In the Share
EGGPLANT These purple beauties are in abundance right now. We think the wind storm the KC area had several weeks ago rustled the flowers at just the right time and set a lot of fruit! If you are cooking out you can marinate them in oil/vinegar and grill them until browned and tender. Toss with some fresh onion slices, garlic and crushed nuts to make a tasty pasta topping.
TOMATOES A good amount this week as the patch is coming in nicely. We have had some cracking on the thin-skinned heirlooms. We plant many different varieties: heirlooms of all colors and plus red, yellow and pink hybrid varieties. Sometimes the shares may have tomatoes that are not yet ripe. Leave tomatoes that are still hard and green on your counter and wait for them to ripen.
CARROTS A one pound bunch of freshly dug carrots with a nice crunch and sweetness.
CUCUMBERS/SUMMER SQUASH Our first planting of these cucurbits are fading, but a second planting should be coming on later this week. Depending on your pickup day, it may be a choice or you might get some of each.
GARLIC These hardneck heads have been curing for a month and are at their peak. Enjoy some raw, chopped up in a fresh tomato salad.
SALSA PACK Chop the ingredients along with a medium tomato and you have a pint of fresh salsa to snack on before dinner, or add to your morning eggs.
GREEN BEANS The bean patch has produced quite well the last several weeks. Enjoy these hand-picked fruits for the last time this season. We like to sauté them in oil with garlic, and then turn down the heat to let them simmer and caramelize.
HERBS Summer savory, parsley, basil and fennel flowers are all ready for picking this week. Expect a mixed bunch with a selection from what is abundant. Tom says fennel flowers are the perfect remedy for “mask breath”.
Farm report
The summer went from the beginnings of a drought to flood warnings since we last wrote. Almost ten inches has fallen less than one week’s time. We were gladdened by the needed moisture. It appears the fields drank all of that rain in. Here’s one of our spots we’ve been preparing for fall at 11 am yesterday.
Here’s the same field at 3pm, just four hours later.
Hooray!!! That’s what I call, a well-drained soil! Before the rains came we had been rushing around the fields planting for fall and then laying lots of irrigation tape.
We also managed to haul in the last of the spring onion crop, which is now drying well in the upper barn.
We continue to hope for a time when we can welcome the community back to the farm. Who knows when that will be, but in the meantime the fields continue to thrive with your support. Thank you for allowing your farmers to share air space with more bees than people for now.
