CSA Share Notes:

We’ve got an exciting treat for the Large Shares from a neighboring farm!

Note: Bouquet Subscribers: You’ve got a special share notes section down at the very bottom of this page, so scroll all the way down for info on today’s bouquet.

Now here’s your vegetable line-up:

• Basil — Important note! DO NOT REFRIGERATE your basil.   Store it bouquet style, in a glass of cool water on the counter. If yours is wilty, you may be able to refresh it submerged in a sink of cold water, let it soak for an hour. If it doesn’t revive, use soon, or hang to dry to store and use this winter. (try to pick up your box promptly after delivery whenever possible!)
• Eggplant — Everyone received this crop this week. Large shares received large Italian eggplant, and a few were lucky enough to get our Barbarella heirlooms. Regular shares received long Japanese, and Mini shares received a small Italian. Plus the Large and Mini received a few Fairy Tale eggplant. My best eggplant tip is cook eggplant HOT and FAST. You want a good browning as this really brings out the sweetness. Grill, oven roast, or blister in a cast iron.
• Cherry Tomatoes — sungolds! For the Large and Mini shares this week. They are so tasty I rarely cook with them, because they always get eaten too quickly. But they are excellent in a fresh summer pasta, on salads, etc.
• San Marzanos — Regular shares received a few of our San Marzano tomatoes. These are a sauce tomato, meaning they have less water content and are excellent for a salsa or pico. Let ripen in a sunny window sill.
• Slicing Tomatoes —  Some are ready to eat, some need a day or two. Allow them to ripen upside down on a sunny windowsill.
• Sweet Peppers — Everyone is receiving a couple of bell peppers, and Large and Regular received a few sweet Italian peppers. These went into an excellent gumbo this week with squash/zucchini, onion, garlic, and celery. So good!
• Hot Peppers — Everyone received a couple of cayenne peppers. They’re super spicy, so a little goes a long way!
• Squash or Zucchini — This crops is winding down, so we don’t have as much to go around, but everyone still is receiving a little bit.
• Cucumbers — Everyone is receiving a couple of cucumbers, and more should be on the way really soon!  Enjoy a fresh cucumber tomato salad, with feta and kalamata olives, or perhaps a crushed cucumber salad with a light asian dressing.
• Onion  —  DELICIOUS sweet red onions for everyone.
• Garlic  — Try roasting some this time!
• Yellow watermelons! — For the Large Shares. These were grown by our neighbor and friend Micah McMillan at Homegrown Gardens in Van. He was very eager to tell me that these haven’t been sprayed with anything this year and can be considered chemical free (although some years he does use chemicals). So chill ’em up and chow down!  Homegrown also has a great store in town, open seasonally, that sometimes carries our produce, so be sure to check them out if you’re in the area.

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, garlic, and onions prefer room temperature, dry conditions.
• Melons, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, and squash want to be in your fridge. Seal them up in a bag or container to retain moisture for longest storage life.

 

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:
Top Left to Rt:  1st row: Genovese basil, Japanese eggplant, Sweet Italian peppers, Bell peppers, and a few cayenne. 2nd row: Cucumbers, yellow squash (some got zucchini), slicing tomatoes and San Marzano tomatoes, garlic, and red onions.

Large Share

Today’s Large Share:
Top Left to Rt: 1st row: Genovese basil, Italian and Fairytale eggplant, Sweet Italian peppers, Bell peppers, and a few cayenne. 2nd row: Slicing tomatoes above Cucumbers, Sungolds above Zucchini, garlic, red onions, and a watermelon!

 Mini Share

Today’s Mini Share:
Genovese basil, Italian and Fairytale eggplant, Bell peppers, and a few cayenne. Cucumbers, squash or zucchini, sungolds, Slicing tomatoes, Garlic, Red onion.

 

 

Today’s Bouquet Share:

 

 

Today’s Bouquet Share notes:

About half of this week’s bouquets are bright and bold, and about half are muted tones. Muted tones are headed to Tyler this week. Bolds are headed to Dallas and Longview. I’m going to try and alternate this way so you all receive a good variety.

I’ve got tons of big happy sunflowers ready again, and loads of zinnias. I have lots of cute Gomphrena, and a decent amount of Verbena Bonariensis, and I’m beginning to cut the Celosia and Amaranth, although I don’t have a ton of those that survived the wet spring. The pretty Gloriosa Double Rudbeckia are still producing some, and the Veronica too are winding down.  I predict I have 3 more strong weeks of flowers. This cool down coming this weekend will help. As with everything in the garden, we’ll see how it does! I am already planning for next year, preparing to start lots of seeds in just a couple of weeks for overwintering for earlier spring production so watch for all of those beauties in the Spring season!