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News from the farm...
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I'm not sure it was intentional but maybe I missed writing the newsletter last week because all I could think to say was "It has been raining and raining and raining and we aren't able to do much of anything. Ugh!" These last few days of dry weather, though, have been the window we needed! Now, we've caught up on our planting and sowing outside, we're middle of picking up all the winter squash and digging all the potatoes and the farm has been mowed and is starting to look less jungle-like. Phew.
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Pre-orders: We LOVE them and they are making the difference for us in this crazy year. We feel so supported by your weekly orders, emotionally and financially, and we are honored that you all trust us to buy the produce sight un-seen.
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Substitutions: A couple of times this season, we've needed to substitute one variety of a vegetable for another. We don't have good way to let you know this is happening but please let us know if the sub doesn't work out and we will try to make it right.
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What's Available This Week
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The first of the colored sweet peppers are in the on line store this week as well as the first of our winter squash offering, spaghetti squash. The smaller, round orange type of spaghetti squash is particularly sweet. We will have a lot of winter squash coming your way so get ready! We are also offering fall plant starts: broccoli, cabbage, green kale, black/lacinato kale and rainbow swiss chard. Tomatoes, red and heirloom slicers, lots of cherry tomatoes and some cocktail quarts. Lettuce is still in limited supply so this week we have just red leaf and 1/2lb bags of lettuce mix. Sweet vidalia-type onions, yellow and red onions. Red and yellow potatoes, and a new variety pinto gold. Jalapenos and poblano hot peppers. Tons of mild shishito peppers for pan roasting. We still have plenty of cucumbers and a good amount of summer squash and green beans. We're on our last plantings of these crops so they won't last too much longer. Rainbow Swiss chard for cooking greens. Basil, Italian parsley and just a little cilantro.
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We've been digging all the potatoes by hand so far this year but it has finally dried out enough that we can use our potato digger. Yay!
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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 cooking observations and delicious recipes offerings appear here each week.
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Doubling up on John's delightful recipes since we missed last week:
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August 5: “If you really want to make friends, go to their house and eat with them… the people who give you their food give you their hearts.” Cesar Chavez
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PAPA’S GREEK BEANS – from “My Mother’s Southern Kitchen.” Martha Pearl Villas is from Charlotte. The cookbook written with her son, James, is a classic and worth having if you can find one. Many outstanding recipes are included. Note that the ingredients are for 6 to 8 people. We make a half recipe.
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Two or three fresh tomatoes chopped with juice
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2 medium size onions, finely chopped
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¼ cup olive oil (Greek if you have it)
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Snap the ends off the beans, break into 2 inch pieces and place in a large pot.
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Add the tomatoes to the beans along with the juice.
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Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with a slotted spoon.
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You may know that many Southerners cook their beans for a long time. A diner in Nashville puts their beans on at 4 am so they’ll be ready for the noon lunch. So the hour and a half isn’t much. You’ll also note that Martha Pearl didn’t add sugar, a popular green bean ingredient. Feel free to do so if you must, and pork which is glaringly missing from this dish.
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Off-season, this recipe works with high quality canned beans and tomatoes.
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“First we eat, and then we do everything else.” M.F.K. Fisher
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CAPRESE SALAD – This is a variation on Tupelo Honey’s recipe.
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What’s nice about caprese is that you can add anything you like since the base is tomatoes, basil and mozzarella cheese and olive oil. Use your best oil on this one. 4 servings
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4 medium heirloom tomatoes each cut into 4 slices
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12 one-ounce slices fresh mozzarella
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¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil
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Layer the tomatoes and mozzarella on plates, beginning and ending with the tomatoes. Place the grape tomatoes on top and around the stacks. Any tomato will work. The heirlooms are colorful and the little ones add a nice look.
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Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the Balsamic Reduction. You may use any vinaigrette you like or just the olive oil although the reduction is awfully good.
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Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
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Garnish with the basil. Tarragon and thyme are good substitutes or in combinations.
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BALSAMIC REDUCTION – Put 2 cups of the vinegar in a pan over low heat until reduced by half. Cool before using and do not refrigerate. Use immediately. Makes 1 cup
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Extra adds could be anchovies, olives, oregano and rosemary.
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Just a few of the many, many boxes of winter squash we harvested on Monday.
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Love the flowers. Honor the vegetables. Let the weeds go!
Your farmers, Vanessa and Alex
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