Summer really seems to be waning this week, even though it is still August. The weather has been glorious lately, and the comfort level on the farm has increased. We are hoping to get some rain so that our cucurbit crops of squash and cucumbers will continue to produce.

As the source of the CSA vegetables, we have access to a surplus of seconds, or number 2’s as they are also called. Right now eggplant is available for us, so we are roasting and freezing them for future use. When we are in preserving mode though we still put some attention on the present, and make sure we partake of the bounty.

A quick dish this week was to take the warm, roasted eggplant, chop it, and mix it with a fresh tomato and onion salad. Top it with a vinaigrette some cheese and fresh basil and you will thinkyou are dining on the shores of the Mediterranean.

We would like to acknowledge the great job the Saturday CSA farm crew did in renovating the Swiss chard beds. Chard is a cool weather plant that has never been able to handle the summers on the farm. So we have learned that if you mow it down in August, weed it, side-dress it with compost, mulch it with hay, and water it you have a good chance for a nice fall harvest.

Below you see the crew side-dressing, trimming and mulching the beds. They look great and we hope to take a beautiful follow-up picture in a couple weeks.