Weekly Share August 31st – September 6th

Mizuna or Arugula
Red Noodle or Oriental Wonder Long Bean
Japanese Long or Thai Round Eggplant
French Breakfast Radish
San Fan Bok Choy
Cucumber
German Red Garlic
Padron Peppers or Romano Beans
Salad Tomatoes or Tomatillos
Khmer Thai (hot) & Aji Dulce (mild) chiles

Each week we seem to write so little about what is really going on at the farm, because we are just too busy. Even though we have passed the hump in the main season, this time of year is filled with so much harvesting. Really probably at least 40 hours a week split between the two of us is spent solely on harvesting vegetables. Between harvesting, packing, washing, travel time, and markets this leaves little time for actually farming. As many of you know we never found full time help this year and although we had a few different part-time workers through the Summer we are now confronted with way more work than the two of us can physically do in a given week. We discussed this possibility, so it is not a surprise; but all the same difficult to contend with when we are trying to focus energy towards Fall and Winter crops; which are completely time sensitive. If we do not get plants seeded and growing by a certain time, of which there are many deadlines throughout September, they will not get to size when we need them to and hence we will not have a given succession when we need it. In this climate we have almost no plant growth between late November and late January, so we are completely dependent on getting crops where we need them before mid November. This may seem a long ways off, but since the days are getting shorter, many crops need to be started every week in September and early October in order to guarantee continual harvest. So we are switching our focus each week between large abundant harvests and moving as much produce as we can and then continual seeding, transplanting, and plant management for the next seasons produce. Oh and then there are the animals, they take up another complete day of work too. Lesson for next year, full time help is absolutely necessary.

A little reminder, next week there will be no share, as we are taking the week off from the CSA and Tuesday market. Since we have many crops in abundance right now, this means a big share for you all this week. Every year right around this time we reintroduce the quick growing cooler weather crops such as bok choy, radishes, cut greens, and salad turnips; which all pair beautifully with cucumber, beans, and eggplant to make delicious Asian inspired dishes. This will likely be the last of the cucumbers you will see for the season and the sole time you all receive long beans, so please enjoy them. The long beans are extremely versatile and can be used raw, blanched, seared or sautéed. The Jungle curry below is delicious (feel free to skip the baby corn) and a great way to work with the round Thai eggplant. Enjoy the share….Brian and Autumn

Stir-Fried String Beans (Chinese Long Beans)

Quick Khmer Pork with Green Beans –Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffery Alford & Naomi Duguid

Hoisin Eggplant, Prawn and Bok Choy Stir-Fry

Jungle Curry with Pork and Thai Eggplant

Cucumber and Radish Salad

Long Bean, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad