Our crew were champs working in the heat last week, and in general fared better than some of our more tender crops. In particular, one succession of greens and one succession of lettuce got burnt to a crisp. We irrigated all of our crops from dawn to dusk using both of our irrigation wells, but the heat in combination with our very sandy soil was just too much for some of them. Fortunately, we plant lettuce and salad greens every week, so this won’t have a major long-term impact. Maybe next time we should try giving the arugula a shady midday popsicle break! The Tuesday rain is a huge relief after last week’s heat wave, but it’s going to take a lot more in the coming weeks to pull us out of a Level 3 Critical Drought.
With a flush of colorful snapdragons coming on, we are opening the PYO Flower field this week during regular farm store hours. If you are not a PYO Flower CSA member (a few memberships still available!), picking is $17/bouquet (bouquets are picked into a wide-mouth quart jar). Jars are available in the farm stand for purchase, or you may borrow a jar and return it after you have finished picking. Currently, the snapdragons are the dominant flower available, so if you’d like a wider variety in your bouquet, you might want to wait a week or two before picking. We have a list of what flowers are available below the CSA and farm store lists, and we’ll update that list every week.
Housing update: Construction on the apartment addition is planned to start later this month! Melissa and her family are still looking a place to stay for 3 months (August-October) that is affordable and welcomes a 3 year old so if you have any leads please reach out!
In the CSA this week:
Cucumbers - Slicers and thin-skinned, grown in our high tunnel and in the field.
Zucchini - We are flush this week, so we’ve included a couple of zucchini recipes this week.
Celery - Our celery is smaller, but less watery (and therefore a stronger flavor) than what you typically find in the grocery store.
Carrots - Back to just orange carrots this week.
Beets
Garlic scapes - These are essentially the flower stalks of garlic plants and can be used much like regular garlic (it’s just a milder flavor). We have a good supply this week, but they won’t last forever, so we’ve included a few new recipe ideas below!
Scallions
Fennel
Cabbage - Savoy, arrowhead (also known by the name of the variety we grow, which is called Caraflex), and regular round green cabbage.
Mini daikon radish
Chard
Curly kale
Lettuce
Salanova lettuce mix
CSA Pick-Your-Own:
Sunflowers!
Herbs: Basil, Thai basil, dill flowers, parsley, sage, mint, thyme, chives
In the farm store:
Farm store hours are Tuesday-Friday 11am-6pm and Saturday 9am-3pm. In addition to most of the items listed in the CSA above, we will have:
Tomatoes - These are the first heirlooms and slicers of the season from the high tunnel, so we’ll have very limited availability to start.
Cherry tomatoes - From the high tunnel. Production is picking up a little, so we’re hoping to begin to have them more consistently.
Peppers - Available at the end of the week! Mostly green with a few purple.
Pickling cucumbers
Summer squash - As if to add insult to injury after all this heat, the summer squash plants are getting demolished by deer (both the foliage and the tiny squashes), so we only have them in the store this week.
Mustard greens
Flowers - We will have both snapdragon and mixed variety bouquets all week.
Salsa Verde - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and cilantro. Mild.
Hot Sauce - Made by Kenneth at Eastern Mass Provision from our own organic habañeros, aji rico, fresno, cayenne, Hungarian hot wax and garlic. Hot.
Seasonal Medley Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.
Shiitake Mushrooms - From Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.
Dried Mushrooms - 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms from Mycoterra Farm in Deerfield, MA. Certified organic.
Baer’s Best Beans - Black Turtle, Italian Cranberry, and Cannellini are Certified Organic. Bumblebee and Black Coco are not organic. Grown by Charley Baer in South Berwick, ME.
Maple syrup - 12 oz. bottles from our friend Jim at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg, MA. Not Organic.
Raspberry Vinegar Infusion -Silferleaf Farm in Concord, MA. Certified Organic.
PYO Flower Field
The flower field is open to both PYO Flower CSA members and the general public for picking by the jar. Please check in at the farm stand before picking. Flowers available for picking this week include: snapdragons, orlaya, dill flowers, ammi and rudbeckia. As we mentioned above, snapdragons are the dominant flower available, so if you’d like a wider variety in your bouquet, you might want to wait a week or two before picking.
Zucchini Bread
by Sally McKenney, from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Ingredients
1 and 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil)
1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (60g) unsweetened applesauce (or sour cream or Greek yogurt)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups (180g) shredded zucchini (no need to blot)
optional: 1 cup (180g) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chopped nuts, raisins, etc)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. See notes for muffins.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a large bowl until thoroughly combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla together until combined. Whisk in the zucchini. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Gently stir or whisk until *just* combined; do not overmix. Fold in any optional add-ins like chocolate chips or nuts. Batter is slightly thick.
Spread the batter evenly into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 55-70 minutes. (I like to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top.) Baking times vary so keep an eye on yours. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean with zero raw batter. Remove the bread from the oven and set on a wire rack. Cool in pan for 1 hour before removing from pan. You can slice the bread at this point, but it will still be warm in the center and may not slice neatly. For neat slices, continue cooling bread directly on a wire rack and then slice once cooled.
Cover and store leftover bread at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
For Muffins: Grease a 12-count muffin pan or line with liners. Prepare batter in step 2. Spoon the batter evenly into each liner, filling each all the way to the top. Bake the muffins for 5 minutes at 425°F (218°C) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (177°C). Bake for an additional 13-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time these muffins take in the oven is about 18-21 minutes, give or take. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. Yields 1 dozen.
Quick and Easy Baked Zucchini
from Recipe Tin Eats
ngredients
600g/ 1.2lb zucchinis (4 large or 5 medium)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
2 tbsp parmesan , grated (store bought sandy type is best)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 240°C / 450°F (220°C fan) with the oven shelf set high in the oven.
Trim the ends off the zucchini. Cut medium zucchinis in quarters lengthwise, and large ones into sixths (halve then cut each half into 3 lengthwise to make 6 long “wedges”).
Pile zucchini on a tray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Toss.
Line up in two rows so they’re touching each other, with the skin side down.
Sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, then parmesan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil.
Bake 12 minutes until the parmesan is golden and zucchini is soft but not soggy.
Serve immediately!
Garlic Scape Dressing
by Diana Rattray, from The Spruce Eats
Ingredients
2 garlic scapes, coarsely chopped
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 dash salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
Gather the ingredients.
In a blender, combine the garlic scapes, onions, honey, mustard, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
With the blender on low, slowly add the olive oil until well blended.
Enjoy on your salad!
How to Store
The garlic scape dressing should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator; it will last up to one week. Make sure to shake the dressing well before using.
Recipe Variations
Creamy: Add some plain yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, or feta cheese.
Green Goddess: Add 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste, and either 1 cup mayonnaise or 1/2 of ripe avocado.
Herby: Add a handful of fresh herbs, such as parsley or tarragon.
Garlic Scape and Cheddar Biscuits
from She Loves Biscotti
Ingredients
2 cups flour all purpose
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter frozen
2-4 tablespoons garlic scapes finely chopped (about 3-4)
1 cup cheddar cheese grated
1 cup buttermilk cold
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450° F / 230° C.
Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.
Using a cheese box grater, grate frozen butter over dry ingredients.
Toss gently to incorporate the butter.
Add the garlic scapes and cheddar cheese and quickly combine them together.
Make a well and pour in the cold buttermilk.
Stir until just combined (I use a wooden spoon).
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead gently 4-5 times and then pat into a 1-1½" thick rectangle or round/oval. Can also use a rolling pin.
Cut into rectangles or wedges (this avoids any left over scraps you would get by using a round cutter).
Place close together on parchment paper.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fluffy and golden brown.
Best served the day they are made.