Weekly Share July 4th – 10th

Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Romano Beans or Eggplant
Tendersweet Cabbage
Summer Squash Mix
Red Candy Onions
Chioggia Beets

We hope everyone is having a fun or restful holiday weekend. On the farm we are getting a bit of rest before the week begins. It seems like Summer has really hit. Our tomatoes are poised to hit high gear any day now and they are tasting really delicious. We always love the tomatoes; but this year the flavor seems exceptionally good especially for the early varieties/ Our small patch of corn (Cateto variety this year) is already 4-5’ tall, even with the limited amount of rain we have gotten here on the farm. All of a sudden it seems like our potatoes are ready to be dug, the garlic and onions have cured very quickly, eggplant and beans are producing, with peppers and okra some weeks behind. We have softball size watermelon and the winter squash is flowering like crazy. Oh and the weather is hot and humid, so yes Summer is most definitely here. This past week we began the first of our fall and winter transplanted crops (cabbage, cauliflower, fennel, and broccoli), meaning  we seeded cell trays that will be ready to plant in 4-6 weeks,. So as the new season sets in, we are off preparing for the next. This week we seed trays of late day chicories, bunching greens, and chinese cabbage. We are also set to transplant our last succession of tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers; as well as direct seed a summer round of arugula and our last succession of romano beans. Some of our farm spaces are full and abundant, while others are dry and open. These fields have recently been cleared of cover crop or spring crops and will now get ready for fall planting or cover cropping. We are looking forward to our upcoming CSA workday to help get some of the potatoes dug quickly, as they can rot if left in the ground once mature when temperatures are so high. As the season cycles continue year after year, there is always an enormous amount of timely work to be done once Summer arrives.
This week’s share will include the last spring cabbage, it holds well in the refrigerator so do not feel rushed to use it and relish in the greens, as they become more sparse with all this heat. We also will have the very first harvest of green beans for the season. They have been growing very slowly due to the dry and hot conditions; but seem mature and ready to be eaten. Both of these crops make great fresh salads; add some red onion, a little vinegar, sugar, salt, and oil. With beans,  blanch for 1-2 minutes, then chill before tossing with the other ingredients and some halved sungold tomatoes. Check the recipes below and enjoy the share…..Autumn and Brain

Cheesy Zucchini-Eggplant Bake

Salad of Chioggia Beets and Romano Beans

Cumin-Spiced Beet Salad with Yogurt and Preserved Lemon

Warm Cabbage and Green Beans

Eggplant in a Spicy Honey SauceThe New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
The sauce is a splendid example of the hot, spicy, and sweet combinations; which are a thrilling feature of North African cooking. Serve it cold with bread.
2 medium-large eggplants
olive oil
salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 inches fresh gingerroot, grated, or cut into pieces
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
large pinch cayenne or ground chili pepper, to taste
4-6 Tbls honey
juice of 1 lemon
2/3 cup water
Cut the eggplants into rounds about 1/3” thick. Do not peel them. Dip them in olive oil, turning them over, and cook on a griddle or under a broiler, turning them over once, until they are lightly browned. They do not need to be soft, as they will cook further in the sauce. In a wide saucepan or skillet, fry the garlic in 2 Tbls of the oil for seconds only, stirring, then take off the heat. Add the ginger, cumin, and cayenne or gorund chili pepper, honey, lemon juice, and water. Put in the eggplant slices and cook over low heat –either in batches, so they are in one layer, or together, rearranging them so that each slice gets some time in the sauce –for about 10 minutes, or until the slices are soft and have absorbed the sauce. Add a little water if necessary.

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