August 23rd, 2023
What’s in your share?
Carrots
Heirloom and Slicing Tomatoes
Sweet Italian Frying Peppers
Sweet Bell Peppers
Shallots*
Russet Potatoes*
Cherry Tomatoes
*Shallots - are sort of in between an onion and garlic. They have a flavor similar to a red onion, but the flavor is more concentrated, like garlic. These shallots have been cured, so they should keep for months. They are great raw (milder than raw garlic and don’t stick around for as long on your breath as a red onion) or cooked.
Stuffed Poblanos: Pre-cook peppers at 350 for 20 minutes to soften, meanwhile make some rice with tomatoes and spices, cook some ground pork, and saute onions, peppers, and shallots. Mix the filling together and fill the peppers and finish baking for about ten minutes.
*Russet Potatoes - are a starchy potato ideal for baking. Baking them whole steams their insides, creating a fluffy texture that is ready to soak up some butter. It’s our first time growing this variety, so it was admittedly experimental. I mostly wanted to grow them because I love making gnocchi with this awesome recipe, and we know that a classic baked potato goes great with some corn and butter. We learned a couple things: 1) we probably should have planted them a little farther apart to encourage bigger spuds and 2) there was more mouse damage on this variety than we’ve ever seen on any potatoes we grow (and we grow a lot of potatoes)! That said, because of our scale, this might be the only time you ever see Russets in your shares from us. Its easier for us to specialize in growing a diverse array of potato varieties than to dedicate our limited bed space to getting really big potatoes.
*Potatoes in General - while packing shares, I always make sure to give each member similar sized potatoes: either you get all big ones, all medium ones, or all small ones. I do this because I find it makes food prep easier and its how I “shop” for myself in our house stock. I love roasting small potatoes whole or in half, and if all the potatoes are similar in size, it makes them cook more evenly and I have to think less when prepping. That said, I don’t keep track of who gets big ones or small ones, so if you find yourself always getting small ones or always getting big ones and aren’t happy with that, please let me know and I will make a note. We usually give 1.5 pounds per share.
Broiled eggplant with sautéed peppers and onions, bruschetta made with cherry tomatoes and shallots, and focaccia.
We’re using this hot day as an excuse to take a little breather from field work. Last week and the week before, the farm season peaked hard, and all of the sudden we’re sloping into fall. The onions and garlic are curing and almost ready to be cleaned and packed up for storage to be distributed through November. We’ve dug three of 14 beds of potatoes, and will be digging at least two every week for the next month. We have all the fall brassicas planted and row covered and we’re watering them daily to give them a solid start. The daily harvests are slowing; no more zucchini or cucumbers, and though we’re sad to lose them from our diets, the fruits are heavy and the plants have microscopic prickers all over them, so we’re glad to have a whole season to recover from those crops.
Today marks the 12th week of CSA, which means there are 12 weeks left! Buckle in, because we still have lots of produce coming your way. It’s pepper season! We have tons of sweet peppers. Sweet peppers are so easy to freeze and enjoy throughout the winter, so if you find yourself having a hard time keeping up, take a few minutes to slice them and freeze them for winter stir fries, fajitas, and chilis. Tomatoes are still rocking, but enjoy them while they’re here because fall comes fast, and I have a weird feeling we’re gonna get an early frost this year.