It has been a while, but we finally got some relief. A full 0.8 inches of rain fell last night at the farm, quenching and cooling the soil and the plants. This precipitation will be greatly appreciated by all, especially the recently seeded carrots, beets, radishes, turnips and arugula. The forecast of two 80 degree days are also welcome.

The rain was preceeded by an enveloping wall of windswept clouds. It was a “you had to be there” moment, but I hope that the photo gives some indication of the beauty of it all.

August is here, and the wear and tear on all things living on the farm is showing. Weatherunderground.com archives show we have had 21 days at 100 degrees or more since June 27th. In this 42-day stretch there has only been 0.80 inches of rain. This punishing weather may subside over the next few days and we are awaiting a couple of days in the 80’s and maybe some rain. We shall see what the future brings us.

Garlic
One of the casualties of this year’s unusual weather is the soft-neck garlic. The hot and dry Spring caused our garlic plants to die back early (five weeks early), before they were fully formed. The result was that the cloves in the center of the bulb never developed. The centers instead consist of a mass of garlic paper that was so moist it never dried out properly, and instead lead to rotting in many a bulb.

Early June garlic harvest

Today we had the sad job of culling out these soft, withered heads and had to throw away an estimated 60 to 70% of our softneck. Other varieties fared better, but we are in the process of cleaning and inspecting all of our garlic to make sure we have enough to hand out in future shares, as well as to plant for next year’s crop.

So, because of all this the full shares will only get one head of garlic in their share for the near future. The other thing to know is that you may break your garlic open and find some remnants of a soft center in it. If that is the case, do not throw out the whole head, but save any outer cloves that are firm. If you use garlic regularly you can store the good cloves in an open container on your counter. Otherwise you can store them in the fridge.

This Week’s Recipe
While I write the recipe section of our blog, it is not without help from Rebecca in the kitchen. With a ready vegetable supply, a freezer of Parker Farms meat and the internet at hand, we are never far from a plethora of options for a tasty meal. Last week our search of the cooler, freezer and world wide web included “eggplant” and “lamb.”

The results were exceptional, as the Google suggested the simply named recipe Lamb with Eggplant from the blog Porcini Chronicles. I will not reprint it here, as you can follow the link. Eggplant, onion, tomatoes, ground lamb and spices were all at hand and the results were delicious. It was a sweet and savory dish that we will no doubt repeat in the future. 

Well we’re not on the brink of exhaustion, but we can see it from here. Mid-Summer is as busy as it gets. While there are problems to deal with, and Fall plants to get in the ground, it is a good thing for the harvest to keep you busy too. Some of the crops seem to see the brink too though, so we will have to see how smoothly our transition from Summer to Fall crops turns out.

One of the items in this week’s share is a favorite of mine, the Tropea onion aka Cipolla Rossa Lunga di Tropea. The genetics of this onion go back millennia. The website Naturalmente Italiano gives  the whole story of this wonderful allium. Known as a sweet onion, it is a bit more spicy when grown in Missouri soils rather than those of Calabria. It is good, nonetheless, both raw and cooked.

Recipe
Last Sunday Emily Akins and I taught a class on pressure canning at Bad Seed. One recipe we prepared was Spicy Tomato Soup from The Ball Blue Book. We both really liked the soup, and so I am in the process of making a double batch for Rebecca and me. There is no need to can this recipe, just make the soup and eat it.

Rainbow
There was a sight in the field on Monday morning that greeted us with a feeling of awe. A giant, full rainbow filled the western sky as the sun came up in the east, and rain threated from the west. Magnificent.

Week 12 and we are in the middle of the hottest, driest start to a season we have had in 10 years. In all my years I have never lived through such persistent waves of heat. We hope we can acclimate to such conditions, and are happy with the harvest so far. But relief would be nice.

One crop that seems well acclimated to conditions this year is watermelon. The yellow-fleshed Peace watermelons are ripening. The first two harvests have yielded enough for the partial shares. These melons are quite sweet and juicy, and aren’t too seedy.

Picking at the right ripeness is tricky, so if yours is not ripe let us know and we will attempt to get you a replacement.

Peace watermelon

Sorry there is not more tonight, but our fridge stopped working and we had an unscheduled evening task. On the bright side, it was nice to clean out the fridge, and we have adequate freezing and cooling facilities on the farm for temporary storage.

Rocky hangin’ in the shade

Sorting tomatoes

Despite it all, this hot and dry weather is one of the reasons this year’s harvest has been so plentiful. Thrive is another word you learn as a farmer. Sometimes you mollycoddle a plant and it produces little. Other times, you provide good fertility, irrigation and care and the high quality vegetables keep flowing. The dryness and heat are a combo that the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant thrive in, and it is nice to watch.

In thinking of ways to suggest you enjoy your tomatoes, I searched for Tom’s Tomato Sauce and found it in our August 3, 2005 newsletter. The entire second page is exactly what I was thinking all day of putting in the blog. I suggest reading the entire newsletter and look back at how things were 7 years ago.

Blanched and skinned tomatoes ready for the freezer

My oh my, what a day. It was like being in a tomato dream—our most outstanding harvest yet. This is the bounty we speak of in CSA farming. It was a record day, and while we didn’t load 16 tons, we feel like it.

Half the harvest July 10, 2012

So enjoy the tomatos by themselves, or in conjunction with the other veggies in your share. They are at their peak flavor right now. Last year we gave a variety of ideas for using your tomato share. I think the simpler the better and enjoy them by themselves, cut into chunks with olive oil, salt and vinegar.

Principe Borghese and Jaune Flamue drying tomatoes (see bulk list)

Rebecca has been making tahbouleh lately and we are finding it is a cool summer dish. You constitute the bulgar wheat with room temperature water, so there is no need for the stove. This recipe is adapted from The New Basics.

Ingredients
1 heaping cup of bulgar
1 cup cold water
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 large ripe tomato, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 large cucumber and 1 medium squash, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

Method

1. Combine the bulgur, water, lemon juice, and 1/3 cup of the olive oil in a large bowl. Mix well, and set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature. Then fluff the mixture with a fork.
2. Add the parsley, onion, garlic, pepper, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Toss well with a fork.
3. Add the tomatoes squash, and cucumber, and toss again. Adjust the seasonings if necessary, and allow to stand, loosley covered, for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to come out.

Herbs this Week
Lastly, a little on this week’s herbs. The Thai basil is that basil looking herb with the purple tinge and a bit of licorice aroma. Great if you make an Asian style dish. The thyme is perfectly matched to the potatoes. Simply boil or steam your potatoes, and toss with some salt, butter and thyme leaves and you will have the best fresh potatoes ever. The tabbouhleh recipe above calls for even more parsley than we note, so double the amount if it suits you.

We don’t know what to think this year, the next 7 days are going to be a strain to all the living things out here. We are about to learn about pond water management.

Rebecca harvesting

Dani sorting

 If you haven’t already, I hope that you have read the Pickling Primer in the blog below. Pickling cukes are here, try them out. The window of opportunity is small, take advantage now!

A quick sautéing of onions and chard stems, followed by some chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce, and finished with a nice bunch of chopped Swiss chard leaves. A good quick, hearty meal and usually some leftovers.

Now that the pickle packs are here the orders have been flowing in. Some have been from those of you with a background in the craft. Others are ready to try your hand at it and see “the pack” as an opportunity to become a pickler.

Medium: We sort the next size up so that they are small enough to easily fit whole into a wide-mouth canning jar. They make for a beautiful pickle. Depending on your hand, they are generally “finger-sized.”

The makings of pickle chunks

Refrigerator pickles

If you want to make pickles the really old fashioned way, with salt brine, check out the progress of making a batch in last year’s blog, bere and here. The recipe is in the MU Extension pickeling publication.

Six weeks in and you either are full of good, fresh, Missouri vegetables or you have enjoyed some and have a fridge filled with the rest. Either way, we are here to help. While what we give you may seem like a lot, it doesn’t take much to make a few tasty dishes and use up a good portion of your share.

There are many dishes that use 2, 3 or 4 share items and give you a good dose of flavor and nutrition, the kind you can only get from eating fresh food. In cooking it is all about the ingredients, and your share gives you a good start on any dish.

Last night we made a simple pasta dish (recipe follows) that included onion, zucchini, chard, green garlic and oregano, with a garnish of parsley. It is a dish that you can substitute with most whatever ingredients you have on hand. Rebecca says more vegetables, less pasta in the mix.

The idea of the dish is to toss your vegetables with some pasta to make a warm dish. The leftovers are then a delicious cold salad that you can jazz up with things like nuts, dried fruit or dressing. If pasta isn’t your thing, it goes well with grains like rice or quinoa.

Pasta Tossed With Sauteed Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 large or 2 medium summer squash/zucchini
1 large onion
1/2 bunch Swiss chard
3 green garlic
1-1/2 tbsp dried or 2 tbsp fresh oregano
2 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup grated cheese

1 lb pasta

Method:
Start the pasta first so that it is ready when the veggies are done. We used a penne pasta, a type of macaroni.

Cut the stem out of the chard and chop into small dice. Cut leaves into thin pieces. Cut squash lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds in the cavity with a spoon and discard. Cut zucchini into chunks. Trim the top and bottom off the garlic and chop the white part.

Put 2 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the chard stems, onion and green garlic until the onions become soft. Add the zucchini and salt, and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the chard and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chard is tender.

Mix the pasta, cheese and vegetables in the pasta pot while adding 2 tbsp olive oil. Garnish with parsley.

Parker Farms Tour
Rebecca and I enjoyed a drive in the country and a visit to a farm last Saturday. It was windy and warm at Parker Farms, and you felt like you were on the edge of the prairie. Tom, Paula and the 4 Parker girls were wonderful hosts.

A hearty pot luck started the afternoon, and then a tour of the chickens, sheep, hogs and cattle. Their operation is top-notch, and we feel fortunate to have farmers like them providing us with our meat and eggs.

Parker Farms Tour 6/9/12