite a bit of summer squash to our two pigs right now, Brad Pigg and Angelina Jowly.
Baby leeks- The leeks have really grown great, and I thought it would be nice to put a different type of allium (garlic, onions, leeks and shallots) in the share this week. This will just be a smaller bunch of a couple baby sized leeks, but they should be delicious and are great on a salad. Leeks have a flavor a little bit like onions, but much milder with almost no bite. Use the stalk from the roots all the way up to where the leaves begin. Here are some recipes:
http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=summer+leek
Cherry tomatoes- More of our delicious little sungold tomatoes. They are coming on strong now, and the plants are taller than I am! I hope that EVERYBODY got their cherry tomatoes from two weeks ago now....this time around I promise to put them in the bag!!
Broccoli/cauliflower- Well, I couldn't decide which we'd have more of, or if we'd have enough of either, but between the two it should work out great, and everyone will get a nice head of EITHER broccoli OR cauliflower. If you have a strong preference, peak into the bag to find the one you want.
Corn OR eggplant- Same goes for the sweet corn and the eggplant....not sure we have enough of either one for all the shares, so you'll get one or the other. I think I'll try to do the same thing again next week, so if you get corn this week you can get eggplant next week.
Corn- This is a great early corn variety that I discovered years ago. It is a bicolor (white and yellow kernels) that is consistently ready a week or two before and of my other corn! The ears are not huge, but the flavor is great. My favorite way to eat corn is raw out in the field. But you also can't beat fresh sweet corn on the grill. It's so good!
Eggplant- Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, and I think that homegrown eggplant is much better than the stuff at the store. The eggplant is VERY early this year....Usually it's just getting started in late August and doesn't hit its peak until late September/early October. I am hopeful that it will keep going all through the Summer and into the Fall even though it's starting so much sooner!
Oh my gosh some of these recipes look delicious...I may have to try one or two this week.
http://www.marthastewart.com/274258/eggplant-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#1004630
It is the time of year when it is hard to decide what to put in the share, as there is so much food in the fields! I was almost Considering trying to do a share entirely made up of Crops that begin with the letter C, as the list of possible share additions included chard, carrots, cilantro, corn, cucumbers, cauliflower, cherry tomato, and celery. Not a bad share! Except I don't think the cilantro is quite ready, or if there's enough corn or cauliflower for all the shares, and I wanted to put strawberries back in the share and put in some baby leeks. So now it is just a farm share with many C vegetables.
Chard- It's been a while since we've had Swiss chard in the share, so it's time. I love to eat Swiss chard in the Summer. Its mild sweet flavor seems to go best with the other Summer crops like zucchini and tomatoes and corn. Here is Martha's page, which is kind of Fall themed but has some nice recipes for chard. Use the little arrow on the right to scroll through them.
http://www.marthastewart.com/274967/swiss-chard-recipes/@center/1009845/fall-produce#967833
Carrots- Carrots are back in your share. We are in to a newer bed, so they are back to the medium small size, but the same delicious orange variety. We may do them topped rather than bunched this week, as that's how we've been selling them lately, but if so it will be basically the same amount of carrots. Enjoy!
Strawberries- Strawberries are back in the share! They are coming on strong and the quality is super nice right now. The biggest and I think sweetest berries we've gotten all year. I think the plants enjoyed a bit of cooler weather, and the relatively small amount of rain we got hasn't seemed to do them much harm. They should be easy to get rid of.
Cucumbers- With squash in the share last week, it is time for cukes again now. They are continuing to yield heavily and look very good. Try making a chilled cucumber soup!
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/creamy_cucumber_soup.html
And I will be sure to put extra squash up in the farm stand on Thursday, so feel free to grab some for free if you'll use them! We are feeding quite a bit of summer squash to our two pigs right now, Brad Pigg and Angelina Jowly.
Baby leeks- The leeks have really grown great, and I thought it would be nice to put a different type of allium (garlic, onions, leeks and shallots) in the share this week. This will just be a smaller bunch of a couple baby sized leeks, but they should be delicious and are great on a salad. Leeks have a flavor a little bit like onions, but much milder with almost no bite. Use the stalk from the roots all the way up to where the leaves begin. Here are some recipes:
http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=summer+leek
Cherry tomatoes- More of our delicious little sungold tomatoes. They are coming on strong now, and the plants are taller than I am! I hope that EVERYBODY got their cherry tomatoes from two weeks ago now....this time around I promise to put them in the bag!!
Broccoli/cauliflower- Well, I couldn't decide which we'd have more of, or if we'd have enough of either, but between the two it should work out great, and everyone will get a nice head of EITHER broccoli OR cauliflower. If you have a strong preference, peak into the bag to find the one you want.
Corn OR eggplant- Same goes for the sweet corn and the eggplant....not sure we have enough of either one for all the shares, so you'll get one or the other. I think I'll try to do the same thing again next week, so if you get corn this week you can get eggplant next week.
Corn- This is a great early corn variety that I discovered years ago. It is a bicolor (white and yellow kernels) that is consistently ready a week or two before and of my other corn! The ears are not huge, but the flavor is great. My favorite way to eat corn is raw out in the field. But you also can't beat fresh sweet corn on the grill. It's so good!
Eggplant- Eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables, and I think that homegrown eggplant is much better than the stuff at the store. The eggplant is VERY early this year....Usually it's just getting started in late August and doesn't hit its peak until late September/early October. I am hopeful that it will keep going all through the Summer and into the Fall even though it's starting so much sooner!
Oh my gosh some of these recipes look delicious...I may have to try one or two this week.
http://www.marthastewart.com/274258/eggplant-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#1004630
Ebb Tide Produce Blog for week 9
Everything continues to go well on the farm. The Summer crops are getting going, and we are slightly overwhelmed with large amounts of squash, cucumbers, and green beans at the moment. The tomatoes are getting going and hopefully about to be ripening in droves, and the corn looks like it's right around the corner....hopefully we should have sweet corn in next week's share!
In the share this week:
Tomato- The larger tomato plants are just starting to produce, so I am going to hang on to them in the hopes of giving everyone one or two tomatoes this week. If I run a bit short, a few of you may get some more cherry tomatoes!
Beets- Beets are back in the share after quite a few weeks off. The beets are growing and sizing up super quickly right now. We are still growing the same mix of red, gold and chioggia types.
Beets and bacon!?! http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/salads/r/roastedbeet.htm
Torpedo red bottle onions- This is a really great fresh red onion that has an unusual torpedo-like shape to it. They are an Italian heirloom with a mild, sweet taste that is great raw or lightly cooked.
Arugula- It has been a very long time since we put arugula in the share, so we thought it was overdue this week. Nothing beats the spicy flavor in a summer salad.
Radish- Radishes are back in the share this week, too. These very young French Breakfast radishes should be mild and sweet with just a little bit of kick. It seems like this week's share is all pointing towards making a large salad....
Fennel- I have been waiting for these fennel bulbs to size up enough to be in the share. Fennel has a sweet, anise flavor. It can be cooked (like onion) to make the flavor milder, or sliced thin and enjoyed raw. Here is a recipe to use the fennel and arugula in your share...you could even add the radish, onion, or even the (precooked) beets to this salad:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-fennel-and-arugula-salad-353816
Here is another recipe for how I always remember eating fennel as a kid. You can also use the beans, radishes, pretty much anything produce that is nice to eat raw...with some tasty cheese, meat, and dip to make this "Pinzimonio" plate:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fresh-vegetable-platter-with-olive-oil-dip-103419
Green and yellow beans- More fresh beans in your share, this time with the addition of a pretty yellow wax bean. We are working hard to keep up with all the beans the plants are producing right now! Here is a recipe that includes the torpedo onion, and either cherry tomatoes (or substitute other tomato sliced up). I don't think there will be a pound and a half of beans in the share, so you may have to half this large recipe.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/green-bean-yellow-bean-and-cherry-tomato-salad-103487
Summer squash- It keeps producing! Hope you are ready for some more. If any of you would like a LARGER amount of summer squash, let me know. We probably have plenty, and I could put some up in the farm stand if you'd like to make a big batch of food. Hang on to your arugula if you want to make this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-summer-squash-salad-365655
In the share this week:
Tomato- The larger tomato plants are just starting to produce, so I am going to hang on to them in the hopes of giving everyone one or two tomatoes this week. If I run a bit short, a few of you may get some more cherry tomatoes!
Beets- Beets are back in the share after quite a few weeks off. The beets are growing and sizing up super quickly right now. We are still growing the same mix of red, gold and chioggia types.
Beets and bacon!?! http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/salads/r/roastedbeet.htm
Torpedo red bottle onions- This is a really great fresh red onion that has an unusual torpedo-like shape to it. They are an Italian heirloom with a mild, sweet taste that is great raw or lightly cooked.
Arugula- It has been a very long time since we put arugula in the share, so we thought it was overdue this week. Nothing beats the spicy flavor in a summer salad.
Radish- Radishes are back in the share this week, too. These very young French Breakfast radishes should be mild and sweet with just a little bit of kick. It seems like this week's share is all pointing towards making a large salad....
Fennel- I have been waiting for these fennel bulbs to size up enough to be in the share. Fennel has a sweet, anise flavor. It can be cooked (like onion) to make the flavor milder, or sliced thin and enjoyed raw. Here is a recipe to use the fennel and arugula in your share...you could even add the radish, onion, or even the (precooked) beets to this salad:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-fennel-and-arugula-salad-353816
Here is another recipe for how I always remember eating fennel as a kid. You can also use the beans, radishes, pretty much anything produce that is nice to eat raw...with some tasty cheese, meat, and dip to make this "Pinzimonio" plate:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/fresh-vegetable-platter-with-olive-oil-dip-103419
Green and yellow beans- More fresh beans in your share, this time with the addition of a pretty yellow wax bean. We are working hard to keep up with all the beans the plants are producing right now! Here is a recipe that includes the torpedo onion, and either cherry tomatoes (or substitute other tomato sliced up). I don't think there will be a pound and a half of beans in the share, so you may have to half this large recipe.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/green-bean-yellow-bean-and-cherry-tomato-salad-103487
Summer squash- It keeps producing! Hope you are ready for some more. If any of you would like a LARGER amount of summer squash, let me know. We probably have plenty, and I could put some up in the farm stand if you'd like to make a big batch of food. Hang on to your arugula if you want to make this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shaved-summer-squash-salad-365655
Can't believe it's already Week 8!
I'm sure a lot of you have been enjoying the cooler weather. We sure have on the farm for the last few days, and I'm happy to see that it looks like it is supposed to be a cooler week ahead. Not only is it physically much more exhausting picking food in 80 degree heat, it is really mentally tiring just trying to keep everything fresh, cool and looking good after we pick it. The summer crops have really benefited from the additional warmth, but 70 degrees with a few clouds shouldn't do them any harm at all and will make the farmers happy. Here's what's in the share:
Potatoes- As mentioned in the email, we decided for a bunch of reasons not to put these in last week's share, so here they are. Enjoy! Man, Martha Stewart's website is awesome:
http://www.marthastewart.com/274469/new-potato-recipes/@center/1009726/spring-produce
Cherry tomatoes- YES! Our first sungold tomatoes! We picked them last week and I was surprised how many we got, so I'm hoping we should be able to give all of you a half pint. They are delicious. If some are bit paler yellow than others, just leave those ones on the counter for a day until they're fully ripe.
Snap peas- Well, I'm almost sure these will be the last snap peas in the share this year. Usually we have them all through July, but the warm weather has made them come on earlier and set more heavily all at once. By the end of July the quality is always starting to decline a bit anyway, and right now they're still very good, so enjoy while you still can!
Cucumbers- Hope you enjoyed the cuke in your share last week, and have room for a few more. More Martha:
http://www.marthastewart.com/1060111/cucumbers
http://www.marthastewart.com/1058924/cucumber-salad
Garlic- The garlic is all cleaned, tied up and hanging to dry in the barn now, so it will be very easy to cut down a head for each of your shares. It is mostly dried down now and can be used more or less like regular garlic...should have more flavor and spice than the grocery store varieties though.
Celery- Our very first time picking celery on the farm! This is the first year we've grown it, and we will be harvesting the first batch for you. I think we will pick it more like an herb this time, cutting the outer stalks and bunching them, so the plant survives. Then in August or September we will be able to harvest the whole plant, and you will get the heart as well as the outer stalks. I think celery is one of the crops that makes the biggest difference whether it's homegrown or grocery store....store bought celery just doesn't taste like anything. It does have a great crunch though, and home grown celery can be tough if it doesn't get enough water....we have tried to keep ours well watered, so I am hopeful that it should be tasty AND crunchy. Fingers crossed.
Basil- The basil is growing crazy fast, and we are trying to keep up with it. Should be a bigger amount in the share this week than last time....same varieties though, Italian, purple, and lemon.
Lettuce- We have some very nice lettuce now. There may be different varieties in different shares, so peak in the bag to get the type you want. Use the snap peas instead of frozen peas, and any kind of lettuce, to make this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lettuce-and-pea-soup-108090
Potatoes- As mentioned in the email, we decided for a bunch of reasons not to put these in last week's share, so here they are. Enjoy! Man, Martha Stewart's website is awesome:
http://www.marthastewart.com/274469/new-potato-recipes/@center/1009726/spring-produce
Cherry tomatoes- YES! Our first sungold tomatoes! We picked them last week and I was surprised how many we got, so I'm hoping we should be able to give all of you a half pint. They are delicious. If some are bit paler yellow than others, just leave those ones on the counter for a day until they're fully ripe.
Snap peas- Well, I'm almost sure these will be the last snap peas in the share this year. Usually we have them all through July, but the warm weather has made them come on earlier and set more heavily all at once. By the end of July the quality is always starting to decline a bit anyway, and right now they're still very good, so enjoy while you still can!
Cucumbers- Hope you enjoyed the cuke in your share last week, and have room for a few more. More Martha:
http://www.marthastewart.com/1060111/cucumbers
http://www.marthastewart.com/1058924/cucumber-salad
Garlic- The garlic is all cleaned, tied up and hanging to dry in the barn now, so it will be very easy to cut down a head for each of your shares. It is mostly dried down now and can be used more or less like regular garlic...should have more flavor and spice than the grocery store varieties though.
Celery- Our very first time picking celery on the farm! This is the first year we've grown it, and we will be harvesting the first batch for you. I think we will pick it more like an herb this time, cutting the outer stalks and bunching them, so the plant survives. Then in August or September we will be able to harvest the whole plant, and you will get the heart as well as the outer stalks. I think celery is one of the crops that makes the biggest difference whether it's homegrown or grocery store....store bought celery just doesn't taste like anything. It does have a great crunch though, and home grown celery can be tough if it doesn't get enough water....we have tried to keep ours well watered, so I am hopeful that it should be tasty AND crunchy. Fingers crossed.
Basil- The basil is growing crazy fast, and we are trying to keep up with it. Should be a bigger amount in the share this week than last time....same varieties though, Italian, purple, and lemon.
Lettuce- We have some very nice lettuce now. There may be different varieties in different shares, so peak in the bag to get the type you want. Use the snap peas instead of frozen peas, and any kind of lettuce, to make this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lettuce-and-pea-soup-108090
Blog for Week 7
Hi everyone,
We have a very nice share for you this week. At the risk of being extremely repetitive, everything is so early this summer! It's crazy. I was out planting more carrots, beets, radishes, and salad greens this morning, more than I planned to because I can't believe how quickly we are going through plantings. We have lots of food on the horizon, but I must admit, I am worried about still having food come September. But then I tell myself that, no matter what, their always seems to be tons of food in September, with tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and melons all at their peak. The corn and beans are all just coming on so quick that it makes me think I should have done more plantings for late Summer though. The mental anguish of growing veggies. I guess it's always something.
In other news, the Orchard Kitchen is scheduled to have their opening ceremonies this weekend. That is the name of the commercial kitchen, restaurant and event center that Vincent and Tyla Nattress (the owners of the land that Ebb Tide Produce sits on) are opening. They have been working at a feverish pace trying to get everything ready, and the property has been a huge construction site for over a month now. We are all very excited to see them launch into the next phase of their project.
Here's the share:
Lettuce- Lettuce is back, and we've finally found a way to keep the deer from destroying it...by covering it with the floating row cover that we use to protect many other crops from (usually insect) pests. Thank goodness. The deer were driving me crazy.
Carrots- More carrots in the share this week.
Zucchini and cucumber- Hope you enjoyed the first squash this week! This week we will probably give you one squash and one of our first cucumbers. Eventually I think we usually switch to either two squash or two cucumbers( every other week), but as the cucumbers are just getting started I think we'll only have enough to give everybody one, and in the meantime we have lots of zucchini!
These "Adam" cucumbers are really, really delicious. The skin is thin and tender, so they don't need to be peeled. My favorite way to eat them is right out of my hand in the field, but here's a recipe for a cucumber salad: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Korean-Cucumber-Salad/
Cauliflower- Well, I very much hope we can give everyone a head of cauliflower. The cauliflower is one of the few crops that is not enjoying this warm weather...the heads are a bit less uniform than usual and not coming on at a super consistent pace. We'll do our best!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spiced-carrot-cauliflower-soup-51262700
Green beans!!- I am excited to have green beans already. They are so delicious fresh off the plants. These younger, fresher beans are so much tastier than the ones from the grocery store. Great to eat raw, too, unlike the tougher ones at the store.
New potatoes- Pretty similar to the ones you got a few weeks ago, but as you will see, they are getting bigger! Still thin skinned and tender, so treat them with care and store them in the crisper drawer of the fridge like your other root veggies.
Walla walla sweet onions- Well, I went back and forth about whether you all would prefer onions or kale in your share this week. We have plenty of both. The share this week doesn't have much green stuff in it, but onions are always nice...if you really want kale let me know and I'll put extra in the farm stand on Thursday. You can grab a bunch on the house.
Hi everyone,
We have a very nice share for you this week. At the risk of being extremely repetitive, everything is so early this summer! It's crazy. I was out planting more carrots, beets, radishes, and salad greens this morning, more than I planned to because I can't believe how quickly we are going through plantings. We have lots of food on the horizon, but I must admit, I am worried about still having food come September. But then I tell myself that, no matter what, their always seems to be tons of food in September, with tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and melons all at their peak. The corn and beans are all just coming on so quick that it makes me think I should have done more plantings for late Summer though. The mental anguish of growing veggies. I guess it's always something.
In other news, the Orchard Kitchen is scheduled to have their opening ceremonies this weekend. That is the name of the commercial kitchen, restaurant and event center that Vincent and Tyla Nattress (the owners of the land that Ebb Tide Produce sits on) are opening. They have been working at a feverish pace trying to get everything ready, and the property has been a huge construction site for over a month now. We are all very excited to see them launch into the next phase of their project.
Here's the share:
Lettuce- Lettuce is back, and we've finally found a way to keep the deer from destroying it...by covering it with the floating row cover that we use to protect many other crops from (usually insect) pests. Thank goodness. The deer were driving me crazy.
Carrots- More carrots in the share this week.
Zucchini and cucumber- Hope you enjoyed the first squash this week! This week we will probably give you one squash and one of our first cucumbers. Eventually I think we usually switch to either two squash or two cucumbers( every other week), but as the cucumbers are just getting started I think we'll only have enough to give everybody one, and in the meantime we have lots of zucchini!
These "Adam" cucumbers are really, really delicious. The skin is thin and tender, so they don't need to be peeled. My favorite way to eat them is right out of my hand in the field, but here's a recipe for a cucumber salad: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Korean-Cucumber-Salad/
Cauliflower- Well, I very much hope we can give everyone a head of cauliflower. The cauliflower is one of the few crops that is not enjoying this warm weather...the heads are a bit less uniform than usual and not coming on at a super consistent pace. We'll do our best!
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spiced-carrot-cauliflower-soup-51262700
Green beans!!- I am excited to have green beans already. They are so delicious fresh off the plants. These younger, fresher beans are so much tastier than the ones from the grocery store. Great to eat raw, too, unlike the tougher ones at the store.
New potatoes- Pretty similar to the ones you got a few weeks ago, but as you will see, they are getting bigger! Still thin skinned and tender, so treat them with care and store them in the crisper drawer of the fridge like your other root veggies.
Walla walla sweet onions- Well, I went back and forth about whether you all would prefer onions or kale in your share this week. We have plenty of both. The share this week doesn't have much green stuff in it, but onions are always nice...if you really want kale let me know and I'll put extra in the farm stand on Thursday. You can grab a bunch on the house.
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