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Long rows of beets sprouting
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News from the farm...
In the summer, the farm fields become three dimensional with trellises and tall crops growing up here and there. 6 foot sunflowers bloom all over the farm and it almost feels like different rooms are created. Now, in late summer, the farm is being flattened out again. Fields are being emptied, mown down and prepped for the fall cover crop. What is being sown is generally low growing, beets, carrots, spinach, lettuce, turnips, radishes. It is one of the pleasures of farming to watch a plan made on paper grow up over the season and then melt back down again, becoming a clean slate to imagine upon the next year.
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We wanted to let you know that our daughters head back to school in the next coming weeks. Both girls will be attending classes in person and with that comes increased exposure to other people for them and us. We feel that their schools are taking strong measures to keep the children safe but no plan is full proof. In that light, all of us on the farm will be doing more hand washing, more mask wearing, more social distancing to minimize contact and keep each other safe and the produce clean. The good news is that, according to the CDC and the FDA, there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. Here is a link to a page that keeps saying that over and over again. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/food-and-COVID-19.html.
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Perfection in a cherry tomato.
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What's Available This Week
Kales are back in the online farm stand, green curly, red ursa and black kale.They're very tender right now. Rainbow Swiss chard is our other greens offering. We've added delicata to our winter squash line up and you can expect to see sunshine, acorn and mini butternuts in the next week or so. Three kinds of potatoes, pinto gold, yellow and red. Colored sweet peppers, both bell and Italian types. Hot peppers, jalapenos and poblanos. Eggplants, Japanese, Italian and fairytale. For tomatoes, we have our mixed heirlooms, red slicing, sweet cherries and a mix of cocktail. Lettuce mix only for this week end. No head lettuce. We hope to have more of all kinds of lettuce by next week. Lots of basil, cucumbers and zephyr summer squash. Parsley. Have I mentioned our beautiful dahlias recently? They are blooming like crazy. They don't have the longest vase life but they make up for it with exquisite-ness. Mixed bouquets.
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Below is Sam looking happy driving the new tractor and on his way to plant more lettuce. Thank you Sam for your even good nature and ready smile.
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Some folks might call this a patch of the farm that hasn't been mowed in a while but they are lacking in vision. Imagine what a feast this would look like if you were a pollinator!
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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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Julia Child quoted Oscar Wilde when she said, “everything in moderation…including moderation.”
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Here’s little something to add to the greens you cook, whether you sauté or boil them. Based on how many greens you cook, sauté a chopped onion in butter for 3 or 4 minutes, until soft, add the greens and serve. A spicey olive oil is good also.
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KURT SPIRIDAKIS’S OVEN ROASTED EGGPLANT – Kurt has moved to a Greek Island where he builds boats and cooks. Serves 4
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Enough eggplant for 2 cups, chopped (about 1lb or two medium Italian eggplants)
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2 teaspoons dried oregano
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1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)
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4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (about 1 cup)
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Preheat your oven to 450F
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Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the eggplant and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and beginning to get tender. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon of the oregano.
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Pour the eggplant into a glass-baking dish. Cover with the tomatoes; add salt and pepper to taste and the remaining oregano. Sprinkle with the feta, cover with foil and bake for 24 to 30 minutes, until the feta begins to melt.
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Remove from the oven and let the dish rest for 5 to 10 minutes to allow the eggplant to “drink up the liquid”, as they say in Greece.
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Serve as a hot salad, side, or part of a meal with bread.
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With the hard rains we've been having, our clay soil tends to crust and this makes it hard for seeds to germinate. This is carrot found a crack in the crust to sprout up through. Thank you, carrot, for your determination.
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Love the flowers. Honor the vegetables. Let the weeds go!
Your farmers, Vanessa and Alex
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