Monthly Archives: July 2010

In the Share – Week 9

cucumbers, strawberries

cucumber harvest

TOMATOES (F/P) One for each of you or a partial pint of cherry tomatoes
NEW POTATOES (F/P) Not cured, so keep these in the fridge.
CHOICE: BROCCOLI, KOHLRABI OR SALSA PACK (F) Grill the kohlrabi with your summer squash for a real treat. Salsa packs make their debut: chop up contents, add a little vinegar and tomato and you’ve got America’s favorite condiment.
SUMMER LETTUCE (F/P) Small crispheads that can stand the summer heat
WALLA WALLA ONIONS (F/P) They’re the sweet ones.
CABBAGE (F) Time for some coleslaw.
CUCUMBERS (F/P) We’re proud of the crop this week – long and lean.
SUMMER SQUASH (F/P) Can’t believe it took us 8 years of farming to make the Grilled Pasta Primavera in Tom’s blog. Thanks, Farmer Tom for our new favorite.
HERB CHOICE (F/P) Basil, Parsley, Summer Savory or a dried herb
ALSO THIS WEEK: Bread of Life Bakery shares

NEXT WEEK: More tomatoes, cucumbers and squash. Carrots and garlic.

What a beautiful week it has been on the farm. The weather has been lovely for the work, not too hot, low humidity. 1.3 inches of rain fell over the last 2 days, a nice slow soaking rain that was just what was needed. We finally got a break from irrigating which had been continuous for the past 2 weeks.

Summer is really here, you can almost watch the crops grow. The cucumbers are coming on strong and the beans are growing their first fruits. The tomatoes are a bit slow to ripen which is in keeping with the 1 week setback that has occured amongst those crops that were in the field during the cold, wet weeks in early May. We should have more tomatoes by next week with the peak of the harvest usually occuring at the end of July into early August.
The strawberry patch received it’s annual post-harvest haircut thanks to farm apprentice, Emily Lecuyer.
Mowing down the patch appears extreme but is recommended by the horticultural experts for reducing disease and pests. The second stage of what they call “renovation” includes tilling up the paths to make room for harvest and feeding the plants with organic fertilizer. With a little rain and sunshine the patch will grow back better than ever by fall.

Finally, an administrative reminder. July is here and the end of the month deadline for CSA payments is approaching. Contact me (farmer rebecca) if you need help remembering how much you owe. Thank you all for your suppport.

What to Do With Your Share—Week 9

Uncategorized

Take Advantage
Once again this week we recommend that those of you who pickle, or want to start, take advantage of the wonderful pickling cucumbers we have for sale. You can’t get these beauties just anywhere, or just anytime. They are peaking right now, and today (Tuesday) we picked over 70 lbs. The harvest won’t last forever, so get your salt, vinegar, spices and canner ready.

While pickles packs of the tiny cornichon size cukes are limited, plenty of medium and large cucumbers are available this week.

Grilled Pasta Primavera
Our meals are often predicated on Rebecca’s yearnings. This last week we searched for the perfect pasta primavera to satiate her. Her notion of crispy but not soggy summer squash as a main ingredient led us to grilling the vegetables as a first step.

On July 4th we did just that at a friend’s house and the dish was delicious. A rainy day on Monday had us trying out our Chambers stove broiler as a grill substitute. It worked great.

You can grill whatever vegetables you want for this dish. We even used kohlrabi. After chopping up the grilled veggies you can either saute them in a pan with some tomatoes and garlic, or simply add them to your pasta

Ingredients:
Approximately 1 cookie sheet full of sliced vegetables, such as summer squash, onions, peppers (sweet and hot), garlic, kohlrabi, eggplant…
1 lb pasta of choice, cooked
Parmesan cheese and basil for garnish

Marinade:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp herb mixture of choice such as oregano, marjoram, thyme, summer savory, herbs de Provence. We used the Middle Eastern herb mix called Zahatar.

Method:
– Cut the vegetables in a suitable size and shape for grilling. Mix with the marinade for at least 10 minutes.
– Cook the pasta according to directions on package
– Grill the vegetables
– Let vegetables cool to touch and then chop them
– Toss all ingredients together
– Top with grated cheese and chopped basil