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Summer cover crop in full bloom
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What's happening on the farm right now:
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We've been picking up the winter squash this week. Most years we have them all up in the barn and curing by now but this year's harvest has been late. Usually we wait until the squash vines have totally died back. That's how we know the fruit is mature and we don't have to reach through scratchy squash leaves to harvest. This year the vines still haven't completely died, as you can see in the picture below, but the squash is ready so we're picking them up any way. It looks to be a bumper year for the delicata, honeynut, butternut and kabocha.
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Ann Rene in the middle of the butternut patch, working hard and still smiling!
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Theo, also in the squash patch, had another encounter with a snake this week.
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What's available in the store and at market this week?
More varieties of winter squash, delicata, honeynut, acorn and angel hair spaghetti. Also, we've got green curly kale for the first time this fall and beets with tops are back as well. Summer crops are slowing down, most noticeably the cucumbers and red slicing tomatoes. We still have heirloom, cherry and cocktail tomatoes. The summer squash looks good for now but is likely be to done in a couple of weeks. Lettuce mix and head lettuce. Swiss chard, potatoes and onions. Lots of basil so make your winter's supply of pesto now. We have a great deal on 1 pound bags of basil. Eggplant and a little cilantro.
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The dahlias are looking as gorgeous as ever and we'll have sweet celosias at market that are good for drying. Mixed bouquets as well.
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North Asheville Tailgate Market hours are
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Saturdays 8am-12pm on the campus of UNC Asheville.
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River Arts District Farmers Market hours are
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Wednesdays 3-6pm at the Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Drive.
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First of the 2023 delicata
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John's Recipe of the Week
| John Loyd is our dear friend, neighbor, CSA worker member and a gourmet Southern cook. His delightful observations on gardening and cooking appear here each week. |
“Diet tip, don’t!”. (But if you do, the recipe below is a good place to start.)
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MIXED VEGETABLES WITH LIME DRESSING – This recipe is from a Rick Bayless cookbook “Authentic Mexican”. I know people who get overnight layovers when passing through Chicago so they can eat at his restaurant, the Frontera Grill.
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You can use anything you may have on hand. This salad makes for a nice first course.
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2 cups of any or all of the following: carrots, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch-thick; small potatoes sliced 1/8-inch-thick; beets, peeled and sliced
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2 cups any or all of green beans, cut in half
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2 cups of any or all: radishes, sliced really thin; cucumbers, peeled and seeded if desired, sliced 1/8-inch-thick; tomatoes, cored and sliced 1/8 thick
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3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
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½ cup half vegetable and half olive oil
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1 ½ tbsp. finely chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
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The salad is garnished with one hardboiled egg, sliced thinly, one thick slice red onion, broken into rings, and 2 tbsp. crumbled Mexican or other fresh cheese like feta or farmer’s cheese.
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In a large pan with a steamer boil water and steam carrots, potatoes or beets in separate piles. The beets will turn everything red so stack them carefully. Cover tightly and steam 8 to 12 minutes until vegetables are a bit firm. Note: some vegetables may be ready before others.
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Cool vegetables in separate groupings on a tray. Next, steam the green beans and/or peas, tightly covered for 5 to 8 minutes. Cool them with the other vegetables. In a large bowl mix together the radishes, cucumbers and/or tomatoes and the well-drained cooked vegetables.
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For the dressing, measure the lime juice, oil, salt, pepper and optional coriander in a small bowl and whisk or put it in a jar and shake. Pour on to the vegetables, and toss.
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To serve you can line the edge of the platter with lettuce leaves and watercress. Toss the vegetables once again and scoop on the platter. Top with slices of the egg, rings of red onion, and sprinkle with the cheese.
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We dropped this little one off at college last weekend.
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She looks like this now except for in my heart!
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Your farmers, Vanessa and Alex
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Love the flowers. Honor the vegetables. Let the weeds go!
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- Cheri Huber and Ashwini Narayanan
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