Weekly Share August 29th – September 4th

Parsley
Eggplant
Summer Squash
Heirloom Tomatoes
Arugula or Salad Mix
German White Garlic
Padron, Cubanelle, or Sweet Peppers

We cannot believe how time flies. The end of August and the end of our Spring/Summer share season. Finally we are caught up with our fall and winter seeding and planting, thanks to the small group who has been helping out through the Summer. Our CSA workday last Sunday was also such a treat as we were able to open up some finished crop land for future planting and fall cover cropping, an essential step in our long-term soil improvement practices. In many ways we are more “caught up” than we have ever been this time of year, although there is always a long to-do list. It is a struggle when the Summer is so hot to get the Fall crops going strong. We cannot even begin to think about seeding spinach in these temperatures. So we patiently wait and try to get as many crops in the ground as possible. Nursing them along by irrigating and addressing pest issues. At this point we would appreciate some low 80’s temperatures and some rain just to get our fall seeding germinating sufficiently and our transplants thriving. This very hot and dry summer (out in Prince Edward county we have had little rain for the past 2 months) has made us realize how much we need to address our inefficient irrigation system. It is simply not adequate for our needs as during this current weather we have to irrigate 12-18 hours per day just to cover a minimum of crops. Every two-three hours this can take 5-15 minutes to change from one section to another, meaning an hour per day just to change irrigation lines. In addition we are not able to get our crops the water they need and if we have learned one thing over the past 4 years, it is that when we irrigate properly, crops produce significantly better. There are of course many other factors at hand, but if they are not getting the water they need, it can be difficult to get healthy plants. This has been a difficult bean season for us through a culmination of deer eating plants, Mexican bean beetle infestation, and the shear heat; but multiple successions of beans have not gotten enough water to thrive, enough to survive, but not thrive. So this winter we will spend energy creating and investing in a workable efficient system capable of watering much more cropland at one time.
This week’s share revisits summer squash, our last succession for the year, paired with green and sweet peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and parsley. We love parsley; but it struggles through the very hot months. We are happy to see it finally growing back bushy and full as it goes wonderfully with the fruiting vegetables of this season. We are also including a small handful of garlic. It is fully cured and can be stored in a pantry or shaded location for many months. Enjoy the share…..Autumn and Brian

Zaalouk (Spicy Eggplant Salad) The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
1 ½ lb eggplant, peeled and cubed
5 cloves garlic, peeled
salt
3 large tomatoes (about 1 ½ lbs)
4 Tbls argan oil or mild extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbls wine vinegar
½ tsp harissa or a mixture paprika &ground chili pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Boil the eggplants with the garlic in plenty of salted water, in a pan covered with a lid, for about 30 minutes or until they are very soft. Drain and chop the eggplants and garlic in a colander, then mash them with a fork, pressing all the water out.
Put the tomatoes in the emptied pan and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes, or until reduced to a thick sauce, stirring occasionally. Mix with the mashed eggplants and the rest of the ingredients and add salt.
Variation: Add the juice of 1 lemon (instead of the vinegar) and 1 tsp ground caraway or coriander.

Golden Squash, Pepper, & Tomato Gratin from THE BEEKMAN

Roasted Eggplant, Green Pepper & Tomato Dip

Turkish eggplant and beef stew (musakka) recipe 

Sautéed Summer Squash with Parsley and Garlic

You Say Tomato, We Say Make These Recipes Immediately