Share Notes 7-23-15

Share Notes 7-23-15

CSA Share Notes:

Welcome to this week’s CSA share! We are adding some new offerings to the web store this week including frozen chicken breasts from Lonesome Lady Ranch and grassfed beef from our friends at Hold On Farm in Canton. The web store opens on Friday (though it may take me until the weekend to get our new items in the store) and it closes Tuesday night so be sure to get your orders in on time for next week’s delivery!

Also, we will be opening up the fall CSA season for registration soon, so watch your email for the chance to join!

 

Here’s this week’s vegetable line up:

  • Summer Squash—some of you received the smooth skinned yellow squash and others received our excellent yellow crook neck, covered in small bumps. No, your warty squash are not old-they are super cool heirloom with great flavor and I hope you thoroughly enjoy them!
  • Zucchini—Farmer’s choice of an assortment of our three varieties. A few of you might have received Romanesco- a slightly ribbed, pale colored heirloom known for it’s great flavor and creamier texture.  They are not heavy producers so we don’t that many of the Romanesco to offer you, but I hope you get to try a few this summer! Try our Italian touch on zucchini in this recipe: Zucchini Malfatti.
  • Eggplant—The large shares received either the traditional Italian or slender Japanese eggplants. The small shares received fairytale eggplant- the neatest little vegetable. I like to slice these in half down the center and splay them out on the grill till lightly charred. Are you unfamiliar with cooking eggplant? A hot griddle or grill can give you lots of possibilities with sturdy summer crops like eggplant and zucchini. Try these Summer Eggplant Rounds.
  • Slicing Tomatoes—These could be any number of our great slicing varietals.  You’ll get more info on the varieties we offer over the next few weeks. We tried to put tomatoes or varying degrees of ripeness in your box so you’d have them spread out for a few days, though most of them were quite ripe. Store your tomatoes shoulders down, bottom up. The shoulders are sturdiest and more resistant to damage. Don’t put them in the fridge but rather keep them between 60-80 degrees.
  • Cherry Tomatoes—Sungold variety. Guys, I am tellin’ you-these are vegetable candy! Just enjoy them fresh and raw.  Also, don’t store these in the fridge either, just keep them in a cool place out on the counter.
  • Yellow Onion—These little organic onions were also grown this spring, and you’ll recall how wet this spring was! They were a little stunted so our harvest was small, but we will give you a few per week until the supply runs out.
  • Potato—White Kennebec, a lovely pale yellow skinned, white flesh potato. These will store for several weeks, so long as you leave the dirt on and wash them right before you’re ready to use them. The dirt contains natural bacteria and yeasts that guard against decay.  Try them in our kale pesto potato salad, or just boiled and eaten with a high quality salted butter, or maybe some herb butter. Keep the recipes simple on these potatoes so you can enjoy their unique flavor.

Veggie Storage tips:

As a general rule, almost all summer crops can’t tolerate fridge temperatures in the 30s and 40s, so they should mostly be stored at room temperature.  Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking, but leave the dirt on until you’re ready to use them. As a general rule, wait to wash any veggies until you’re ready to use them to help retain nutrients and prevent spoilage from excess moisture. Any bruised or nicked produce should be eaten quickly as it will begin to spoil faster.

We’d love to hear stories and recipes of your culinary adventures this week. Post a comment of how you’ve used your CSA share, or tag us in your facebook and instagram posts! Show us how you’re using your share of the harvest.

Your farmers,

Jess & Justin

Large Share

large-summer-share

Large share from top left: Slicing tomatoes, Italian eggplant, zucchini, sungold cherry tomatoes, White Kennebek potatoes, yellow onions, and yellow squash.

Small Share

small-summer-share

Small share from left: slicing tomatoes, fairytale eggplant, miniature yellow onions, zucchini (all three three varieties pictured here), sungold cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, and White Kennebek potatoes.