Share Notes July 6, 2023
CSA Share Notes:
Welcome to week two of our soft-opening of our Summer season! We’re delivering to 2/3 of our members this week as the garden gradually comes into its’ full readiness. We think next week the garden will be fully ready for all of you to get a share. I see baby cucumbers out there, and teeny tiny eggplant, lots of small peppers, and about a bajillion fat green tomatoes, a few of which are beginning to get some blush on them. All are super super close to being ready!
I want to mention to you our truck fundraiser, which you can read our latest update here:
https://mailchi.mp/redmoonfarmtx.com/truck-fund-update3
About 6 weeks ago, while delivering the CSA shares to Tyler, someone ran a red light and totaled our farm truck. The insurance payment doesn’t come close to covering the replacement value of the truck, (it’s about half) so we’re in a bind, and asking our community to help us be able to get back on the road ASAP. Please contribute if you are able! We’re so grateful to all of you who have helped us so far.
Now here’s your vegetable line-up:
- Basil– For the Regular shares only 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– Good quality garlic is impossible to find in stores and we’re so glad to share ours with you! 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. It consistently produces large bulbs with a smaller number of nice big cloves with a wonderful, pungent flavor.
- Yellow Squash – Large and Mini’s received the majority of these. Regular shares each get just a taste. We grow the tastiest varieties and pick them still tender to ensure you enjoy them at their prime.
- Zephyr Squash – Regular shares only 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 large and Mini 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 – Regular shares received most of these. These are a more standard, yet delicious zucchini. Enjoy!
- Green Tomatoes –We’re excited to have our first tomatoes of the season this week! Don’t wait until these cuties turn red- you’re supposed to enjoy them green. (Red ripe ones will be ready in another week or two.)What will you do with yours? Fried Green Tomatoes? Green tomato chutney or chow-chow? Or maybe this green tomato salsa verde? It’s bright and delicious.
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- 1 lb. green tomatoes, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Cilantro, to taste
- ¼ cup onion, diced
- Poblano or a few jalapenos, chopped finely, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- lime juice, to taste
- Chili powder or cayenne, if desired. Place all ingredients in a blender/food processor and puree until desired consistency.(Alternatively, you could chop everything if you wanted a chunkier consistency)
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- Cabbage – Round, slightly flat TenderSweet cabbages for the large and regular shares. We have a few final HailMarys of the Spring garden, and cabbages are one of them. They’ve held out in the extreme heat we’ve had the past month and are just now reaching their end. We’re lucky to share the last of them with you! Great shredded onto tacos or turned into an Asian peanut salad (two ways we’ve enjoyed our cabbage recently.) Want to turn your plain cabbage into a superfood that is also delicious? You can use a quart mason jar to make a batch of lacto-fermented kraut. It’s so easy! Read here to get the method. Start it on your counter top or pantry with a loose jar lid for about 3-5 days, then move it to the fridge to continue fermenting slowly for the next month or so, then it’s ready! If you’re a beginner, or if you want extra assurance your kraut will develop the right lactic acid bacteria, you can inoculate your batch when you start it with a teaspoon of whey. You can collect whey from a container of high-quality, unsweetened, plain yogurt (it’s the milky liquid that forms on top).
- Carrot – Beautiful bunches for all this week! In our kitchen, these crunchy, delicious carrots went into a big tuna salad and some were roasted to top tasty brisket barbecue baked potatoes.
- 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!
- Sweet Italian Peppers – Large shares received our first pepper harvest! Delicious, crunchy, long and slender Italian sweet peppers. These will be very similar to bell peppers in flavor and heat
- Jalapenos – Just a few for everybody this week. More are coming!
- Sungolds – These delicious bursts of summer sweetness are just starting to ripen and we had enough for all the large shares this week. Next week we’ll have even more! So excited for you to try these. These have become our favorite cherry tomato type as they’re super flavorful and sweet
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.
- Cabbage and carrots want to be 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
