TOMTEN FARM

Carrots
Red Candy Onions
Zephyr and Safari Squash
Serrano and Jalapeno Chilies
Heirloom or Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatillos

Tomatillo And Tomato Salad

Late-summer tomato & carrot salad

Salsa Verde Recipe

Grilled Zucchini Tacos

Easy Calabacitas Recipe

South Indian Style carrot salad

Tomatoes
Sangre Potatoes
Shishito Peppers
Eggplant or Romano Green Beans
Genovese Basil
Cucumber
Garlic

Braised Romano Beans

Blistered Shishito Peppers with Olive-and-Basil Salt

Creamy Cucumber and Grilled Potato Salad

Cucumber-Basil Egg Salad

Tiella di patate, cipolle e pomodori (Potato, Onion and Tomato Casserole)

Aloo Baingan (Eggplant And Potato Curry)

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 Sauce –The 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.

Fennel
Early Tomatoes
Red New Potatoes
Cucumbers
Herbs
Garlic

This seems like a strange time to talk about what is happening on the farm or to suggest recipes. We will be dedicating our energies to figuring out our personal path in addressing the larger national crises at hand. Eat well, be strong, and enjoy the share….Autumn and Brian

Beets
Swiss Chard
Genovese Basil
Escarole or Frisee
Cousa, Safari, & Zephyr Squash
Candy Onions
Something Extra

Summer Squash and Basil Pasta

Marcella Hazan’s Pesto

Beet and Escarole Salad with Avocado and Walnuts

Provençal Zucchini and Swiss Chard Tart

Roasted Beet Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing

Bibb Lettuce
Russian Kale
Spring Carrots
Napa Cabbage
Cucumbers (Suyo Long & Marketmore)
Radishes
Broccoli
Garlic

Another busy week and its looking to get busier and hotter as we approach the solstice. Already we are looking towards filling up the greenhouse with Fall and Winter crops, while just beginning to get into the Summer crops and holding onto our Spring crops for awhile longer. Even though we had an extraordinarily rainy week a little while back, it has actually been quite dry, so certain crops like our potatoes and early beans are slow growing at this point. We are inundated with cucumbers and squash though and the broccoli is still pumping strong. Many of the items in this week’s share will be in small volume, as the heat has really hit some crops back. This will be the last of the kale, radishes, and broccoli until September. One of my favorite ways to use Napa cabbage is to make into a quick slaw style salad, with whatever is around and dressed with a touch of sesame oil and soy, sweetened rice vinegar, muddled garlic, ginger, and salt and a squeeze of lime. Have herbs through it in, grate carrots and radishes, chop up broccoli into small pieces stem and all. It is delicious and fresh. Enjoy the share……Autumn & Brian

Kale and Cucumber Salad with Roasted Ginger Dressing

Korean Cucumber and Radish Salad

Chinese-style kale

Chinese Restaurant Style Stir Fried Napa Cabbage

Cabbage Fried Rice

Fennel
Cucumber
Swiss Chard
Iceburg Lettuce
Tendersweet Cabbage
Tropea Onions
Fresh Garlic
Cilantro
extra: Summer Squash

Iceburg Lettuce, Cucumber, Bacon, & Egg Salad

Iceberg Salad with Italian Dressing

Fennel, Orange, and Cabbage Slaw

Spicy Chicken and Cabbage Salad

Tahini-Smothered Charred Cabbage

Grilled Fish Tacos With Cilantro Lime Cabbage Slaw

Creamed Chard and Spring Onions

Avocado and Fennel Salad

Summer Squash & Zucchini
Broccoli or Fava Beans
Russian Kale
Candy Spring Onions
Bibb Lettuce
Escarole
Beets
Dill

So the pristine, beautiful Spring veggies are now fading due to some rot and increased bug pressure that comes from the heat, especially when followed damp, wet, humid conditions with little air flow. I mean the sun barely came out for five days and while we enjoyed working in the cool temperatures it is less than ideal for the crops. The lettuce will look a bit rougher, the delicate cutting greens will become less abundant, some crops a bit over saturated by the water and less healthy (i.e. will not hold as long in your refrigerator as a few weeks ago) and well the bugs wreak all kinds of havoc. So it looks like Summer is coming. Our early tomatoes are full of flowers, the first squash plants are immense (they love the water) and producing like crazy plus the onions are getting bigger every day. It is now time for a little more heat and sun to keep things growing and flowering. As soon as the fields dry up a bit we will be seeding our okra and Asian long beans which signals that Summer is close by.
This week’s share will include some squash, both zephyr and a new costata romenesco type that we are excited about. Every year we are really looking forward to the first of the summer squash, as it has been away for almost 8 months and in comparison to most of the leafy, crisp spring veggies it offers more density and meatiness. Zucchini or summer squash is a perfectly seasonal vegetable, it pairs so well with young garlic flavors, fava beans, herbs, cooking greens, and sweet onions; the spring flavors. We hope you are as excited for its return. Eat it sautéed with dill and lemon, hot or cold , or however you like it. Check out the recipes below and enjoy the share….Autumn & Brian

Polenta Bowl With Garlicky Summer Squash & Kale

Fava Bean and Beet Salad

Tagliolini with Fava Beans, Leeks, and Zucchini

Beet and Onion Salad

Escarole and Roasted Broccoli Salad with Anchovy Dressing

Escarole Salad with Bacon, Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Zucchini Salad With Raisins and Pine Nuts – The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
The combination of raisins and pine nuts was brought by the Arabs all the way to Spain and Sicily.
1 lb Zucchini
4 Tbls Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbls Pine Nuts
2 Tbls Black or Gold Raisins or Currants
1 clove Garlic, crushed and chopped
Salt and Pepper
2 tsp dried mint (optional)
Juice of ½ Lemon, or more
Saute the Zucchini quickly in the oil with the pine nuts, raisins, and garlic. Add salt and pepper and dried mint, if using, and cook, stirring, over moderate heat until the zucchini slices are just tender. Serve hot or cold with lemon juice squeezed over the salad.

Roz bel Ful Ahdar (Rice with Fava Beans) the New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
In Egypt this is prepared in the Spring, when fava beans are very young and tender. It is served hot as an accompaniment to meat, or cold with yogurt and a salad. Egyptians do not remove the skins of the beans.
1 pound fresh fava beans, shelled
salt
vegetable oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic or 1 green garlic stalk, minced white & greens
1 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 1/2 cups basmati or long-grain rice (wash)
pepper
2 ¼ cup water
Boil the beans in salted water for a few minutes, until they are tender, then drain. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add the garlic and stir for a minute or two. Then add the drained beans and sauté a little, stirring and turning them over. Add the rice, and stir until transparent. Add the salt, pepper, and chopped dill and pour in the water. Bring to a boil and simmer over low heat, covered, for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender.

Fava Beans or Broccoli
Mustard Greens
Yu Choy
Daikon Radish
Garlic Scapes or Scallions
Mignonette or Red Leaf Lettuce
Mesclun Salad Mix

The last few days on the farm have been a harsh reminder of what the next few months has in store. It has been very hot and humid and without acclimating it is difficult to subject oneself to it for hours at end. In addition grass pollination is at its peak so the air is not only heavy; but thick. We are looking forward to the upcoming rain and cool if only for a few days and remembering that our summer crops want this heat to get going. Over the past week we have added over a half dozen crops to our harvest list, the first of the cucumber, squash, cabbage, chinese cabbage, escarole, daikon, yu choy, broccoli and fava beans. Normally our favas come in early May but this winter due to lack of protection in the field, we lost most of the crop. So in February we decided to replant but the fields were too wet, so we used some open space in a high tunnel. Hence our crop is a bit later to mature and we only began harvest this past week. They have grown fast and sturdy; but due to a few prior heat waves, the plants dropped a lot of their flowers and even with a shade cloth it is hard to keep these temperate plants happy with 95degree days. So our season will be short and sweet. Enjoy them while you can.
In this week’s share we are continuing the celebration of greens, as May is when greens are at there best. Many of these crops are Asian varietals, so they can pair together well. Yu choy is very mild and has a great texture with a slightly crunchy stalk and delicate flowers. It can be paired well with the more sturdy and spicy mustard greens in either a simple soup (miso based or chicken stock) or a stir-fry. Mustard greens do really well finely chopped before being cooked as they are a flavor bomb and can really elevate any dish. They are also delicious pickled. Daikon radish is another robust crop, wonderful in a myriad of pickled forms (salted, vinegar brined, base for kimchi, sweet vinegar pickle snack) but also can be great in an Indian style curry or any stir-fry. Check out the recipes below and enjoy the share……Autumn & Brian

Stir Fried Chinese Mustard Greens

Stir Fried Fava Beans With Szechuan Peppercorns

Broccoli and Scallions With Thai-Style Vinaigrette

Radish and Garlic Scape Toast

Young Scallions with Miso Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Very thin young scallions
Organic brown rice miso
Clean the scallions. Cut off the root bottoms and any brown tapering of the tops. Peel off the tough or discolored outer layers. Spoon out a dollop of miso onto a medium sized plate. To eat, dip the scallion into the miso, scooping up about the same volume of miso to scallion.  This simple dish makes a fresh before dinner appetizer and is especially good with mixed drinks or a beer.

Daikon and Daikon Leaf Salad
1 medium-small daikon
1 TB Sea Salt
2 small or 1 medium Yuzu (or substitute Meyer Lemon)
2 TB Organic Miso
2 TB Organic Rice Vinegar
4 TB Organic Rapeseed Oil
2 TB Slivered Scallions
Slice the daikon into manageable lengths.  Cut those pieces in half vertically and slice lengthwise into fine slabs.  Lay those slabs flat on the cutting board and slice into fine julienned strands about 1.5 inches long.  Put the julienned daikon into a medium-sized bowl as you go.  Chop a large handful of the most tender leaves medium -fine and add to the julienned daikon.  Sprinkle with the salt and massage in gently.  Let sit for 10 minutes.  Pare off the yellow zest of a yuzu or meyer lemon with a sharp knife, avoiding the white pith.  Stack roughly and slice into fine slivers.  Muddle the miso with the vinegar and whisk in the oil until emulsified.  Squeeze the daikon and daikon leaves in handfuls and drop into a clean bowl.  Toss with the yuzu peel and onion greens.  Give the dressing a quick whisk and fold into the daikon right before serving.  Ratio: miso:rice vinegar:oil – 1:1:2

Smashed Fava Beans, Pecorino, and Mint on Toast Six Seasons  by Joshua McFadden
This is a loose pesto of fava beans and mint, with plenty of olive oil. Use it as a pasta sauce or as a dip for vegetables, spoon it over crushed new potatoes, or spread some on toasted country bread.
1 ¼ lb Fava Beans in their pods
1 stalk green garlic roughly chopped
4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves
salt & pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 – ½” thick slices bread
Shell the fava beans. Blanch beans for about 30 seconds in boiling salted water and then rinse well with very cold water. If desired, make a small slit on the bean, gently squeeze out two halves of the bean and peel off the membrane skin (it can be a little tough).
Put the green garlic and a pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse a few times. Add half the mint leaves and pulse a few more times so the garlic is fairly fine. Add the peeled favas and 1 Tbls olive oil and pulse again. Your goal is to bash up the favas but not completely puree them. You may need to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl between pulses.
Scrape the mixture into a bowl, season with some pepper, and stir in 1/8 cup grated pecorino cheese and the lemon juice, and adjust the consistency with olive oil so that its loose and luscious. Brush the bread on one side with olive oil and grill or broil until crisp. Arrange on plates, top with the fava mixture and the rest of the mint leaves, torn if their big, and finish with a nice shower of grated pecorino and a drizzle of oil.

Arugula
Swiss Chard
Hakurei Turnips
Carrots or Sugar Snap Peas
Scallions or Garlic Scapes
Red Gold New Potatoes
Frisee
Dill

Looking back at past seasons and this week’s share is surprisingly similar to the 2^nd or 3^rd week of many seasons. It is filled with springy goodness like dill, peas, frisee, scallions, and scapes. Many of these veggies want to be served in a frittata or have a soft boiled or poached egg on top , so get some eggs and really good butter and make a lot of salads. Either this week or next everyone will get garlic scapes, as our main garlic planting is just beginning to produce and with the coming heat wave, this seasonal delicacy will be short lived. Normally we have garlic scapes for 2-3 weeks each May and we look forward to them all spring.  A longish scape will be equivalent to 1-2 cloves of garlic. You can mash them, mince them, or use in bigger pieces for some garlic punch. The scape would eventually become the flower bud on each garlic plant. By pulling them out, more energy is put into growing the bulb, making for larger garlic in the end. The scape on its own is tender with a little crunch and has a superb garlic flavor without a ton of heat. They will store in a plastic bag for at least 3 weeks, but can also be pickled using the brine for a basic dilly bean recipe and they make amazing additions to any pickle plate. Other options for the scapes are making garlic butter (blend the scapes, mix with softened butter and a little salt, then using wax paper make the butter into a log roll, wrap in plastic wrap, freeze, and use as needed.) or garlic scape pesto. Feel free to use them as a substitute for garlic in recipes, just add more volume than recipe requires, as the scapes are definitely more subtle than a clove of garlic. We also have some delicious new potatoes. Each winter we plant a small amount of early potatoes in one of our protected tunnels so the CSA can have something more substantial in the early weeks of the season. It is a bit of a tease as our field crops will begin producing about a month from now, so relish in this sneak peek of the moment. Check out the recipes below and enjoy the share……Autumn & Brian

Snap Peas With Dill Butter

Frisée Salad with Poached Eggs and Bacon

Potato Salad with Yogurt, Arugula, and Dill

Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Dill

Hakurei Turnip Sautée with Ginger, Carrots and Sugarsnap Peas

Greens Gratin
Use 2 garlic scapes to replace garlic cloves in the recipe

Turnip Salad with Yogurt, Herbs, and Poppy Seeds Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden
Serve this dish right away; otherwise things may get a bit soggy.
1 bunch Japanese Turnips with their greens trimmed leaving ¼” stem
1 lemon halved
½ tsp chile flakes
½ cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not greek style)
1 cup lightly packed mixed herbs: mint, chives, dill, parsley, cut into 2” lengths
4 scallions, trimmed, sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, then drained well
salt & pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup poppy seeds
Slice the turnips lengthwise as thin as you can. If you have a mandolin, use it; otherwise make sure your knife is sharp and just go slowly. Soak the slices in ice water for 15-20 minutes, then drain very well.
Rinse, dry, and roughly chop the turnip greens. Put the turnips in a bowl and squeeze in about half the lemon. Add the chile flakes, ½ tsp salt, and many twists of pepper, toss and blend. Add the yogurt and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning so they are quite bright. Add the herbs, scallions, and ¼ cup olive oil and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Scatter half the poppy seeds on the bottom of a platter or individual serving plates, top with the turnip salad, and finish with the rest of the poppy seeds. Serve right away.

Sugar Snap Peas with Mustard Seeds and Tarragon from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden
I keep all the seasons in check here because what I really want to taste are the delicately sweet snap peas.
1 ½ tsp yellow mustard seeds
¼ tsp cumin seeds
extra-virgin olive oil
½ pound sugar snap peas, strings pulled off
kosher salt & black pepper
1 Tbls unsalted butter
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
¼ lemon
1/8 cup lightly packed tarragon leaves
¼ cup lightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
Put the mustard and cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat and toast until the spices become fragrant, shaking the pan so nothing burns, about 4 minutes. Be careful because the mustard seeds pop. Pour them onto a plate to cool.
Heat a small glug of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the snap peas, season lightly with slat and pepper, and sauté for a minute or two.
Add 1/8th cup water to the pan and quickly cover it. Steam the snap peas for a minute or so, then uncover. The peas should be approaching crisp-tender. Once the water has evaporated, add the butter and the toasted seeds and cook for another minute.
Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice, the tarragon, and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Serve warm.