CSA Harvest Week 15: Tomato
Bounty!
We’re a couple of farmers who
can never make up our minds. First we
spend most of the summer wishing for less rain.
Then we celebrate when it drizzles all weekend! Why would we be happy for more water? Well, those seeds we mentioned planting last
week need even moisture to germinate. If
the rain doesn’t do it we have to spend several hours a day watering seeds
multiple times a day. So the nice even
drizzle we got over the weekend was perfect.
Now beets, salad turnips, radishes, and arugula are all up!
On the other hand…The
constant clouds have not been great for our summer crops. All of the basil has developed leaf molds
that ruin the quality of the leaves.
Instead of a nice deep green they have yellow splotches and when you
look at the underside of the leaf you can see black molds developing so, no
basil in this week’s box. A few sunny
days should help clear up the problem, we’ll see if that happens.
Eggplant update: Sadly the
weather has also not been conducive for eggplants either. The plants simply sit there, no flowers, no
fruit, just struggling for survival.
Fortunately, the tomatoes
under their tomato hoop house umbrellas have not had to endure wet leaves. The clouds slow down fruit ripening, but the
plants themselves are pretty healthy. Despite
the slow ripening the plants are producing a bounty of fruit so enjoy fresh,
ripe, organic tomatoes in your box all week!
Whatever the weather holds we
hope our diversity of vegetables and livestock will produce delicious food of
one kind or another. Kale, chard,
lettuce, and other fall crops are happy and growing even as the summer crops
are struggling. The pigs, sheep and
layer hens are pretty pleased with the cool weather and bounty of grass. , But, we’ve had to delay the tiny broiler
chicks’ exit from the sheltered brooder so they don’t get too wet in the rain. At this young age, they only have a fine
layer of downy feathers that aren’t very waterproof.
Thank you for your support
and appreciation-we couldn’t do it without you!
All of the kale and Swiss chard was planted 9 days ago...the plants are now 7 inches tall!
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| Little transplants: kale and Swiss chard in their trays |
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| Empty garden beds |
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| Little baby kales planted |
Farm Fresh Harvest
Beans, Chinese Red Noodle Beans ( and a few long green pole beans)- These long meaty beans cook just like green beans. They grow on a pole or trellis and the beans hang down like red noodles! The Greek Style Green Beans are a great recipe for these tasty beans. Or you can sauté them in olive oil with some garlic and onion for about 10 minutes. Then I add a splash of lemon juice and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Bell peppers- Crunchy! Bell peppers start out a rich green color and then ripen to a red, yellow, or orange color. We’ve got to hope that the plants cooperate and start to ripen soon. They ripen with sunshine in late August and September!
Tomatoes- The tomatoes have full ripe flavors since we grow them under the hoophouse, which keeps the rain from watering the flavor down.
Cherry tomatoes- Little gems of sunshine!
Summer squash and Zucchini- More tasty squash and zucchini. We have some healthy looking plants that have producing well lately. The green and yellow squashes are called Zephyr and they have a nutty flavor that is somewhere between squash and zucchini. Zephyr is well known for its unusual appearance and its great taste.
Cucumbers- Cucumbers come in all shapes and sizes. We grow little mini cucumbers, large crisp American slicers, and delicate slender European cucumbers.
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| Cherry tomatoes- little gems of sunshine |
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| Bright and cheery zucchini and squash |
Recipes
Sweet Basil, Tomato, and Summer Peach Salsa
1. Mix equal parts chopped slicing tomatoes and chopped fresh peaches in non-reactive bowl. (no metal bowls, they can make it taste funny)
2. Finely chop approximately 4 big leaves of basil or 8 small leaves of basil for every peach that you use.
3. Measure out approximately ½ teaspoon lime juice for every peach that you use.
4. Sprinkle basil and lime juice over tomatoes and peaches. Add salt to taste. Let salsa rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Keeps about 2 days in the fridge.
Greek Style Green Beans
This recipe is a new favorite here at the farm. The dish does take a while to cook, but requires hardly any attention.
Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
This great pasta salad recipe can be made with a variety of summer vegetables. It is easy to mix and match ingredients based on seasonal availability.
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 eggplant
4 tomatoes
4 portobello mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
Olive oil spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
4 oz. mozzarella, sliced
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Approximately 1 cup vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar
Heat/prepare an outdoor grill. Slice zucchini, squash, and eggplant into long ½ inch thick “planks.” Cut tomatoes in half. Remove stems from mushrooms. Cut pepper into quarters; discard core and seeds. Spray veggies with light coating of oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic; season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and barely tender. Chop and place in large bowl with pasta, cheese, nuts, and basil. Toss with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. 6-8 servings.
Late Summer Bruschetta
(from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
2-3 large tomatoes
1 crunchy sweet pepper
1 medium sweet onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Small handful fresh basil, chopped (optional)
Crusty bread (like baguette)
Shredded mozzarella or grated parmesan (optional)
Chop the vegetables into a midsize dice. Combine with garlic 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, and optional basil. Slice baguette down the middle and lay the two sides cut side up. Brush with additional 1-2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle on cheese, if using. Broil bread for several minutes until bread or cheese browns a bit. Top the sections (you may cut them smaller, if desired) with some of the vegetable mixture. Makes 4 servings
Mediterranean Salsa
Fresh flavor! This is a great salsa, salad or pita stuffing.
1 medium cucumber, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely diced, remove as much of the spicy ribs and seeds as needed
1 bell pepper, diced
1 bunch parsley, finely diced
2/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup pitted kalamata olives
Juice from 1-2 fresh lemons
Combine all ingredients and toss well. Let marinate at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.
How about some green bean recipe ideas? You can use the Chinese Red Noodle Beans in place of any green bean. Martha Stewart provides inspiration again…
Healthy Green Bean Recipes
Three Bean Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
If you don’t have watercress or mache on hand (and you won’t, because mache doesn’t grow here when green beans grow), you can use arugula, lettuce, or any other salad green,
Grilled Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad (from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce)
This great pasta salad recipe can be made with a variety of summer vegetables. It is easy to mix and match ingredients based on seasonal availability.
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 eggplant
4 tomatoes
4 portobello mushrooms
1 red bell pepper
Olive oil spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound penne, cooked, rinsed, and cooled
4 oz. mozzarella, sliced
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Approximately 1 cup vinaigrette made with balsamic vinegar
Heat/prepare an outdoor grill. Slice zucchini, squash, and eggplant into long ½ inch thick “planks.” Cut tomatoes in half. Remove stems from mushrooms. Cut pepper into quarters; discard core and seeds. Spray veggies with light coating of oil. Sprinkle with minced garlic; season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred and barely tender. Chop and place in large bowl with pasta, cheese, nuts, and basil. Toss with vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. 6-8 servings.
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