Week #18, “Midseason” review

Bringing a load of winter squash from the field on a lovely fall afternoon.

Most years, we offer a midseason review to answer questions and share how the farm is faring.  Dang, we sped right past the August 11 midpoint this year, distracted by a few things.

Our thoughts:  
It’s been a very good growing season so far.  It started too dry for our taste, forcing Steve to work around-the-clock on irrigation.  Still, a dry spring and early summer establishes healthy crops with less disease.  Now we are getting steady rain and our fall and winter crops are growing nicely.

Melons were the absolute low point of the year, succumbing to a disease called anthracnose.  We lost three quarters of our crop, never harvesting a single melon from our third field.  We’ve seen this disease before, but always as a minor, late season problem.  This will get winter attention and research.  We are sad that we had fewer melons for you this year, but it was out of our hands.

High points of the season so far include abundant and luscious sweet corn, cucumbers, peppers and better-than-usual tomatoes.  Many crops have done well, but these ones stand out.  We’ll have tomatoes for you for a few more weeks (in smaller quantities) but their season will end soon.  Peppers will continue longer, assuming we protect the plants from frost.  All the fall crops are doing well so there will be lots of tasty options each week.

Now, let’s respond to member questions and comments.

Q: I am sorry to hear that you are short-handed this year.
A:  Actually, we have a full crew now!  It took a while, with stops and starts as we hired in spring and again in midsummer.  We were definitely short-handed earlier in the year.  That was hard.  Fortunately, we have ended up with a terrific crew.  Each person we hired is charming in their own way.  It’s been a peaceful and fun summer with them.  I’ll write again soon with more details about who is working for us this season.  

Hiring has been a strange process this year.  Between people yelling at me about COVID during phone interviews to new employees ghosting us on their first day, it has been odd.  Honestly, who accepts a job then quits the day they are scheduled to begin work??  Obviously, hiring has been a widespread problem for many employers.  In this environment, we feel lucky and grateful to have put together such a great crew.

Q: Will there be eggplant in the boxes?
A: Sadly, our eggplant crop was a complete failure, decimated by bugs early and repeatedly. We will plant again next year.

Q: What about broccoli?
A: Broccoli will be in the CSA boxes soon.  The plants look great.  Heads have formed and harvests should begin in the next two weeks.  Cauliflower heads are forming too and will be ready in October.

Q:  We missed the berry and tomato u-picks.  Will there be more chances to visit the farm?  
A:  Watch for emails from us!

Q:  How is everyone’s health?
A:  We are all doing fine, recovered/recovering from surgery and aware that Steve, Sophie and I are beneficiaries of modern medicine this summer.  We are back to normal and grateful for that.  Thank you for your patience during my recovery, and for your sweet emails and notes.  I know there were delays in answering emails.  If there’s anything I missed, please send an email again.

Thank you for reading!
Beth

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #18, Sept 22/23, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Bok choy
Romano beans, 0.8 – 0.9 lb
Acorn winter squash, 2
Slicing tomatoes, ~4 lb
Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Mixed bell & frying peppers
Red onion
Jalapeño chile (HOT), 1
Basil, 1 bunch
Korean Red garlic, 1 bulb

Next week’s box will probably contain Romano beans, winter squash, fall greens, peppers, tomatoes and more.

Bok choy (rosette with thick white stems and green leaves) – This Asian green is good for stir-frying or sautéing or in soup. You can think of the stems and leaves as two separate vegetables. The stems require longer cooking. The leaves will cook almost as quickly as spinach. Bok choy stores well, so feel free to pull off leaves as you need them, or use the whole head at once.  
Storage: Refrigerate in a plastic bag or other container.

Romano beans – Romano beans are more robust and meaty than green beans.  They are excellent raw but really shine when gently cooked for a long time.  Here’s a pep talk from Tipi member Steve Rankin:

“You have finally sold me.  I have never been a fan of Romano beans.  This week I have been sautéing them with various peppers, garlic and oregano.  They are especially tasty with poblanos.  Lots of black pepper and some soy sauce, which makes the pan sticky.  I deglaze the pan with wine and braise them in the wine. I’m sold!”

Acorn winter squash – You will receive squash of one or two of these acorn varieties: ‘Carnival’ or ‘Heart of Gold’ or ‘Starry Night’.  All are cured, ready to eat, and tasty.  Eat within two weeks, as they will decline after that.  Acorn squash are not meant for storage of any length.  Plus, we will be sending more next week!  Skins of these types are not edible.  It’s best to cook the squash, then remove the skins, eg by scooping while eating.  It’s difficult to peel these types while raw because of their ridges.
Storage: Store at room temperature for two weeks but keep an eye on your squash and cook promptly if they start to deteriorate.

Clockwise from top left; Carnival, Starry Night, Heart of Gold

RECIPES by DEB

Photo by debslunch

Make-ahead pizza dough and topping suggestions

With a little planning ahead, you can have homemade pizza on a homemade crust on a weeknight! This recipe makes enough dough for three 10-12 inch thin pizzas. I often top and cook two to eat right away and partially bake the third to freeze, top, and cook another day. And if you don’t have time to make the dough, Tipi veggies are so delicious they will improve even store-bought crust.

Takes 15 minutes to mix the dough, plus overnight to rise in the refrigerator
Makes crust for three 10-12 inch thin pizzas.

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water (about 80°)
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour – bread flour if you have it, or unbleached white, or use up to one cup whole wheat

1. Pour the water into a large mixing bowl, preferably the bowl of a stand mixer, if you have one. Sprinkle in the yeast and leave for about 10 minutes. The yeast should bubble; if not you might want to start over with fresher yeast.
2. Add the salt, olive oil, and 3 cups flour. Mix with the paddle attachment until you have a soft dough that’s pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it doesn’t, add the additional flour, up to 1/2 a cup – you want a soft but not too sticky dough. When all the flour is incorporated, let the mixer knead the dough for you, on medium speed for about 4 minutes. I continue with the paddle for kneading, but if you have a dough hook for your mixer, by all means switch. Alternatively, mix in the flour with a large wooden spoon, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead by hand for about 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, and sprinkle it with flour. Turn the dough out onto a well floured surface – if you are kneading by hand it will already be there – and divide it into three equal portions. Form each portion into a ball, and flour it – I like to drop the ball right into my flour canister – and arrange the balls on the baking sheet. Cover with a lid or a damp towel or a large plastic bag, and refrigerate for 8 hours or up to two days.
4. When you ready to make pizza, oil your pizza pans with olive oil, or line with parchment. Heat the oven to 450°. Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll one piece out on floured surface until it’s about the size of your pan. You can get fancy and spin it in the air if you like! Transfer the dough to the pan, pour about a teaspoon of olive oil on it and continue stretching to the sides of your pan. Don’t worry if you can’t get it all the way to the edge at this point – let it relax and rise while you prepare the toppings and do a final stretch right before topping. Repeat with the other dough pieces.
5. Top the crust and bake for 15-20 minutes until brown and bubbling. See below for topping suggestions.

 
Topping suggestions:

1. The pizza shown uses ingredients from this week’s box, sliced tomatoes and frying peppers and purple onion, with a mix of grated provolone and mozzarella cheese – about 1 1/2 cups grated cheese. Put a layer of cheese on the bottom crust, add the vegetables, brush with olive oil, and then top with a little more cheese. You could also add sliced or minced fresh garlic.
2. Also suggested by this week’s box is roasted squash, caramelized onion, and goat cheese, although the squash this week might be a bit difficult to peel and cut into cubes to roast – this works better with butternut or delicata. Here’s a recipe for roasted delicata squash, prosciutto, and goat cheese pizza.
3. Red sauce (see recipe below), sausage, and peppers. You’ll need about 1/4 pound Italian sausage per pizza, either bulk or one link, casing removed, and about one large pepper. I suggest pre-cooking the sausage, and adding the sliced pepper – and throw in some fennel seeds and extra garlic!

 
Red sauce for pizza
2 pounds peeled and seeded tomatoes, plum preferred
1 large red bell pepper, roasted
2 (or more!) cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano, or Penzey’s Frozen Pizza Seasoning, or two tablespoons chopped fresh basil – stirred in after cooking
large pinch of kosher salt
a shake of red pepper flakes
1-2 tablespoons tomato paste

Combine the tomatoes, roasted pepper, and garlic in a food processor, and puree until smooth. Pour into a wide deep skillet over medium heat, and add the dried herbs, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 40-45 minutes, until thickens and the garlic doesn’t smell – or taste – raw any longer. Stir in the tomato paste, and fresh basil if using. Can be frozen.
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Photo by Linda Xiao for The New York Times

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy

By Colu Henry in The New York Times.
From Colu Henry: “This one pot, Thai-influenced dish couldn’t be easier to assemble, and its beautiful presentation makes it look like you spent a lot longer on dinner than you actually did.  The poaching liquid does double duty by gently cooking the fish and wilting the bok choy.”  
Substitute torn basil leaves for the cilantro.
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Simple Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry

From Two Kooks In The Kitchen
This recipe includes a stir fry trick I had not tried before – tossing the chicken with a small amount of mayonnaise before frying, to keep it from sticking. It works great! You can also make this recipe with the Bok Choy or Koji greens in this week’s box, and include the optional pepper.
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Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

From Well-Plated by Erin
Feel free to omit the mushrooms in the recipe, and sub in basil for the fresh thyme – or use dried.
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Photo by Gena Hamshaw

Warm Winter Squash Bowl

From The Full Helping
Bok Choy or Koji greens can replace the kale in this recipe, and if it’s too hard to peel the squash, you can roast it in the shell and scoop the cooked squash into your bowl.
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Photo by Rebecca Katz

Tricolor Pepper Salsa with Cherry Tomatoes

From REBECCAKATZ.COM
This recipe makes a small batch of fresh salsa with basil, peppers, and cherry tomatoes. It only calls for six cherry tomatoes – you might want to throw in a few more! If you don’t have parsley, use more basil.
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Parmesan Roasted Acorn Squash

From Allrecipes.com
Rather than roasting the squash with the more customary sweet glaze, this recipe goes to the savory side, roasting the squash with Parmesan cheese and olive oil.

Week #17, Sept 15/16, 2022

Pepper ID

I am posting photos of the types of peppers we grow, so you can recognize the ones you receive this week. You will receive three, four or five peppers depending on size.  The only hot pepper is the cayenne chile, which is packed in your paper bag of potatoes, so you can recognize it.  All other peppers this week are sweet.

Bell peppers (sweet) are blocky and thick-walled, great for salads, stuffing, grilling, and roasting, where their thick walls are an advantage.  This week’s bell peppers are red or yellow, but we grow red, yellow, orange, purple and green bell peppers.

Frying peppers (sweet) are thinner walled, with a pointed tip.  This type is great for frying.  They have lower moisture, which allows them to fry and brown in hot oil.  Frying peppers can also be stuffed or used for salads.  They are less useful for roasting, because of their thinner walls, and lower yield after roasting.  We grow red, yellow and green frying peppers. 

Oranos (sweet) are crisp, sweet snack peppers.  Hand them to the kids on the drive home.

Cayenne chile (HOT).  Yes, these are HOT.  Keep labelled and separate from your other peppers.  They are smaller than the others but can overlap in size with the smallest frying peppers. 

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #17, September 15/16, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Yellow potatoes, 3 lb
Colored peppers, mixed colors & types, 3 to 5, ~1.5 lb total
Slicing & plum tomatoes, ~3.5 lb
Koji greens, 1 bunch
Leeks, ~1 lb
Yellow onion
Parsley, 1 bunch
Basil, 1 stalk
Cayenne chile (HOT), 1
Korean Red garlic, 1 head

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, fall greens, garlic and more.

Yellow potatoes – These organic potatoes are from our farmer friends Josh and Noah Engel at Driftless Organics.

Koji greens (head of dark green leaves) – Refrigerate.
 Koji greens are a lot like tatsoi if you know that one; dark green with a nice balance of bitter flavor but not too strong.  I prefer Koji to tatsoi because it has larger, lusher leaves and not so many leaf stalks.  Recipes that use mustard greens or bok choy will work with Koji.  In a contest for my favorite fall green, Koji runs neck and neck with bok choy.

Koji greens

RECIPES by PHOEBE

Simple Fresh Tomato Pasta

Unlike a typical red sauce pasta, this recipe relies on grated fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones. You’ll only cook them for a few minutes, so you can really taste their sweet, fresh flavor in the final dish. Note that you’ll need to undercook the pasta for this recipe. It finishes cooking with the tomatoes, soaking up their juices as they thicken into a light sauce.

Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

2 pounds slicing tomatoes, halved horizontally
1 pound bucatini pasta
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup grated pecorino cheese, plus more for serving
Big handful fresh basil leaves

1. Set a box grater upright in a large bowl. Press the cut side of one tomato half into the large holes of the grater and grate the tomato flesh into the bowl. Discard the skin and repeat with the remaining tomatoes.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta 2 minutes shy of al dente, then drain. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and begins to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and add the grated tomatoes, the salt, and several grinds of pepper. Stir and cook for 2 minutes to heat the tomatoes through.
4. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Gradually add the cheese, tossing between each addition, then cook, tossing often, until the tomato juices thicken and coat the pasta, 4 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with more cheese, as desired.

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Quick Peperonata

This recipe is a quick, small-batch version of the Italian side dish peperonata, or peppers cooked in olive oil with onions and tomatoes. I dice the peppers and onions here so that you can enjoy this recipe as a dip with crackers or crostini, but it also makes a great filling for an omelet, topping for polenta, or spread for a sandwich.

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
½ yellow onion, diced
12 ounces colorful sweet peppers (about 2 medium bells), stemmed, seeded, and diced
½ teaspoon sea salt
8 ounces tomatoes (about 1 large slicer), chopped
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring often, until they break down and the mixture becomes saucy, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the garlic and vinegar. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers are tender, another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt, pepper, and more vinegar, as desired.

Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with a drizzle of olive oil and garnished with fresh basil leaves.

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Photo by The Modern Proper

Baked Cod with Parsley Olive Tapenade

From The Modern Proper
This recipe would be a great use for the parsley in this week’s box. Mixed with lemon, garlic, and chopped green olives, it creates a fresh, briny, and zesty topping for simple baked fish.
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Photo by i am a food blog

Sweet and Sour Pork

From i am a food blog
Peppers and onions add freshness and crunch to this flavorful sweet and sour pork recipe. Serve it with rice for an easy weeknight meal!
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Photo by Jeanine Donofrio and Phoebe Moore

Breakfast Potatoes

From Love & Lemons
Spiced with smoked paprika and tossed with sautéed peppers and onions, these crispy potatoes are a great side dish at any meal, not just breakfast!
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Photo by Andrea Bemis

Bok Choy Coconut Curry

From Dishing Up The Dirt
Sub koji greens for the bok choy in this quick chickpea curry recipe.
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Photo by Cookie + Kate

Spicy Kale and Coconut Fried Rice

From Cookie + Kate
Koji greens would be a fantastic sub for the kale in this veggie-forward fried rice. Kathryne calls for a cup of additional chopped vegetables as well, and peppers would be great! Replace the green onions with an equal amount of chopped yellow onion. It’ll just take a minute or two longer to soften; adjust the cooking time accordingly.
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Photo by Jeanine Donofrio and Phoebe Moore

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

From Love & Lemons
Who doesn’t love smashed potatoes? They’re crispy on the outside, creamy in the middle, and filled with delicious garlicky flavor. Serve them hot off the baking sheet, topped with a sprinkle of parsley, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese.

Week #16, Final sweet corn

We’ve had a good run of sweet corn and hope you enjoyed it.  This is our seventh and final delivery.  Don’t worry – soon there will be new fall veggies to replace it.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #16, September 8/9, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ moon

Sweet corn, 8 ears
Kale, 1 bunch
Carrots, 2 lb
Slicing & plum tomatoes, ~4 lb
Red & yellow peppers, mixed bell & frying, ~4
Zucchini &/or Zephyr squash, 1 – 2 squash
Yellow onion
Jalapeño chile (HOT), 1
Basil, 1 bunch

Next week’s box will probably contain peppers, tomatoes, onions, greens, basil and more.

RECIPES by DEB

Photo by debslunch

Cowboy Caviar a.k.a. Black Bean & Corn Salad

Cowboy Caviar is a great recipe for this time of summer, when tomatoes, corn, and peppers abound, and it’s easily adaptable to whatever vegetables you have on hand. You can serve it as an appetizer with a big pile of corn chips, or as a salad – especially nice with sliced avocado added. You can make this with either cooked-from-dry, or canned beans.

Takes about 30 minutes to assemble, plus chilling time, and allow extra time if you are cooking beans from dried
Makes about 8 cups = many appetizer servings or 8-10 as a salad

Dressing:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
3-4 garlic cloves, minced or put thru a press
1 teaspoon white sugar
a few sprinkles of chili powder or Penzey’s Pico Fruta
Kosher salt and black pepper

Salad
2 cups fresh corn kernels (from 3 to 4 cobs)
1 1/2 cups cored, seeded if desired, and chopped tomatoes (either slicing or plum is fine here)
3/4 cups red or white onion, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups or one 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/4 cups or one 15-ounce can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 cup of seeded and finely chopped red or yellow frying pepper
1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus more for garnish
Optional: 1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced, for garnish (optional)
Tortilla chips or avocado – or both! – for serving

1. Make the dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together in a spouted measuring cup – 2 cups is a good size for this. Set aside while you prepare the rest.
2. Husk the corn, and boil it in ample salted water for about 10 minutes, until tender. Let cool and cut the kernels from the cobs. Save the cobs for stock if desired.
3. Combine the tomatoes, onion, beans and black-eyed peas, peppers, and jalapeño in a large bowl. Note: Seeding the tomatoes is optional, but will make the dish less juicy, which can be helpful if you’re using slicing tomatoes. To seed the tomatoes, core them and flatten them in the sink under the palm of your hand, squeezing out the seeds. For slicers you might want to cut them in half, first.
4. Pour in the dressing, and mix well. Toss in the cilantro if using, and taste for seasoning. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight, top with sliced scallions if using, and serve.

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Photo by debslunch

Mediterranean pressed sandwiches

These sandwiches are what we ate for a picnic on Labor Day: The one on the right is a version of Pan Bagnat, kind of a Nicoise salad featuring tuna and tomatoes, on bread, and the sandwich on the left is a vegetarian version with goat cheese, tomatoes, and roasted peppers. Both sandwiches are brushed with olive oil, and spread with oil-poached garlic. If you are a New York Times subscriber you can watch a video by Melissa Clark (it might play for non-subscribers …) that shows her using her 7-year-old daughter to press the sandwich; if you do not have a 7-yo available, you can use a few heavy cans or jars of food. Like the Cowboy Caviar, feel free to adapt to the vegetables you have on hand.

Takes about 30 minutes to assemble, plus one or two hours to press, and optional chilling time
Serves 4-6

For one sandwich/4-6 servings:
1 ciabatta bread* or 4 crusty Kaiser rolls
1-2 whole bulbs of garlic, depending on size
1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil
1 dried hot chile
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
thin slices of red or other onion
2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
a handful of basil leaves, torn into pieces

For the tomato-goat cheese variant:
3-4 four ounces goat cheese, softened
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, homemade or from a jar

For Pan Bagnat:
one 6 oz. can oil packed tuna
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 zucchini or summer squash, thinly sliced – about 1/2 cup slices

*If you want to try making the ciabatta, this King Arthur recipe works well. Otherwise Madison Sourdough makes a nice ciabatta and you’ll also find it in any grocery store with a good-sized bakery department.

1. Make the oil-poached garlic: separate the garlic cloves, peel them, and place them in a small saucepan with the dried chile. Pour in olive oil to cover the cloves and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, until the cloves are very soft, checking by poking with a fork. Watch closely so it doesn’t brown or burn. Cool, and fish the cloves of garlic out of the oil and mash them with a fork. Reserve the mashed garlic and oil separately.
2. Assemble the sandwich(es): Split the bread or rolls. For either variation, start by spreading a good portion of the mashed garlic on the bottoms of the bread. Brush more poaching oil over the garlic, and also brush the tops with oil. For the tomato version, spread goat cheese on the bottom of the sandwich, then layer on the sliced peppers, onion, and roasted peppers. Top with sliced tomatoes and torn basil. For the pan bagnat version, mix the un-drained tuna with the capers, and distribute evenly on the bottom of the sandwich. Shingle the sliced squash over the tuna, layer on the sliced peppers, onion, and top with sliced tomatoes and torn basil.
3. Press the sandwiches: put the tops on, and wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Place the sandwiches between two cutting boards (or under one cutting board on the counter, if you don’t have two) and top with a few heavy cans – like 28-ounce canned tomatoes – and press for 1-2 hours. After pressing you can serve immediately or chill for several hours or overnight.

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Photo by Crowded Kitchen

Roasted Carrot Dip (Easy Recipe)

From Crowded Kitchen
Here’s a fun way to use one pound of our carrots from this week, turning them into a vegan dip that can be enjoyed with bread of crackers.
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Photo by Bobbi Lin

Linguine with Breadcrumbs and Kale

From Food52
Turn this week’s kale into an elegant-looking pasta that is nonetheless simple to prepare. This dish was an entry in a 5-ingredients or less contest that Food52 ran in 2017.
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Photo by Natural Nurturer

Oven Baked Turkey Zucchini Meatballs

From The Natural Nurturer
When I tested these meatballs I transferred them into a pot of simmering tomato sauce after baking, where they fell apart a bit in the sauce. They were still tasty over buttered noodles the first night, and I turned the leftovers, broken meatballs and all, into an even tastier bow-tie pasta bake, dolloped with ricotta cheese and topped with bread crumbs.
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Photo by Kate

Garden-Fresh Corn Salad

From Cookie & Kate
This fresh corn salad calls for radishes and cucumbers – sliced summer squash is a good substitute.
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Photo by Petrina Tinslay

Happiness Soup

From Nigella Lawson
Made with summer squash and turmeric, Nigella calls this a “a yellow soup to banish the blues” – and it will be yellow made with Zephyr squash. If made with zucchini, the color won’t be quite as sunny, but should still make you happy while eating it.
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Photo by Heidi Swanson

Heather’s Quinoa Recipe

From 101 Cookbooks
The recipe from Heidi Swanson’s long-running vegetarian recipe blog 101 Cookbooks calls for either roasted cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes, but you coould roast our plum or slicing tomatoes to sub in. The recipe also includes basil pesto, that you can get from a jar, but it includes a recipe for pesto that you can make using the basil in this week’s box.

Week #15, September 1/2, 2022

I am back to work part-time now and still catching up.  Thank you for all the well wishes!  Here more photos our son Ari took before returning to college. He has worked on the farm crew for years and knows all the ins and outs of the farm.  I like that he photographs different things than I do.
Beth

Plum tomatoes being washed in our brusher washer.  Plums are firm enough to wash this way.  Slicing tomatoes are too delicate, so we send those to you unwashed or lightly wiped.

Our crew spends many hours harvesting zucchini or yellow ‘Zephyr’ squash.  We sweep the field three days per week, diving into the spiny plants to find squash big enough to cut free.  Your squash this week comes from our second planting which is quite a bit smaller than the first field.  By this time of year, we know there will be many other vegetables to harvest, and will only want a few squash per CSA box, so we plant a smaller field.

So … have I ever showed you our cull pile?  Apparently Ari wants you to see it!  This is where we dump problematic produce, mostly flawed vegetables we find at washing.  Don’t worry – none of it is worth saving or donating to Second Harvest Food Bank.  The pile rots undisturbed at the edge of our fields.  Every few years, we’ll load it in a spreader and spread it on grasslands at the edge of the farm.  I’ll be blunt – it smells pretty bad.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #15, September 1/2, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, 9 ears
Carrots, 2 lb
Slicing & plum tomatoes, 4 lb total
Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Red bell peppers, 2 (mixed #1, #2)
Colored frying peppers, 2 (mixed #1, #2)
Zucchini or yellow summer squash, 2 to 3 squash
Yellow onion
Jalapeno chile (HOT), 1
Basil, 1 husky branch

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, onions and more.

Sweet corn ‘Vision’ – This batch is especially tasty, perhaps because of steady recent rains.  Bug report:  There are a few bugs at the tips at low frequency.

Basil – Look at the beautiful basil!  We have begun harvesting our second planting.  We were able to protect these plants from Japanese beetles so this batch of basil is in good shape.  

RECIPES by PHOEBE

Black Bean Tacos with Smoky Sweet Corn Sauce

These veggie tacos use sweet corn 2 ways (technically 3, if you serve them in corn tortillas)! I mix some whole kernels into the black bean and bell pepper filling and blend the rest into a creamy, sweet, and tangy sauce. Top them with quick-pickled jalapeños for a bright pop of flavor and a kick of heat. I like to char the corn and peppers in a hot skillet because I don’t have an outdoor grill, but if you do, feel free to use it. Grilling the veggies works just as well here.

Makes 12 tacos
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

For the quick-pickled jalapeños
1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Pinch sea salt
Pinch sugar

For the tacos
1 red bell pepper
4 ears sweet corn, husked
⅓ cup raw cashews*
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
1½ cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon ground cumin
12 tortillas, warmed
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Make the quick-pickled jalapeños: In a small lidded container or jar, place the jalapeño slices, lime juice, salt, and sugar. Shake to combine and chill until ready to use.
2. Heat a large, dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the whole red bell pepper and as many ears of corn as you can fit. Cook, rotating the vegetables every few minutes, until the pepper is blackened and blistering on all sides and the corn is tender, bright yellow, and lightly charred all around. Repeat as necessary with the remaining ears of corn.
3. Place the charred pepper in a large bowl and cover with a lid or dish towel. Set aside for 10 minutes to steam and soften, then use your hands to peel away the loose, charred skin. Slice the pepper in half and remove the stem, seeds, and membranes. Dice the pepper.
4. Slice the kernels off the corncobs and transfer 1 cup to a high-speed blender with the cashews, 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, 1 tablespoon of the avocado oil, the rice vinegar, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, and a heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Blend until smooth and creamy and season to taste.
5. Place the remaining corn kernels in a large bowl. Add the diced red pepper, black beans, chili powder, grated garlic, cumin, the remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil. Stir well to combine, then season with ½ teaspoon sea salt and several grinds of pepper and stir again. Season to taste.
6. Assemble tacos in the tortillas with a dollop of the smoky sweet corn sauce, the corn and black bean mixture, the quick-pickled jalalepeños, and fresh cilantro, if using.

*If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before making the sauce.

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Sweet Corn Grits with Roasted Tomatoes and Fried Eggs

Enjoy this recipe for any meal of the day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even brunch. It’s another corn-2-ways dish, made with fresh sweet corn as well as stone-ground grits. I puree most of the fresh corn kernels, stirring them into the grits to make them sweeter and creamier. The remaining kernels I leave whole for texture. The exact cooking time will vary here depending on the grits you’re using. Be sure to use stone-ground grits, not quick-cooking or instant ones, and cook until they’re thick, creamy, and have just a slight bite. Top with a fried egg and roasted tomatoes for a delicious balance of sweet and savory flavors.

Serves 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

2 pounds tomatoes (about 4 large)
4 cups water
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
5 ears sweet corn, husked
1 cup dry stone-ground grits (not instant)
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 garlic clove, grated
6 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch wedges, then cut the wedges in half crosswise. Place the tomato chunks on the baking sheet, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast until shriveled and lightly browned around the edges, about 40 minutes.
3. Place 3½ cups of the water and the salt in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Slice the kernels off the corncobs. Set aside the kernels from 1 ear of corn and add the remaining corn to the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes, or until tender and bright yellow, then use a slotted spoon to scoop the kernels out of the water and into a blender, leaving behind as much water as you can. (It’s ok if you leave behind a few corn kernels too.)
4. Slowly pour the grits into the boiling water, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring often, until the grits are thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, blend the boiled corn kernels into a smooth puree. When the grits are thick and creamy, stir the puree into the pot along with the remaining ½ cup water and the raw corn kernels. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the grits are tender, about 15 minutes.
6. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan, olive oil, and garlic. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes while you fry the eggs.
7. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and brush it with olive oil. Crack in the eggs, cover, and cook until the yolks are just set, 2 to 4 minutes. Work in batches if necessary.
8. Portion the grits onto plates and top with the fried eggs and roasted tomatoes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

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Photo by The Modern Proper

Sheet Pan Italian Sausage Heros with Honey Mustard

From The Modern Proper
Fit for a Labor Day celebration or an easy weeknight meal, these hearty sandwiches are packed with roasted Italian sausages, sweet peppers and onions, and a creamy, 4-ingredient honey mustard sauce.
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Photo by Eva Kolenko

Tomato Salad

From Love & Lemons
This tomato salad is as simple as they come, designed to highlight peak-season summer tomatoes. If you don’t have parsley, feel free to skip it. Just toss the salad with lemon zest and grated garlic instead of the gremolata.
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Photo by Erin Alderson

Cumin Braised Carrots and Chickpeas

From Naturally Ella
This recipe is one of my favorite pantry meals. It’s so simple, calling for under 10 ingredients, but it’s still full of delicious sweet and earthy flavor. As written, the recipe serves 2, but you can easily scale it up to feed a larger group.
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Photo by Cookie+Kate

Mediterranean Couscous Salad with Raw Squash and Feta

From Cookie+Kate
This summery couscous salad would be great for picnics this weekend or lunches next week. If you don’t have a shallot on hand for the dressing, feel free to skip it, or replace it with half the amount of finely chopped yellow onion. You’ll find the rest of the fresh ingredients–zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and basil–in your box.
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Photo by Jeanine Donofrio and Phoebe Moore

Tomato Basil Soup

From Love & Lemons
This roasted tomato soup freezes perfectly, so if you want to preserve some of your summer tomatoes to enjoy later this fall, I highly recommend making and freezing a batch. Of course, it’s great hot off the stove too.
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Photo by The First Mess

Vegan Barley Risotto with Roasted Carrots

From The First Mess
This unconventional risotto calls for pearled barley instead of arborio rice, giving it a more complex texture and flavor. If you can’t find pearled barley, Laura says that pearled farro would work nicely too. Sub onion for the shallot, and top the creamy, savory risotto with roasted carrots from your box.

Week #14, Photos from Ari

Beth’s surgery went very well.  She is recovering without trouble and glad that it is over.  She’ll be back to work full time next week.  In the meantime, our son Ari took farm photos to share this week.  He is home from college this summer, working on the farm crew, and knows our farm well.
Steve

Maggie grades and weighs slicing tomatoes.

Plum tomatoes, straight from the field

A blue sky day.

Muddy tractor

A row of carrot seedlings, before being weeded by hand.

And after weeding!  Our crew spends many, many hours weeding carrot fields.

Yellow garden spiders are abundant in the pepper and tomato fields this year, spinning their webs and protecting us from flies and pests.

The peppers have something to tell you.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #14, August 25/26, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Sweet corn, 9 or 10 ears
Slicing & plum tomatoes, ~4 lb
Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Red beets, 2 lb
Leeks, ~1.25 lb
Red peppers (bell &/or frying), 2 or 3
Zucchini or yellow summer squash, ~2 lb
Yellow onion
Jalapeno, 1
Basil, 1 husky sprig

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, carrots and other summer veggies.

Sweet corn – We are back to our favorite ‘Vision’ variety.  There is almost no bug damage this week.  Yeah!

Beets – Storage:  Cover and refrigerate.  Beet roots will store for months.  Wash well to remove leaf fragments.  For all the cooking methods below, wash and scrub the beets but do not peel.  The skins slip off easily once the beets are cooked and cooled.
Cooking beet roots on the stovetop:  Slice or quarter, cover with water in a pot, and simmer until tender.  This will take from 25 to 45 minutes depending on how large the beet pieces are.  Drain.
Roasting beets in oven:  Wash beets, but do not peel.  On a sheet of aluminum foil, put beets (halved or quartered if large), salt, pepper and a few sprinklings of water.  Seal the foil packet, and roast at 400 oF until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Slip off skins once cool.
Microwave:  Slice beets in half and place in a large microwave-proof bowl.  Add ¾ inch water and cover with a plate.  Microwave on high until tender, about 9-20 minutes, depending on your microwave’s power.  Drain and slip off skins.
Uses:  Use cooked beets in cold salads, or dress simply with vinaigrette, onions, salt and pepper.  Beets are also good tossed with sour cream, minced onion, fresh herbs and walnuts.

Leeks (look like big scallions) – These alliums have a milder flavor than onions.  Nonetheless, they can be used in recipes that call for onions.  To wash, split the leek lengthwise, from the green tops about halfway to the base, leaving the base intact.  Rinse well under running water, separating the layers to flush.  If necessary, split the leek further if soil has penetrated more than halfway down the leek.  Shake dry.  Leeks are generally eaten cooked.  They can be sauteed, steamed or roasted.  Intact leeks will store 2 to 3 weeks if covered loosely and refrigerated.  The outer leaves will yellow.  Just peel off and discard those yellow leaves.  The inner layers will be fine.

RECIPES by DEB

Photo by debslunch

Tomato-Feta Galette with Parmesan Crust

Every summer has to have its edition of tomato pie. (see the newsletter for prior pies, e.g. tomato handpies from 2021, or Smitten Kitchen’s burst tomato galette, that has corn & summer squash in the filling) What makes this pie so appealing is that it avoids sogginess by keeping things simple: the filling is sliced tomatoes, feta, herbs, and shallots – that’s it!
Takes about 45 minutes to assemble and bake, plus 30 minutes to overnight to chill the crust.
Serves 6

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
good pinch salt, unless you’re using salted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, either salted or un- (1 stick, 8 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening or lard
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-4 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
4-5 ounces feta cheese (a heaping cup), crumbled
1 medium shallot, finely chopped – about 3 tablespoons
1-2 tablespoon soft fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, or thyme; or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound of tomatoes, your choice of variety, sliced about 1/4-inch thick. If you include cherry tomatoes in your mix, cut them in half
freshly ground black pepper and kosher or coarse salt for sprinkling

1. Make the crust: measure the flour, salt (if using), and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer (my favorite method), your food processor, or a mixing bowl. Slice the butter and shortening over the top and combine with the flour mixture, using the paddle attachment of the mixer, by pulsing the processor, or using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, until you have a crumbly mixture with no butter lumps bigger than currants. Add the Parmesan. With the mixer or processor running, or while stirring with a fork, drizzle in the water by tablespoons, until the mixture just starts to come together in clumps. Stop before you have one big ball. Turn the crust out onto a floured surface and knead lightly to bring it together. Gather it into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap (in plastic, wax paper, one of your reusable snack/sandwich bags), and chill for about 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.
2. When you’re ready to bake, place a rack in the lower middle of your oven and heat to 400°. Line a baking sheet or pizza pan with parchment paper.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the crust to a rough 12-inch or larger round. It’s okay if the dough isn’t perfectly round. Flop the crust in half and transfer to your parchment-lined pan – some people like to roll the dough around the rolling pin, and unroll it onto the pan. Once you have the crust in the pan, spread the feta in an even layer leaving a 2-3 inch border – think a 9-inch circle in the middle of your pan. Scatter the chopped shallot over the cheese, and add half of the chopped herbs, some salt and pepper, and lay the tomatoes on top. If you’re using cherry tomatoes, try to put the halves cut side up.
4. Gently fold the edges of the crust over the tomatoes, covering about 2 inches of the filling and pleating the crust as you go. Top with the rest of the herbs, and a little more salt.
5. Bake until the crust is golden-brown and the tomatoes are soft, about 30-45 minutes – watch that the bottom does not get too dark, and move the baking tray to a higher position in the oven if you think that’s starting to happen. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Photo by debslunch

Beef & Sausage Sloppy Joes with Peppers

This quick dinner-as-a-sandwich can be prepared with any variety of peppers, sweet or hot. I tested it with one large red frying pepper and one medium poblano, but you can adjust based on your tastes, and desire for hotness.
Takes about 30 minutes
Serves 6-8

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced onions or leeks
1 to 1 1/2 cups chopped peppers, any variety
1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes, preferably plum
1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced or put through a press
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound bulk Italian sausage, sweet or hot (I used sweet)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces light or dark beer, or chicken broth
2 tablespoons – or more, to taste – ketchup
2 tablespoons – or more, to taste – Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hamburger buns, potato chips, and pickles for serving

1. Heat the oil in a skillet or wide pot over medum heat and add the onions, peppers, tomatoes, and garlic, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the meats and continue to cook, breaking the meat up with a spoon, until browned, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and add the brown sugar, chili powder, and tomato paste. Cook for about a minute, and add the beer (or broth), ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until thickened and to cook off the alcohol in the beer, at least 8-10 minutes.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning to see if it needs more ketchup or salt & pepper. Serve on buns with pickled zucchini and slices of Tipi watermelon for a perfect summer meal.

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Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

Beetroot and Chickpea Dip

From Nigella Lawson
Nigella is hesitant to call this hummus, not wanting offend hummus purists, although it does include chickpeas and tahini, but says you can eat in the same way you’d enjoy hummus, spread thickly on bread or toast, or scooped up with pita or veggies as shown. And even a hummus purist would agree that the beets turn the chickpeas a lovely shade of pink.
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Photo by Julie

Sweet Corn and Bacon Fritters

From the Healthy Epicurean
This recipe calls for three cups of cooked corn, so cut the kernels off 3-4 ears of corn. You can husk the corn and cut off the kernels while it’s raw – be sure to run the knife down the cob to get all the juice; OR cook the corn on the cob first, then cool and slice off the kernels for a less-splatter-y procedure. The added bacon sets these fritters apart!
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Tagliatelle with Corn and Cherry Tomatoes

By Anne Burrell for Food Network
Here’s a quick pasta with cherry tomatoes, corn, and fresh basil, all featured in this week’s box.
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Photo by Jenn Segal

Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette

From Once Upon a Chef
This recipe suggests buying pre-roasted beets, which you don’t have to do, given the fresh ones in the box! And Nigella’s recipe for Beetroot and Chickpea Dip provides roasting instructions.
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Bruschetta with Leeks, Goat Cheese, and Bacon

By Ree Drummond for Pioneer Woman
I was a little hesitant to put another recipe in that also called for bacon and goat cheese, but these bruschetta look so good, and are a fine way to use this week’s leeks.
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Photo by Taste of Home

Zucchini Scramble

From Taste of Home
Here’s an easy way to use the zucchini or summer squash in this weeks box – serve with sliced tomato as shown to make a pretty plate.

Week #13, August 18/19, 2022

Summer of surgeries

Our family has had a series of health issues (broken ankle, hernia) and now it’s my turn.  I am scheduled for skin cancer removal tomorrow and Friday, followed by a few weeks recovery.  It’s a slow-growing tumor but is close to my eye, which complicates removal.  The recovery restrictions limit what I can do on the farm but our crew and Steve will take care of what needs to be done, as usual.  I might be slow to respond to emails but I will get to them all.  We are not used to this!  We are used to being hale and hardy!  Fortunately, Steve has recovered from hernia surgery and Sophie’s broken ankle is healing well.
Please, no special CSA requests this week or next week.  Thank you – if something is a little off, just cut us some slack.
Beth

Tomato Care

Ripe (top) and less ripe tomatoes (bottom).

We are heading into peak tomato season.  Ripe tomatoes are delicious but highly perishable so let’s talk about their care.

Ripeness:  Each delivery, we pack a mix of ripe and less-ripe tomatoes so you can stretch them through the week.  In the photo above, the top tomatoes are ready to eat.  The bottom tomatoes can ripen at room temperature for a few days.

Storage:  Tomatoes retain their best flavor and texture when stored at room temperature, no lower than 55 F.  I encourage you to spread your tomatoes on plates so you can watch them.  Eat first the ripest ones or any showing flaws.  
However, you should refrigerate your tomatoes if they are fully ripe and you don’t expect to eat them right away.  It is better to sacrifice a little flavor and texture than to let your tomatoes spoil.  Also, fully ripe tomatoes are less sensitive to chilling injury.

They might need washing:  We handle the ripe tomatoes as little as possible to avoid bruising.

(Left)  The yellow arrow shows small inconsequential flaws that will grow with time.  Eat now.
(Right) The purple arrows show leaf residue bits stuck to the tomato.  Wet the tomato and the residue will come right off.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #13, August 18/19, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, 8 or 9 ears
Slicing & plum tomatoes, ~3 lb
Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Red peppers (bell or frying; mixed #1/#2 grades), 2
Cucumbers, 2 or 3
Zucchini or yellow squash, 1 or 2 pieces
White or yellow onion
Basil, 1 small sprig
By site: a small green leaf lettuce OR a green bell pepper.
By site: watermelon (red or yellow or orange) OR muskmelon

Next week’s box will probably contain corn, tomatoes, peppers, and more.

Sweet corn – Good news!  There are almost no bugs this week!  These beautiful ears are a variety called “Fantastic”.

Cucumbers – These might be the final cucumbers of the season.

White onions OR yellow onions (by site) – As we harvest, we continue to move from sweet onions to storage onions.  Pungency increases as well as the ability to fry or brown in hot oil.  Some sites get white onions which are intermediate between sweet and storage onions.  Some sites get a yellow onion named “Elyse” which is more pungent.

Melons – Our melons have been stricken with a serious disease problem. We’ve seen this before but always as a minor, late-season issue. Every melon has small, sunken surface blemishes. The melons are good to eat – they formed and ripened before the disease hit. However, eat your melon promptly (ie this weekend) because those spots will spread. They haven’t reached the melon cavity yet, but they will. If you have the room, it’s a good idea to refrigerate your melon this week.

RECIPES by PHOEBE

Roasted Tomato and Sweet Corn Salad

Roasted tomato wedges add delicious savory flavor to this vibrant summer salad. Serve it with good bread for sopping up the rich juices that they’ll leave behind on your plate. I like to steam the corn for this salad, though if you want to save yourself a step, it’s just as good raw.

Serves 3 to 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

1 pound tomatoes (about 2 large)
4 ears sweet corn, husked
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
Freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into bite-size pieces
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut the tomatoes into ½-inch wedges, then cut the wedges in half crosswise. Place the tomato chunks on the baking sheet, skin side down. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast until shriveled and lightly browned around the edges, about 40 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the corn. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer. Stand the corncobs in the pot, cover, and steam for 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender and bright yellow. Remove the corn from the pot, allow to cool slightly, and cut the kernels off the cobs.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, garlic, salt, and several grinds of pepper. Add the corn kernels and stir to coat. Add the mozzarella and roasted tomatoes and gently stir to combine. Fold in the basil, season to taste, and serve.

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White Bean Burgers with Roasted Peppers and Feta Yogurt Sauce

If you’re someone who likes to get ahead on dinner, you’ll love this veggie burger recipe. The patties can chill in the fridge for up to 24 hours before you cook them, so you can easily prep them the morning or day before you plan to serve them and just cook them off when you’re ready to eat. Dress them up with a lemony feta yogurt sauce, quick-pickled onions, and fresh fixings like sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, or lettuce.

Serves 6
Prep time: 1 hour
Cook time: 40 minutes

1 red bell or frying pepper
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 cups cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons whole milk Greek yogurt
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1½ teaspoons minced capers
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more for the onions
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
Avocado oil, for the pan
6 hamburger buns
Desired fixings

For the Feta Yogurt Sauce
½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Water, as needed, to thin

1. Preheat the oven broiler and place the whole pepper on a baking sheet. Broil until the pepper is blackened and blistering all over, 15 to 20 minutes total, turning every 5 to 10 minutes to expose each side of the pepper to the heat. Remove from the oven and transfer the pepper to a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and set aside to allow the pepper to steam and soften for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prep the onion. Slice it in half and thinly slice one of the halves. Place the thinly sliced onion in a small container and toss with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Cover and chill until ready to serve. Grate the remaining onion half on the large holes of a box grater.
3. When the pepper is cool enough to handle, peel off the blistered skin and remove and discard the stem, seeds, and membranes. Dice the soft roasted pepper flesh.
4. In a large bowl, place the cannellini beans, grated onion, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon zest, oregano, capers, salt, cayenne, and several grinds of pepper. Use a potato masher to mash until the mixture is thick and creamy with a few large bean pieces still intact. Fold in the diced pepper, panko, and egg.
5. Form the mixture into 6 equal patties. It will be wet and sticky, but it should be firm enough to handle. If it feels too wet, place it in the fridge to chill for 10 minutes before forming the patties. Once formed, place the patties on a plate and chill, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
6. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Coat the bottom generously with oil. Add the patties and cook until charred on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Work in batches as necessary. Transfer the charred patties to the prepared baking sheet and lightly brush the patties with olive oil. Bake for 15 minutes to help them firm up in the middle.
7. While the burgers bake, make the feta yogurt. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, feta, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach a creamy, spreadable consistency.
8. Assemble the burgers on the buns with the feta yogurt, lemony onions, and other desired fixings.

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Photo by Eva Kolenko

Panzanella

From Love & Lemons
I never let summer pass by without making this Italian bread salad at least once. The cubes of crusty bread soak up the tomato juices and tangy vinaigrette, so each one is full of zingy summer flavor. We call for red onion in this recipe, but yellow onion would work just as well.
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Photo by The Modern Proper

Cold Thai Noodle Salad

From The Modern Proper
Cold noodles are one of my favorite types of meals to enjoy on a hot day. These are dressed up with cooling cucumbers, fresh herbs, crispy pork, and a creamy peanut dressing. The recipe calls for both basil and mint, but it’ll taste great with just basil if you don’t have any mint on hand.
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Photo by How Sweet Eats

Sheet Pan Cashew Chicken

From How Sweet Eats
In this 30-minute dinner, a sweet, gingery sauce coats tender roasted peppers, hearty chicken, and crunchy cashews. Pair it with rice for an easy weeknight meal.
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Photo by Erin Alderson

Caramelized Zucchini Frittata

From Naturally Ella
A bubbly layer of cheddar cheese tops this fluffy zucchini and onion frittata. Make it for a simple dinner or a delicious weekend brunch.
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Photo by Pinch of Yum

Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Corn and Tomatoes

From Pinch of Yum
We’ve been sharing a corn pasta a week recently (see this newsletter or this one), which I think just goes to show how well corn and pasta go together. I love how the crisp kernels play off the chewy, al dente noodles. This recipe features tomatoes as well, filling it with fresh summer flavor. It also calls for spinach, but it’s such a small amount that you can feel free to skip it.
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Photo by Eva Kolenko

Grilled Tomatoes

From Love & Lemons
Grilling is a great way to use the plum tomatoes that you’ll find in your box this week, as they hold their shape nicely over the hot grates. They’ll be charred and juicy when they come off the heat. Enjoy them a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper, or dress them up more with Italian dressing, Parmesan, and a shower of fresh herbs.

Week #12. Melons on the way

Watermelon harvest is everyone’s favorite job but you have to be able to catch and throw and not mind getting splashed.  We are deeply enjoying the beautiful summer days.  This is one of the best ways to spend them.

Photo by Maggie Schley

Steve picks the ripe melons and makes piles in the field.  Ari tosses melons to Mat, who washes them in the blue tank. It’s great to wash right at the edge of the field.  Melon harvest almost always coincides with warm weather, so no one cares if they get wet.

After washing, we toss again and place (gently!) in wooden bins. Back at the farmyard, we can move the full bins with a forklift and pallet jacks. That means we do not have to lift them again until we pack them in your CSA boxes.

Photo by Mat Salbego

Then we rest and eat cracked melons.

Garlic crop looks good.

The crop is in and drying nicely. The top photo shows garlic laid to dry in our barn loft.  The bottom two photos show garlic laid in the greenhouse on July 29 and July 30. You can see how quickly it’s drying.  I do not love having the garlic in the sun but we cannot fit it all in the loft, so we need to use the greenhouse too. Once it’s dry enough, we’ll move it into the barn.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #12, August 11/12, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ moon

Sweet corn, 8 ears
Green beans, ~1.5 lb
Cherry tomatoes, 1 quart
Slicing tomatoes, ~2.2 lb
Red peppers, 2, either red bell or red frying
Cucumbers, 3 or 4
White or yellow onion, 1 large
Basil, 1 small sprig
By site: red watermelon OR muskmelon

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, melons, tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers and more.

Sweet corn report – There are very few bugs this week.  It’s the next delicious batch of ‘Vision’ corn.

Cucumbers – This field is so productive!  Usually I wouldn’t send cucumber so many weeks in a row but this field is going to end quickly, so let’s enjoy them while we have them.

White onions – These are more pungent onions than the Walla Wallas that we’ve sent in recent weeks.  We consider them intermediate between Wallas and yellow storage onions in both pungency and ability to be fried.  In other words, these will fry better than Wallas but not as well as a yellow onion.

RECIPES by DEB

Photo by debslunch

All-the-vegetables Vegetable Soup

We don’t think of summer time as soup season, but fresh summer produce is so tasty in soup. This quick and easy vegetable soup can be thrown together in 3O minutes in the morning and reheated for dinner without overly heating up your kitchen. And it can turn a sandwich into a real meal! I’ve used Tipi green beans, carrots, corn, and bell pepper in this batch, as well as my last pint of Tipi tomato juice, but feel free to sub in what you have – zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes.
Takes about 30 minutes
Serves 6

1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 stalks of celery, well-rinsed and chopped, with some of the leaves if possible
3 smallish carrots, sliced into rounds (a generous cup)
1 bell pepper, chopped
kernels from two ears of corn
1 1/2 – 2 cups green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch lengths
2 cups of tomato juice
2-3 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or a mix of broth and water
1 to 1 /2 cups cooked beans or small pasta like macaroni or small shells
salt and freshly ground pepper
one tablespoon of honey, or to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large pot that holds about 4 quarts. Add the longer cooking vegetable first – onion, celery, carrots, and toss with the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onion starts to soften and turn translucent, then add the peppers, green beans and corn. Continue to cook for about 10 more minutes.
2. Add the broth and tomato juice and water of necessary, and raise the heat to bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. (If you’re making this in the morning, you can go and change out of your pajamas into regular clothes while the soup simmers)
3. Add the beans or pasta – I used small red beans from Rancho Gordo, but garbanzos would be good, too. Stir in the honey. Cook a few minutes to make sure everything is blended. Dip out a spoonful and let it cool slightly, and taste to see if it needs more salt, or anything else.
4. You can eat the soup immediately or cool it, and refrigerate and reheat when you’re ready. Serve with crusty bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.

 

Photo by debslunch

Pasta with Oven-roasted Corn, Feta, and Jalapeño

This remarkably flavorful pasta only has a few main ingredients: pasta, corn, feta, and jalapeño. I tested the recipe with a large, very mild jalapeño – feel free to sub bell pepper or whatever you have. Sliced cherry tomatoes would also be delicious in this recipe. Serve with pan con tomate, Catalan tomato bread – see recipe below.

1 pound orecchiette – the orecchiette cradle the corn kernels, but bow ties or penne would also work
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large jalapeño, or about 1/2 cup chopped bell or frying pepper, finely chopped
kernels from 4-5 ears of oven-roasted corn, 3-4 cups
Kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons basil pesto, purchased or homemade
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Flaky salt and chopped fresh basil leaves, for serving (optional)

1. Prepare the oven roasted corn: heat the oven to 400°, and place a rack in the top third. Pull the silk off the corn, and partially shuck it – leave at least one layer of husks on. Arrange the corn directly on the oven rack, or on a tray that will hold all the ears on one layer. Roast for 30 minutes, flipping after about 15, until the cobs have some color on the outside. Cool and peel the corn, and cut the kernels off the cobs. Save the cobs for stock if you like.
2. Cook the orecchiette in a large pot of well-salted water; optionally, drop a corn cob in for extra corny-y flavor, until the pasta is just a little less cooked then you like it. Drain, saving a cup of the pasta water.
3. Melt the butter in a wide deep skillet and cook the jalapeño or bell pepper in the butter till softened. Add the corn and 1/4 cup pasta water, and cook until slightly reduced, 2-3 minutes. Add the pasta, pesto, and feta, and another 1/4 cup pasta water, and toss until the pasta is well coated with the sauce. If it seems too dry, add more pasta water as necessary.
4. Top with the flaky salt and basil, if using, and serve immediately with pan con tomate

 

Photo by Johnny Miller for The New York Times

Roasted Chicken with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

Takes about 40 minutes
Serves 4-6

This recipe is based on a recipe by Melissa Clark, in the New York Times. I’ve adjusted some of the ingredients to match what we’ve got in the box.

Two to two-and-a-half pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs such as basil or parsley, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
A good-sized pinch of red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
One lemon, one half cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or other thick yogurt (or sour cream)
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated about 2/3-3/4 cups
Optional: 2 tablespoons chopped herbs, such as basil or parsley for sprinkling on top

1. Heat oven to 425°. Combine the chicken, 3 of the garlic cloves, the 1 tablespoon basil or other chopped fresh herbs, or teaspoon of dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and lemon wedges. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in the olive oil and toss until well coated. The chicken can be refrigerated at this point for up to 12 hours before roasting.
2. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil, and spread the chicken mixture on it in a single layer. Drizzle with a little more oil and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 25-35 minutes. For a little more color on your chicken, run the pan under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. While the chicken is cooking, stir together the yogurt, grated cucumber, and remaining garlic clove in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. When the chicken is done, arrange it on a serving platter and squeeze the half lemon over the top. Sprinkle on the chopped basil if using. Serve with the cucumber-yogurt sauce and an extra drizzle of olive oil.

 

Photo by The Spruce

Catalan Tomato Bread

From The Spruce Eats, by Lisa & Tony Sierra
Pan con tomate or Catalan Tomato Bread, a tapa, flavors toasted bread with garlic and tomato. Toast the bread until it’s nice and crispy to avoid sogginess after the bread is rubbed with the tomato – but even soggy, it will still taste great!
 

Photo by Nagi

Cold Corn Soup for Summer

From RecipeTinEats
Another soup this week – this one is cool, creamy, and full of fresh corn.
 

Photo by Bite On The Side

Tomato Basil Rice

From Bite On The Side
Serve this rice garnished with cherry tomatoes and chopped fresh basil as shown, or chunks of slicing tomato. You can omit the basil if we don’t get any in the box; you might want to add oregano or another dried herb, and call it tomato-herb rice!
 

And finally, two recipes for salads with green beans and corn, one creamy, and one with tomatoes.

Photo by Taste of Home

Corn and Green Bean Salad

From Taste of Home
This recipe calls for reduced fat mayonnaise – I am not a fan! Feel free to use your favorite mayo.
 

Photo by John Kernick

Corn, Green Bean, and Tomato Salad

From Martha Stewart
Martha calls for yellow tomatoes and heirloom tomatoes in this salad – a combination of our slicing and cherry tomatoes will work just great in this recipe.

Week #11; Let’s talk peppers.

Our pepper season begins.  We have two or three peppers for each share this week.  Most people will get a mix of red bell and red frying peppers. (Some boxes will have all bells this week.)  Let’s review the differences.

Bell peppers are sweet, not spicy.  They are blocky and thick walled.  These are great for salads, stuffing, grilling, and roasting, where their thick walls are an advantage.  This week’s bell peppers are red or green, but we grow red, yellow, orange, purple and green bell peppers.  All are sweet.

Frying peppers are also sweet, not spicy.   They have a pointed tip and are thinner walled.  These peppers are great for frying.  They have lower moisture, which allows them to fry and brown in hot oil.  Frying peppers can also be stuffed or used for salads.  They are less useful for roasting, because of their thinner walls, and lower yield after roasting.  We grow red and green frying peppers. 

#2 Grade Red Peppers

I write about pepper grading every year.  Returning members can say “yeah, yeah” and skip ahead.  New members, please read.
Some of the red bell peppers we send in the CSA boxes will be our #2 grade.  We do this to avoid waste and to deliver good value to our CSA members.  The #2 grade peppers are excellent eating quality, but are not quite pretty enough to sell to our coop store customers.  As a result, we place a much lower value on these peppers.  This allows us to provide generous amounts of peppers over the course of the season.  We feel this is a good exchange, even if it means you occasionally open a pepper and find that it needs trimming.  Here are the reasons that peppers are downgraded from #1 grade to #2 grade:

• They may have a minor blemish, or
• They may have minor insect damage, or
• They may be very ripe and beginning to wrinkle.  (These are especially sweet and delicious as they are fully ripe.  These cannot be sold to stores because their shelf life is short.  You will find that the texture is less crisp than a #1 grade pepper, but the flavor more than makes up for it.)
• They might be partially red and partially green.
• Others are just too small.
• Eating quality is fine (or excellent) for all the #2 peppers. 

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We throw away ALL peppers that we suspect have rot inside (although one may occasionally slip through in either #1 or #2 grade.).  Enjoy this week’s peppers.  As amounts increase, we’ll share favorite pepper recipes.

Zucchini News

The crew on the way to harvest zucchini.

After this week, you (and we) will get a vacation from zucchini.  Our next field will be ready to harvest in late August.  This is good timing from our perspective, as we have many great things for the CSA boxes this month.  Melons, corn, beans, peppers and tomatoes are all hitting their stride.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #11, August 4/5, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, 7 or 8 ears
Carrots, 2 lb
Red peppers (frying or bell), 2 or 3
These will be a mix of #1 and #2 grades.
Cherry tomatoes, 1 quart
Slicing tomatoes, 1 or 2
Cucumbers, ~4
Zucchini &/or Zephyr squash, ~2 pieces
Walla Walla onion
Fresh garlic, 1 bulb
By site: a small muskmelon OR red watermelon

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, tomatoes, red cabbage, melons, and more.

Sweet corn – This week’s batch has fewer bugs.  However, I still suggest that you cut off the tips before shucking.  Then you do not even see any bugs.  We expect to have seven deliveries of corn for you this year and I’ll post bug info here each week so you know what to expect.  The corn is delicious.  Just cut off the tips before shucking – you’ll be happier.

Carrots – This is a really nice batch of carrots, a variety called ‘Romance’.  Steve has experimented for years to find the best carrot varieties to plant each season.  Summer carrots can be disappointing, eg too bitter, but this ‘Romance’ variety does great.  Of course, we have to water and tend them for success, but they are worth the effort.

Red peppers – Storage: Refrigerate

Cucumbers – We just began harvesting our second cucumber field and the quality and abundance are great!  We have four cucumbers for you this week.  Enjoy the bounty – soon the field will calm down and production will slow.
Storage: Refrigerate in a warmer part of your fridge, or even leave at room temperature.

Cherry tomatoes (mixed orange and red) – Everyone gets a quart this week but they are not quite full.  We divvied up what we have!

Fresh garlic – We are sending German Extra Hardy garlic this time.  Storage:  I suggest that you refrigerate this bulb of garlic, so it remains easy to peel.  The garlic is fine if you leave it at room temperature but the cloves will become difficult to peel as the bulb dries.

Muskmelon (some sites) – Some are ripe and ready to eat.  Some appear greenish and need to ripen a day or two on your kitchen counter.  Keep at room temperature but refrigerate if not eaten within 2 days.

Red watermelon (some sites) – We have watermelons for just two sites.
Storage: Store at room temperature and refrigerate once cut.

RECIPES by PHOEBE

Roasted Salmon with Marinated Cucumbers and Ginger Rice

Sweet and tangy marinated cucumbers add a cooling crunch to this gingery salmon and rice bowl. Serve it with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and drizzles of toasted sesame oil for a nutty finishing touch.

Serves 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

1 large cucumber (about 10 ounces), peeled, seeded, and diced
¾ teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cane sugar
4 (4-ounce) salmon filets
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Toasted sesame oil, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the cucumbers in a medium bowl and toss with ½ teaspoon of the sea salt. Set aside while you start the rice.
3. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir to coat in the oil. Add the water and the remaining ¼ teaspoon sea salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to steam in the covered pot until you’re ready to serve.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the cucumbers. Add the rice vinegar and the sugar to the bowl with the cucumbers and toss until the sugar dissolves. Chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
5. Pat the salmon filets dry and place them on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down. In a small bowl, stir together the tamari and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Brush the mixture onto the salmon filets, then bake until the salmon is just opaque and flakes easily, about 12 minutes.
6. Assemble plates with a scoop of the ginger rice, a salmon filet, and spoonfuls of the marinated cucumbers. Garnish with sesame seeds and serve with drizzles of toasted sesame oil.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread Pancakes

Warmly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and packed with shredded zucchini, these moist and fluffy pancakes taste just like zucchini bread! Serve them with maple syrup for a delicious breakfast or brunch. Tip: If you have lots of squash to use up, you can increase the zucchini to 1½ cups. The pancakes are great both ways.

Makes about 10 pancakes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
Heaping 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Heaping ¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup almond milk, or any milk
¼ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1 large egg
2 tablespoons neutral oil or melted butter, plus more for the pan
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
½ cup chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, Greek yogurt, egg, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the zucchini. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and brush lightly with oil. Use a ⅓-cup scoop to pour the batter into the skillet. Cook the pancakes until they’re puffed, cooked through, and golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat as needed if the outsides of the pancakes brown before they’re fully cooked in the middle. Serve with maple syrup.

Photo by The Modern Proper

Corn Fritters

From The Modern Proper
Crispy, buttery, savory, and sweet, these pan-fried fritters are a fun way to use sweet corn! This recipe calls for green onions, but you could easily sub in a couple tablespoons of minced Walla Walla onion.

Photo by Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews

Greek Salad

From Love & Lemons
This simple salad is a refreshing summer side dish, and it’d be a perfect way to use the cucumbers, peppers, onion, and cherry tomatoes in your box this week. Feel free to skip the mint. Thanks to the fresh veggies and punchy dressing, the salad has plenty of flavor without it.

Photo by Pinch of Yum

Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas with Tzatziki

From Pinch of Yum
Here’s another great way to use the peppers and cucumbers in this week’s box! In this easy sheet pan dinner, you’ll roast thinly sliced peppers and spiced-up chicken breast and serve them in pitas with diced cucumber, onion, and creamy cucumber tzatziki.

Photo by The Modern Proper

Za’atar Roasted Carrots with Feta and Pumpkin Seeds

From The Modern Proper
Za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend, adds bright, earthy flavor to these simple roasted carrots. Dress them up with feta and toasted pumpkin seeds for tang and crunch.

Photo by Pinch of Yum

Burst Tomato Pappardelle with Zucchini, Sweet Corn, and Pan-Fried Chicken

From Pinch of Yum
Burst cherry tomatoes, lemon, and a touch of cream create a light, flavorful sauce for this summery veggie pasta. The chicken here is totally optional – for a vegetarian take on this recipe, feel free to skip it!

Photo by Jeanine Donofrio and Phoebe Moore

Carrot Ginger Dressing

From Love & Lemons
Potentially my all-time favorite salad dressing! Made with roasted carrots, fresh ginger, and rice vinegar, it’s creamy, zingy, and super refreshing. Toss it with salads, drizzle it over a grain bowl, or use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls, sushi, or grilled or roasted veggies.

Week #10; Sweet corn!

We are enjoying the cooler weather which arrived just in time for the first sweet corn harvest.  When picking corn on hot days, it’s like a sauna between the rows.  This week’s harvest was straightforward, a good training experience for our newer crew members.  See my notes on this week’s corn in the Veggie List & Notes section below.  Many ears have bugs or bug damage at the tip so I advise cutting off the tips before you shuck the corn.  That way, you never even see the bugs or damage.  Check our Veggie List & Notes section each week, and I’ll give you an update for that week’s batch of corn.

I took an evening walk to our current cucumber field and sat among the rows as the sun set.  It’s a beautiful spot, open to the west and the setting sun.  As I sat quietly, lightning beetles crawled to the top of the leaves, preparing for their evening show.  It was a lovely moment.

Steve’s surgery

Two weeks ago, Steve had hernia-repair surgery.  The surgery went well but he ended up with a ‘paralyzed intestine’ (paralytic ileum) which has made recovery more complicated and prolonged than expected.  He is improving now but it’s been a rough two weeks.  Everyone pitched in so he could rest and recover.  Haha, that is not in his nature.

We are hiring

We have several openings for farmhands to replace crew members who are returning to school.  We offer valuable work in a safe, friendly, outdoor environment, and send you home with lots of healthy produce!  Please help us spread the word.  Learn more and apply at our employment page .

Fresh garlic

Everyone gets a bulb of freshly dug ‘Korean Red’ garlic.  We are in the midst of harvesting garlic to cure for later boxes but paused to harvest and clean enough for this week’s delivery.  Fresh garlic is special: crunchy and strongly flavored.  I advise refrigerating this fresh bulb for easy peeling.  You can leave it at room temperature, but the cloves become difficult to peel as the garlic dries and cures.  In about one month, they loosen enough to peel but for now it’s best to refrigerate and eat it soon. 

Beth

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #10, July 28/29, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Sweet corn, 8 ears?
Muskmelon, 1 large or 2 small
Carrots, 2 lb
Green beans, 0.9 lb
Zucchini &/or Zephyr squash, ~ 2 to 3 pieces
Cucumbers, ~3
Walla Walla onion
Fresh garlic, 1 bulb
By site: A box of cherry tomatoes OR a small bag of slicing tomatoes.

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, carrots, tomatoes, sweet onions, etc.

Sweet corn – Now it’s summer!  This is a very tasty batch of corn.
Advice about bugs.  This is organic sweet corn.  Many ears have bugs or bug damage at the tip.  I suggest cutting off the tips before shucking the corn.  Sweep the trimmed tips into the compost and you will never see the bugs.
Storage. Sweet corn is best when fresh, so we encourage you to eat it asap. Store in the refrigerator, in the husks if you have the room, or husked in a plastic bag.
Cooking.  It is quicker to steam sweet corn than to boil it.
1.) Stand ears of corn upright in a tall pot. Put one inch of water in the pot.
2.) Bring the water to a boil. If the corn is cold when you begin cooking, steam for 5 – 6 minutes. If the corn starts at room temperature, steam for 4 – 5 minutes. The cooking time will vary somewhat depending on how many ears are in the pot. Pay attention to how the corn smells. The scent changes once the corn is ready. Another clue: water will bead on the corn until it is cooked. Don’t overcook it.

Muskmelon – Some are ripe and ready to eat.  Some need to ripen a day or two on your kitchen counter.  Keep at room temperature but refrigerate if not eaten within 2 days.

Green beans – Storage: Store in the warmest part of your refrigerator.
These beans are a little past their prime maturity.  You may find a few that are overripe and need to be tossed.  Look for beans that are bulging or floppy or puffy with larger beans inside.  Throw those away and keep the rest.  We’ve looked them over carefully but now it’s your turn.  With last week’s heat, we just could not keep up with the speed of bean growth.

Carrots – Refrigerate in the bag.

RECIPES by DEB

Photo by debslunch

Summertime Vegetable Curry

This recipe uses green beans, carrots, and yellow squash from this week’s box, but feel free to adapt to what you have – you will need approximately 6 cups of chopped vegetables altogether, not counting the onions.
Takes about 45 minutes
Serves 6

4 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil, divided
1 (14-oz.) package firm or extra-firm tofu, patted dry, cut into cubes
a few generous pinches of kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups of chopped onions
a 2-3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cumin, turmeric, and coriander
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4-1/3 cups water
a heaping cup of peeled and sliced carrots
8-12 ounces green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and cut into 2 inch pieces – heaping 2 cups
1 (13.5-ounce) can of unsweetened coconut milk – full fat preferred, but lite works
2 large summer squash or zucchini, rinsed, quartered longwise, and cut into chunks – heaping 2 cups
More salt & pepper to taste
Optional garnishes: Lime wedges, cilantro leaves, and coarsely chopped, salted, roasted peanuts
Optional: serve with white or brown rice, chutney, and plain yogurt

1. If you’re serving the curry with rice, start the rice first.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a wide deep skillet or braiser with a lid. Add the tofu cubes, season with salt and pepper, and fry for about 10 minutes over medium heat, flipping the cubes a few times, trying not to break them up too much, until they’ve gt a little color. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
3. Wipe out the pan if necessary (I didn’t) and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil. Over medium high heat, add the onions and another couple of pinches of salt, and stir to coat with oil. Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, then add the ginger and garlic, curry powder, garam masal, ground cumin, turmeric, and coriander. Continue to cook until the spices are fragrant and the onions, ginger, and garlic are softened, 5-10 minutes. If things start sticking add two tablespoons of the water.
4. Add the tomato paste and the water, and stir until saucy. Add the carrots and the green beans, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until softened, about 10 minutes. Again, add a little more water if things start to stick.
5. Add the coconut milk and mix well. Add the squash, stir and cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until the squash are cooked but not mushy. Taste for salt and serve with the optional garnishes and rice.

 
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Photo by debslunch

Corn, summer squash, and chorizo tacos

Leftover taco filling can be combined with rice to make a tasty casserole, and could also be used in stuffed squash or zucchini boats.
Takes about 30 minutes
Serves 6-8

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound chorizo, bulk or removed from casings, or turkey chorizo
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped or put through a press
One large or two smaller yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch chunks
2 cups fresh corn kernels, cut from 2-4 ears of corn
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
salt to taste
Corn or flour tortillas, warned in the oven or microwave
Optional toppings:
Grated cheddar cheese, or pepper jack, or mozzarella
avocado, pitted and sliced
Salsa or pickled jalapeños – or both!
Quick pickled purple onions (here’s one recipe)
Coleslaw or sliced cabbage
Sour cream

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil on medium-low heat in a large skillet. Add the chorizo and cook until it’s no longer pink and starting to brown, crumbling with a spoon or spatula, about 7-10 minutes. If you’re using pork chorizo, remove the meat to drain and wipe out the skillet. Less-fatty turkey chorizo can stay in the skillet.
2. If you have an empty skillet add another tablespoon of oil, and then the onions, garlic, squash, and corn. If you’re using turkey, simply add the veggies to the meat. Either way, cook until the veggies are softened.
3. Add the meat back into the pan (if necessary). Add the cumin, organo, and salt to taste. Cook until the meat is browned. Transfer the filling into a serving dish, and arrange the tortillas and topping around it on the table, so everyone can roll up their own tacos.

 
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Photo by debslunch

Quick cucumber pickle spears – or salad

This recipe based on one from Olia Hercules’ Mamushka only uses one to two cucumbers at a time – but is easily doubled. I was amazed at how quickly this procedure transforms cucumbers into pickles and then found myself adding them to all type of sandwiches – including peanut butter! – and packing them in my lunch for a side.

10 ounces slicing cucumbers – about 1 large or two small
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons cider or white wine vinegar – about 1 slightly overflowed tablespoon
1 dried red chile
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley or dill

1. Trim the cucumber and slice lengthwise into long wedges. Arrange the wedges in a shallow dish. If you’d like more of a salad, chop the cucumber into bite size chunks.
2. Sprinkle the cucumbers with the salt and sugar, and pour in the vinegar. Add the chile, toss, and cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Toss the wedges with the oil and chopped herbs and serve.

 
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Photo by Lana

Summer Squash Cornbread Casserole

From Lana’s Cooking
This recipe produces a cornbread that is really moist – not quite a spoonbread, but close. When I tested it, I reduced the cooking time to about 45 minutes. I tried the cheddar and jalapeño variation, and it’s delicious. If you don’t want to use cornbread mix, sub 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup cornmeal, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 2 teaspoons baking powder.
 
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Photo by Deb Perelman

Corn Salad with Chile and Lime

From Smitten Kitchen
Deb Perelman, a.k.a. Smitten, describes this salad as inhale-able. Try it out and see if that’s an exaggeration! The recipe calls for Tajín seasoning – you can substitute chili powder.
 
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Photo by Heidi Swanson

Moroccan Carrot and Chickpea Salad Recipe

From 101 Cookbooks
If you, like me, don’t have fresh mint, but still have lots of parsley from prior week’s boxes, feel free to sub it for the mint.
 
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Photo by Jessica Gavin

Cantaloupe (or muskmelon) Smoothie

From Simply Recipes
This creamy melon smoothie uses 1 cup of melon chunks to make one smoothie – so there’ll still be plenty to eat plain!

Week #9; Lingering pandemic cr@p

Here’s a pandemic wrinkle.  After years of bottling our tomatoes into juice at a local processor, we can no longer find anyone to do that for us.  Our old processor has dropped their small accounts, including us.  Our tomato juice project is too small for most processors to deal with.  Even if we could get on a new shop’s schedule, costs have risen to an unsustainable high, eg $15 per bottle!  The cost of glass bottles went up dramatically, as well as labor, fuel, etc.  This is a familiar story by now.

We have enough juice for about half the sites.  The remaining sites get a muskmelon plus a half pint of cherry tomatoes.  I call that a pretty even deal.

We remain short-handed (our biggest pandemic issue) but have chosen to be super-strategic with our time, and feel we are pulling off our usual nice boxes.  This week’s basil has more insect damage than usual, mixed in among undamaged leaves.  I leave it to you folks to trim off and discard the damaged leaves.

For years, I have walked our basil fields each morning, carrying pails of soapy water to drown Japanese beetles.  Ari reminds me that I used to pay him 50 cents to help.  (Those days are over.)  If we do this every morning, the beetles do not congregate in the basil field and the basil is protected.  Obviously, I do not have time for that any more.  Really.  Instead, we planted an overabundance of basil, some for the beetles and some for us.  Unfortunately, I think every Japanese beetle in the county is in that basil field right now.

Anyway, my new strategy is staggered pruning.  The beetles do most of their damage to older plants, so keeping parts of the fields in fresh growth should help.  I will outwit these pests.

Let’s forget all that and focus on this week’s produce!  Look at that summer list!  Green beans, broccoli, zucchini and cucumbers, sweet onions, early peppers, basil, the first melons, etc etc.  Surely, summer is everyone’s favorite garden season.  Soon there will be sweet corn and the first tomatoes.

This is a lovely box and I hope you enjoy it.  

Beth

Most of this basil is very nice.  Just pluck off the beetle-damaged leaves, the ones with holes.  They tend to feed at the top of the plant, leaving the tender side shoots alone.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #9, July 21/22, 2022
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Green beans, 1.5 lb
Broccoli, ~1.8 lb
Green bell pepper, 1
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, ~2.5 lb
Cucumbers, 3 or 4
Walla Walla onion, 1 or 2
Basil
By site, a small red bibb lettuce OR small parsley bunch
By site, everyone gets something special:
     Tipi tomato juice OR the first muskmelons + a half pint cherry tomatoes

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, melon, cabbage and other summer favorites.

Green beans – Storage: Store in the warmest part of your refrigerator.

Broccoli – This broccoli field is doing great!  It’s difficult to grow spring broccoli on our sandy soils, so we’re glad for the nice harvests.  If your broccoli appears wilted, submerge in cold water for 15 minutes and it will perk up.  Hot weather is hard on broccoli so sometimes they need that cold water soak.  Storage: Refrigerate.

Cucumbers are still abundant and quality remains very high.  What a beautiful, amazing field.

Tipi tomato juice – Drink the juice or try making an easy soup with vegetables from your CSA box, with zucchini, Walla Walla onion and basil.
Storage: Store the juice out of sunlight at room temperature when unopened.  Refrigerate after opening.  The juice is already seasoned so do not add salt if you cook with it.
Ingredients: organic tomatoes from Tipi Produce, salt, organic garlic, organic onion, organic black pepper.  Nutritional information is posted here.

Muskmelon – Most are ripe and ready to eat.  Some need to ripen a day or two on your kitchen counter.  Keep at room temperature but refrigerate if not eaten within 2 – 3 days.

RECIPES by DEB

Photo by Deb Shapiro

Creamy Roasted Broccoli and Cucumber Salad

I’ve added cherry tomatoes to this salad, even though we haven’t gotten any in the box this week, because they’re coming into season at farmers markets right now – feel free to omit the tomatoes if you don’t have any – I’m sure we’ll be enjoying them in future boxes!

Takes about 30 minutes
Serves 4 as a side dish

one large stalk of broccoli cut into florets, including some stem slices – about 2 1/2 cups
1-2 cloves of garlic, separated from the head but not peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion, such as Walla Walla
one cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks – about 1 1/2 cups
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oven to 400°. Place the onion in a small bowl and cover with cold water, and let it soak while you prepare the other veggies.
2. Arrange the broccoli on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Add the garlics and toss well. Roast for 15-18 minutes until the broccoli is tender and starting to show some char, and the garlic is soft. Set aside to cool.
3. Combine the cucumber, garbanzo beans, and cherry tomatoes in a bowl large enough to allow for mixing.
4. Measure the sour cream, mayonnaise, and tahini into a small bowl or spouted glass measuring cup. Squeeze in the garlics, add the lemon juice and sugar, and whisk well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add the cooled broccoli to the bowl, pour in the drssing, add the herbs, and mix well. Taste to see if it needs more lemon or salt. Serve right away or chilled.

Photo by Deb Shapiro

Spiral Zucchini Pie

Working with fillo (or phyllo) can be a bit tricky, but the results are worth it. You can make the pie as one big spiral as shown, or as individual spirals – you will get about a dozen that way. The pie can be eaten hot or at room temperature, and it uses a lot of zucchini! You can serve the pie with tzatziki, a cucumber yogurt sauce, if you like.

Takes about an hour
Serves – many!

One 1-pound box of fillo dough, thawed and at room temperature. The box has two packs inside and you’ll use about 24 sheets, or all of pack and part of the other.
8 ounces (one stick) salted butter, melted
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, grated
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs, beaten
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
6 ounces Gouda or cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup of finely diced onion (or 4-6 scallions)
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as basil or parsley or dill, or 2 teaspoons dried dill
1-2 tablespoons of sesame seeds or charnushka

Optional tzatziki sauce
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 small to medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic, mashed to a paste or put through a press.

1. Place the grated zucchini in a colander or strainer and sprinkle with the kosher salt. Toss to coat. Place the strainer over a large bowl or in the sink to catch the liquid and leave for at least 30 minutes.
2. Optional tzatziki sauce: Combine all ingredients and chill.
3. Heat the oven to 400°. Take handfuls of the zucchini and squeeze to remove as much of the liquid as possible, and transfer the zucchini to a large bowl.
4. Add all of the eggs, cheeses, onion, and herbs, and mix well.
5. Place one sheet of fillo on a clean work surface (I like to use a cutting board) and brush lightly with melted butter. Place another fillo sheet on top and brush again. Spread 1/3 cup of the zucchini filling on one long side of the fillo and roll it up.
6. Place the log on a parchment lined baking sheet, shape it into a coil. Continue to form the zucchini rolls, and for one large pie, wrap them around your first coil. For individual coils, space them barely touching on the baking sheet.
7. Brush the spiral(s) with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle a small amount of salt and the sesame or charnushka seeds on top. Bake the spirals until golden and crisp, about 40 minutes.
8. Serve with tzatziki sauce if desired.

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Photo by Heidi Swanson

Grilled Zucchini and Bread Salad

From 101 Cookbooks
This recipe from Heidi Swanson, who specializes in vegetarian and natural foods recipes, uses 1/3 cup ponzu in the dressing. Ponzu is a Japanese sauce that’s found near the soy sauce at the grocery store. You can make a quick substitute by combining 1/4 cup soy sauce, juice of half a lemon, and a few tablespoons of Mirin (Japanese sweet wine) or a teaspoon of sugar. Heidi says the only zucchini recipes that have her attention at this time in the summer use pounds of zucchini – this recipe uses two!
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Photo by Tiffany

Sheet Pan Chicken, Potatoes and Green Beans

From Creme de la Crumb
This sheet pan dinner uses dried herbs, but subbing fresh would be delicious.
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Photo by Karen Mordechai

Julia Child’s Tian de Courgettes au Riz (Zucchini Tian)

From DebsLunch
This recipe from Julia Child is all over the Internet in various versions – and has previously appeared in Tipi’s recipes too! It’s a great recipe for the over-abundance-of-zucchini time of year. Here’s my version, where I’ve tried to make the directions more straightforward.
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Photo by Jessica Gavin

How to make broccoli rice

From Jessica Gavin
Step through 3 methods of making broccoli rice – chop with a knife, food processor, or blender – provided by Jessica Gavin, a cookbook author and teacher. There’re also choices of how to cook your broccoli rice – my favorites are food processor and sauté, and I also like to add a little coconut milk to the pan if I have an opened can.
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Summer Squash Lattice Tart

From Martha Stewart
I have made this tart from Martha Stewart many times, and I strongly suggest that rather than weaving the lattice on top of the tart and then lifting it up to add the egg custard to your tart, pour the egg in first, then top with the lattice! You can use the crust recipe linked to (Pate Brisee), or mine, or store bought!
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Green Bean and Lemon Casserole

From Nigella Lawson
Since we’ve got about a pound and a half of green beans, try halving this recipe from Nigella Lawson, that melts whole lemon into the green beans, to arrive at a comforting dish that’s somewhere between lightly cooked, crunchy beans and meltingly tender slow-cooked beans. Use half a large lemon and 6 tablespoons of butter.