CSA Share Notes:

Welcome to week 3 of our Summer season! It’s the first week we’re harvesting for ALL of our members as the garden has gradually come in. Everything is rapidly building out there and we’re so excited for what’s in store.

I want to give you a WONDERFUL update on our replacement truck fundraiser after the accident! We’re nearly there, y’all! If you’ve been intending to give but haven’t found the time, any gifts last gifts you give before we close this fundraiser will still benefit our farm tremendously.

You can read our latest update here and see what we’ve got, what we need, and all the wonderful ways you’ve helped us through one of the hardest moments our farm has faced:

https://mailchi.mp/redmoonfarmtx.com/truck-fund-update4

 

Now here’s your vegetable line-up:

• Basil – For the Large and Mini shares this week. 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. In fact, if you treat it just like you would a fresh, locally grown bouquet (trim the stems often and change the water every day), you can get incredible vase life out of it. I see pesto pasta or margarita pizza in your future! You’re going to get a lot of basil over the next month. Plan on hanging some to dry for use later in the year.
• Garlic – Large and Regular shares. How do you like this garlic, huh?! We just love that it gives us big, easy to peel cloves, and that the flavor is SO GOOD.  This year’s garlic harvest is one of the best we’ve had. These are a red Creole type, bred for hot, humid Louisiana conditions.
• Bell Peppers – a few of our Green and Purple peppers for everyone.
• Sweet Italian Peppers – Regular shares received all of these this week. These are a sweet pepper, and they’re long and slender. You may have received dark green ones, or yellow ones. See the image below to help you identify and keep them separate from any hot peppers.  These are delicious, crunchy, long and slender Italian sweet peppers. These will be very similar to bell peppers in flavor and heat
• Jalapenos – Just a couple for everybody this week.
• Cayennes – 1 super hot pepper for each of the large shares. See the image to help you identify.
• Shishito peppers –  These specialty peppers are all the rage in the culinary world! Blister them in a super hot skillet following this recipe, then serve them as is or with a delicious dip for snacking.
• Sungolds – We had enough for all the regular and mini shares to get these this week, and they’re coming on strong! Should have plenty next week. These delicious bursts of summer sweetness have become our favorite cherry tomato type as they’re super flavorful and sweet.
• Cucumbers – Hip hip Hooray! I am crazy about cucumber season. Crunchy and juicy. I can’t get enough. hope you enjoy yours. Pickling and slicing types are interchangeable in just about any recipe.
• Eggplant – The large shares received our very first eggplant harvest. Some of you received our slender Japanese type, and others received Fairy Tale eggplant, the loveliest eggplant of all! My recommendation with eggplant is to use super high heat: a super hot cast iron, a hot grill, or a oven around 450. You want to brown them, and even blister or char them a little bit, and it transforms the insides and brings out their sugars. They become a super delicious veg.
• Yellow Squash – We’re loading you down with squash this week, we have way too much! Squash casserole is in your future. Go ahead and make up a recipe in a foil 9×9 and pop it in the freezer to enjoy after squash season. Squash also freezes really well, just chop and flash-freeze on a cookie sheet before tossing it in a gallon ziploc.
• Zephyr Squash – Larges and Minis this week. This two-toned crop is a very delicious with a sweet and nutty flavor, plus it’s so cool looking! Like the blossom end was dipped into lime green paint.  Enjoy this unique summer squash.
• Heirloom Zucchini – The Regular shares received our heirloom types this week. There are a couple of heirloom zucchini types we’re growing, but my favorite is Romanesco. It’s a fantastic squash but the shelf life isn’t as long as most, so plan to use them quick.
• Black Zucchini – They’re really a dark green, but we call them black in the Ag world. Large and Regular shares received most of these. These are a more standard, yet delicious zucchini. Enjoy!
• Potato – Pretty red potatoes, ready to boil into a delicious potato salad. Or try Smashed Potatoes: parboil and drain, then lightly oil a baking sheet and place boiled potatoes on it. Smash each one with the bottom of a coffee mug into a flattened disk (the potato will crack, deeply. This is fine) Brush all sides heavily with olive oil, salt generously, and bake at 450 till crispy and golden, about 30 min. This will be your new favorite way to enjoy potatoes. Also, personal tip: we actually use a counter top toaster oven which we plug in on the porch to not heat up the kitchen this time of year. Favorite way to keep roasting food through the summer.
• Onion – A yellow and/or red onion for everyone. This year’s harvest is healthy, beautiful, and the onions are nice and large, but our yield was very small. We will run out of onions pretty soon. Better luck next year we hope!

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.
• Cherry 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

 

Regular Share

Today’s Regular Share:
Left to Rt: (top row) jalapeños, potatoes, heirloom zucchini, both slicing and pickling cucumbers, sungold cherry tomatoes (bottom) garlic and yellow onion above colorful bell peppers, 5 Sweet Italian peppers (you either received 5 dark green or 5 yellow, I photographed both here so you could see what both look like) and yellow squash.

Large Share

Today’s Large Share:
Left to Rt: (top row) jalapeños above onions, colorful bell peppers, both slicing and pickling cucumbers, a dozen shishito peppers (in a paper bag) and Genovese Basil. (middle row) eggplant (you received either 2 Long Japanese or 6 Fairytale, I photographed both so you could see what they each look like)  garlic, potatoes, one long green cayenne pepper (Watch out!) a whole bunch of yellow squash, and across the bottom, zucchini, and zephyr squash.

 Mini Share

Today’s Mini Share:

Left to Rt: (top row) Genovese Basil, jalapeños, a slicing and a pickling cucumber, colorful bell peppers, sungold cherry tomatoes (bottom) yellow onion, potatoes, shishito peppers (in a bag) zephyr squash, yellow squash, and zucchini.