Share Notes Aug. 3, 2023
CSA Share Notes:
Welcome to week 6 of our Summer season!
If you didn’t read last week’s garden update, it’s a super informative one. Check it!
At this point in the intense heat of summer, new fruits are not being created by most of the plants (last week’s update explains the hormonal mechanism of the plants and why this happens) so we’re harvesting what baby fruits are still ripening out there over the next few weeks and that’ll be all there is till the weather cools back down in the fall.
We think a really nice, abundant harvest remains for you all for next week (Aug 10th) , and after that it’s anyone’s guess! We walk and observe the fields daily to see how things are going, so we’ll keep y’all in the loop. If I were a betting woman, I’d say your final week of summer harvests will probably be either August 10th or 17th. Just keep up with our emails and you will be informed.
Now here’s your vegetable line-up:
- MELONS! – woot woot! I’m so excited to be ending the season on this sweet note for y’all the next few weeks. You’re getting some really amazing specialty melons this week. They’re called Arava. The outside looks a little like a cantaloupe, and the inside is green like a honey dew. They originated in Israel, have a flavor suggestive of tropical fruit and a banana-like aroma. (FYI, delicious icebox sized watermelons should be ready next week!)
- Tomatoes – Several large slicers for everyone! Check your ‘maters for blemishes, and if you’ve got any damage plan to use those up fairly quickly. Let them finish ripening upside down on a windowsill. They’re ripe enough once about 90% of the tomato has reached its fullest color.
- Sungolds – We barely had enough to go around, but we were able to get a few to everyone. They’re coming to a close pretty quickly in the heat. Enjoy them while they last!
- Basil – For the Regular shares this week. Did you receive wilted basil? Don’t fret! Trim the stem and then plunge it in a sink of cold water and let it rehydrate for about an hour. If it still doesn’t perk back up, it’s perfectly good for hanging to dry so you’ll have dried basil for use later in the year. Important note: DO NOT REFRIGERATE your basil. Basil can’t tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees. If you refrigerate it, you’ll have black, nasty leaves, only fit for compost. Store it bouquet style, in a glass of cool water on the counter.
- Peppers: I’ve got an instagram post helping detail all our different pepper varieties for you today. It can be hard to tell some of them apart, and to remember which ones are spicy and which are sweet. Hope this post helps!
- Bell Peppers – Green and Purple bell peppers mostly went to the Regular shares this week, but Large and Mini shares got a couple.
- Sweet Italian Peppers – Large and Mini shares received these this week. You received both vibrant green ones, and pale yellow-green ones. See the instagram post mentioned above to help you identify them. These are delicious, crunchy, long and slender Italian sweet peppers, NOT spicy! These will be very similar to bell peppers in flavor and heat.
- Shishito peppers – A paper bag of peppers for everyone this week! These are so perfect blistered in a hot skillet or grill, and then dipped in any delicious type of dip you can come up with to go with it. They’re super yummy.
- Jalapenos – A few for everyone.
- Cucumbers – Try a smashed cucumber salad this week! Got a blender? Make Cucumber Melon Agua Fresca!
- Eggplant – Our Large shares received the tiny and beautiful Fairy Tale eggplant. The Regular shares received our Italian eggplant, including our beautiful Rosa Bianca heirloom. Our Mini shares received our long slender Japanese eggplant. We’ve been really enjoying Thai curries this time of year with eggplant and peppers. So tasty!
- My recommendation with eggplant is to use super high heat: a hot cast iron, a hot grill, or an oven around 450.
- Squash and/or Zucchini – Winding down! This might be your last week of this crop
Veggie Storage tips:
- Everything wants to be washed well before cooking, but keep the dirt on till then, to prevent faster spoilage.
- Basil must not be stored in the fridge. Keep it in a glass of water in a cool place, and out of direct light.
- Tomatoes, potatoes, garlic, and onions prefer room temperature, dry conditions.
- Squash, zucchini, eggplant, peppers, and cucumbers all want to be sealed up in plastic and stored in the fridge. You CAN store them at room temp for just a day or three, but you’ll extend their shelf-life considerably by storing them properly in the fridge.
We’d love to hear stories and recipes of your culinary adventures this week. Tag us on Instagram or Facebook, showing us how you’ve used your CSA share.
Your farmers, Jess & Justin
