Share Notes 7-20-17
CSA Share Notes:
- Eggplant—Large shares received our long, slender Japanese eggplant. This is the perfect eggplant variety for a Thai coconut milk curry. Small shares received our gorgeous Italian heirloom, Listada di Gandia, which is purple and white striped. This variety made its appearance in a wonderful alfredo dish last night. For the best flavor and texture, cook your eggplant at fairly high heat until slightly browned or very lightly charred. You can get this effect by either roasting it in the oven around 425, grilling it, or blistering it in a nice hot cast iron pan on the stove. Then we toss it into our pasta/curry/etc. Other eggplant ideas can be found on our kitchen blog.
- Cucumbers—Our little cucumbers are struggling this year! We are thankful that we harvested enough for every share to receive one cucumber. Of course we’d have been delighted to send you more, but this was all they gave us this week. They are combating some type of viral disease, which they are susceptible to with all the unseasonable rain we’ve received this summer. Hopefully they pull through and we will have another week or two of cucumbers for you.
- Onion—A couple of super flavorful red onions this week and a yellow as well.
- Sungold cherry tomatoes—Yay! Once again, we had enough for all small shares to receive a pint and all large shares, a quart!
- Slicing tomatoes—Loads of great slicers for you this week! We tried to give everyone a variant of ripenesses. You likely received a couple that are still a bit orange. Just set them on the counter, shoulders down, and they’ll be ready in a few days. Any cracked tomatoes should be eaten sooner. Remember, don’t store your tomatoes in the fridge!
- Potatoes—White Kennebec have a great texture, and are big! Enjoy them as a gratin or as homemade hash browns or home fries.
- Peaches!—Our friends at Winona Orchards (who also grew you some lovely little blueberries earlier this year) have been saving the final peach harvest for our CSA members! These are just slightly under-ripe to they survive the journey to your kitchen, so place them out on the counter for a few days to finish ripening. I STRONGLY encourage you to make a simple salad of coarsely chopped tomatoes and peaches, with a little drizzle of balsamic. We’ve been eating this for days and cannot get enough. Sometimes we put in a couple of basil leaves, a crumble of feta, or full-fat mozzarella balls, but really it doesn’t need any of that. With great tasting produce, it’s perfect as is. Let me know how you like it!
In the weeks to come we have another planting of squash and zucchini that we hope will be ready for you soon, there are gorgeous red okra coming on, our edamame should be ready in another week or two, we’re getting some great melons from a farmer friend of ours, AND the heirloom tomatoes are beginning to produce (most of them so far have been cracked and split, so we haven’t sent them as they spoil much too quickly, though we do have them available each Saturday at the Rose City Farmers Market.) It’s gonna be a great rest of the season. I hope you’re as excited as we are.
Veggie Storage tips:
Onions, potatoes, peaches, and tomatoes will all prefer to stay at room temp. Tomatoes especially will begin to get mealy if stored any colder than 55 degrees. The cucumbers and eggplant like to be cool but not cold. They can be stored at room temp if you’ll be eating them fairly soon, otherwise put them sealed up in the fridge if you won’t be getting to them for a few days. They last quite a long while in the fridge. Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking, but leave the dirt on until you’re ready to use them to prevent faster spoilage.
We’d love to hear stories and recipes of your culinary adventures this week. Send us a note or post a comment of how you’ve used your CSA share.
Your farmers,
Jess & Justin
