Week 12

This week is one of the few that we harvest (and eat) both summer squash and winter squash!  By name alone one would imagine that the two would not overlap. However, there are many different varieties of winter squash and so while they were all planted in the same week in June, they mature at different times. The first of the winter squash to ripen is spaghetti squash which is ready to eat when picked but like other winter squashes has a hard shell that allows it to store longer than most summer vegetables. The summer squash in the farm store and CSA is the from the last of our four successions of summer squash and zucchini we planted over the past couple of months.

The height of summer meets the preparation for winter in other parts of the farm as well. While we are still planting lettuce and greens for later this season just a few feet away we are starting to seed cover crops for the winter.  Oats and peas are already growing in our back fields and should soon be seen popping up in our front field where the flowers are still in full bloom. The cover crops will provide nutrients and organic matter to the soil as well as protection from erosion over the winter. 

Oats and Peas beginning to grow. 

In the CSA this Week

Spaghetti Squash

Collard greens

• Spaghetti Squash- The first to mature of our winter squash. We grow a variety called pinnacle, we like its small size (making it manageable for cutting and cooking) and tasty pasta-like inside. See below for information about cooking and ideas for toppings!
• Cantaloupe- This will be the one week of these sweet melons for the season!
• Collards- These greens are looking beautiful and can be used just like any green but require slightly longer cooking. Cutting and sauteeing ribbon-like strips is my favorite way to make them.
• Golden and Red Ace Beets
• Kale
• Swiss Chard
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Slicing tomatoes
• Paste tomatoes
• Eggplant
• Peppers - green and purple bells.
• Watermelon
• Cucumbers
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Leeks
• Carrots
• Baby Bok Choy

CSA PYO:

• Husk cherries - Ready to pick when they fall to the ground and the husks are brown and dry
• Tomatillos - great for making salsa verde
• Cherry tomatoes - members will have the option to buy an extra quart for picking in addition to the quart that is part of the CSA share.
• Hot peppers - jalapenos, serrano, capperino, ancho
• Herbs - Genovese basil and Thai basil (new planting of basil is ready- plenty for pesto this week!) parsley, thyme, and sage
• Sunflowers

In the store:

In addition to the crops listed above, we should have some red, yellow and orange sweet Italian and bell peppers. We will also have Verrill Farm sweet corn, mustard greens and some lettuce.

Spagetti Squash

This squash is one of our favorite late summer meals! We don't use a recipe but the preparation is simple and can be adjusted to anyone's tastes.

1. To cook the squash, heat the oven to 375. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place cut side down on in a baking pan with about an inch of amount of water in it (you can use oil on the pan if you'd prefer). 

2. The squash cooks for about 30-40 minutes but time varies greatly with size. We test the squash with a fork, when it is soft it is done! 

3. Then we sautee leeks, chopped tomatoes, and sage in olive oil. We often add a green such as chard or kale and chickpeas. 

4. Take the squash out of the oven and let it cool a little. Then use a fork to scrape out the spaghetti-like flesh of the squash. 

5. Top the spaghetti with olive oil and salt, the sauteed veggies, parmesan cheese, and bacon if you'd like!

Week 11

With the hot temperatures we've been having lately it seems odd to be talking about fall crops, but those are what are on our minds lately. Our harvest routine is firmly focused on summer, with tomatoes, melons, summer squash, zucchini and cukes taking up several hours every other day. Much of the rest of our time, however, is devoted to caring for (and sometimes just admiring) many of the crops we have to look forward to in a few weeks. Unlike May and June, August's tasks feel much more manageable. There is very little planting and seeding left to do. Our weed pressure shifts away from persistent grasses and nutsedge to the more merciful purslane and chickweed. Garlic, shallots and cipollini onions were harvested weeks ago and are curing in the greenhouse and farm stand. Other crops, like winter squash and fall potatoes, were planted much earlier in the summer and no longer require weeding.

It's a good thing we are no longer feeling the urgent pressures of May and June, because late August is also the time of year that we lose a lot of our help to the start of the school year. We wish Matt the best of luck at UVA and Emma at CCHS, and congratulations to Kathleen, who is getting married in Hawaii before starting back at her regular teaching job in September. We will still be seeing Kathleen and Emma around the farm, though for fewer hours than over the summer. Fortunately, we still have Rachel and Lauren, as well as some incredible volunteers helping us get through this time, including Caleb and Gabriella in the fields and Patsy, Dee, Jane, Kathy and Susan in the store. And of course, our smiling customers and members always give us an added boost!

Shallots curing in the greenhouse

In the CSA this Week

• Golden and Chioggia Beets - these are the first beets from our fall planting
• Kale - we've had a few week's hiatus from kale as the spring planting succumbed to old age and we have now moved on to our beautiful fall crop
• Swiss Chard - a new planting is ready and it looks gorgeous
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Slicing tomatoes - both red and orange varieties
• Paste tomatoes - perfect for making sauce
• Eggplant
• Peppers - green and purple bells.
• Watermelon - we'll continue to have the last of the Starlight variety, as well as a new (to us) open pollinated variety called Blacktail Mountain
• Cucumbers
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Leeks
• Carrots
• Baby Bok Choi
• Lettuce - limited quantities this week

CSA PYO:

• Husk cherries - these are a sweet treat and developed quite a following last year. They are ready to pick when they fall to the ground and the husks are brown and dry
• Tomatillos - great for making salsa verde
• Cherry tomatoes - members will have the option to buy an extra quart for picking in addition to the quart that is part of the CSA share.
• Hot peppers - jalapenos, serrano, capperino, ancho
• Herbs - Genovese basil, Thai basil, parsley, thyme, and sage
• Sunflowers - the next varieties blooming sound like something you want to eat: Buttercream and Chocolate!

In the store:

In addition to the crops listed above, we should have cantaloupe, some of the first colored peppers and Verrill Farm sweet corn.

Here are a couple of delicious recipes featuring leeks. The tart is also a great opportunity to use Pete and Jen's eggs!

Leek, Cherry Tomato and Pecorino Pizza

from Food & Wine, October 2009

• All-purpose flour, for dusting
• 1 1/2 pounds pizza dough, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 2 large leeks, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 pound ground lamb
• 32 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 pound truffled pecorino cheese, thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 500°. Heat a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes. (Alternatively, heat a large inverted baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven for 5 minutes.)
2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each piece of dough to a 7-inch round. Oil 3 large baking sheets and place the dough rounds on the sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the leeks, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 8 minutes; transfer to a plate. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet. Add the lamb, season with salt and pepper and cook until no pink remains, about 5 minutes.
4. Generously flour a pizza peel. Place a dough round on the peel and brush with olive oil. Top with some of the leeks, lamb, tomatoes and pecorino cheese. Slide the dough round onto the hot stone or baking sheet and bake for about 4 minutes, until bubbling and crisp. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.

Leek and Swiss Chard Tart

adapted from Bon Appétit October 1999

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3-4 leeks, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 1/2 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (ribs removed)
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream
• 3 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch of ground nutmeg

Roll out pastry on floured work surface to 12-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold under; crimp edges. Cover; chill.

Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chard; saut until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cooled leek mixture. Pour filling into crust.

Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until filling is puffed and just set in center, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes.

Week 10

There has been a big push on the farm in the past couple weeks to prepare for the fall and beyond. This weekend we brought in reinforcements from the city (thanks Ashley and Eric!) to help weed in the strawberry beds so that we can have healthy productive plants next June.  Last week we weeded all the fall beets and most of the carrots and we are now concentrated on hoeing our fall brassicas including cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, kale and collards.  Every year we look for areas we can improve and this year we wanted bigger Brussels sprouts! So, we planted our seedlings earlier, weeded and hoed the plants thoroughly, and gave them a boost with some organic fertilizer to get them on track. The progress we've made in the past week towards preparing fall crops is particularly important because our crew will decrease in number as the summer winds down. This is Matt's last week helping bring in the harvest as he is off to college at the University of Virginia. We appreciate the boost he gave us this summer and hope he comes back to visit. We are pretty sure he will think of the farm whenever he eats arugula or lettuce, his Tuesday morning harvest specialties!

Brussels sprouts and fall carrots

In the CSA this Week

• Heirloom Tomatoes- These tomatoes are funky colors and shapes but full of flavor! We grow the varieties Cherokee Purple, Prudens Purple, and Striped German. Heirloom varieties were not bred for productivity, looks, or ability to ship so they are trickier to grow and store but are well worth the effort.
• Red slicing tomatoes- Coming in strong this week!
• Summer Leeks- The first leeks of the season are a summer crop called Chinook. Leeks were an infamous June weeding project so our crew is excited to see their efforts in the CSA, farm store and on their dinner plates!
• Watermelon
• Baby bok choy
• Tatsoi- A mild flavored green that is great for salads!
• Arugula
• Red Russian Kale
• Eggplant
• Peppers - green and purple bells.
• Cucumbers
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Carrots
• Lettuce

CSA PYO:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Hot peppers - jalapenos, serrano, capperino, ancho
• Beans - green and yellow wax
• Herbs - Genovese basil, Thai basil, parsley (we are working on weeding the bed so the parsley should be easier to find this week!), thyme, and sage
• Sunflowers

In the store:

In addition to the crops listed above, we should have mustard greens, Blacktail Mountain watermelon, and Verrill Farm sweet corn.

Ratatouille

Adapted from Ratatouille by Martha Rose Shulman at the New York Times. Featured in the article For Vegetarians at the Cookout

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

3/4 pound (2 medium) onions, thinly sliced

4 to 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3/4 pound sweet peppers, cut into slices about 3/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long

1 1/4 pounds zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick (if very thick, cut in half lengthwise first)

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Freshly ground pepper

2 to 4 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the cubed eggplant in a large, heavy flameproof casserole. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste. Place in the hot oven, and roast uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring from time to time until the eggplant is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the casserole from the oven, cover tightly and allow the eggplant to steam in the hot casserole while you pan-cook the onions, peppers and zucchini.

2. Heat a tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes. Stir in the peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers have softened and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in half the garlic, and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole with the eggplant. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until tender but still bright, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and mix together for a minute until fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole. Add the tomatoes to the casserole along with the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and more salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together, and place over medium-low heat. When the vegetables begin to sizzle, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes until the mixture is juicy and fragrant and the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm or cold, preferably the next day. Stir in the basil shortly before serving.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Advance preparation: Ratatouille keeps well in the refrigerator for about five days.

Week 9

Even more summer crops are ready to harvest this week. The first slicing tomatoes are in, as well as a few heirlooms. Eggplant and peppers are becoming more abundant, and we have also begun harvesting one of our favorite summer treats: watermelon! It is still a bit early for melons, but the watermelon harvest was hastened because of some heavy feeding pressure from crows and our local coyote friends. The crows have been pecking holes in the melons during the day and at night the coyotes have been finishing off the crows' leftovers and appear to be using the  unripe softball-sized melons to play fetch with each other.

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Some of the eaten melons culled from the field.

While we appreciate the coyotes' efforts at reducing groundhog, rabbit and mouse pressure on many of our crops, we are not so thrilled about their newly acquired taste for a post-meal dessert! Last week we tried out various strategies to protect the plants and baby melons, but the one that we feel has the most promise involves re-purposing our blueberry netting as watermelon netting. We've also just begun harvesting watermelons in earnest so that we can hopefully enjoy them before the wildlife does. This means that there may be some watermelon that is not fully ripened, but we think slightly under-ripe watermelon is better than no watermelon at all!

In the CSA this week:

• Red slicing tomatoes - just a taste this week, but we should be seeing larger quantities very soon.
• Watermelon - this variety is a red melon called Starlight. We don't grow seedless watermelon, so enjoy some old-fashioned seed spitting contests!
• Eggplant - In addition to the traditional dark purple Italian type, we have a light purple Italian type called Beatrice and a dark purple Asian type called Orient Express.
• Peppers - green and purple bells.
• Cucumbers - slicing and pickling are abundant.
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Onions - last of the Ailsa Craig and Red Long of Tropea
• Carrots
• Lettuce
• Red Russian Kale
• Curly Kale - this is the last of the spring planted kale, but the fall kale is coming along really nicely, so it shouldn't be too long of a break from kale chips!

CSA PYO:

• Cherry tomatoes
• Hot peppers - jalapenos and serranos
• Beans - green and yellow wax
• Herbs - Genovese basil, Thai basil, cilantro, dill, parsley, thyme, sage and mint

In the store:

In addition to the crops listed above, we should have some heirloom tomatoes, Red Gold potatoes, cabbage and Verrill Farm sweet corn.

It's a perfect time of year for making ratatouille, but this week's recipe is another from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything (our go-to cookbook!).

Eggplant Fritters

From How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

• 1  1/2 lb eggplant
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and pressed (or throw in half an Ailsa Craig onion if you like!)
• pinch cayenne (or dice up a little Jalapeno!)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs or all-purpose flour
• Neutral oil for deep-frying
• Lemon wedges for serving

Trim and peel the eggplant, cut it into chunks and blanch it in boiling water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, pressing down on the colander to make sure it's dry. Pulse in a food processor. Beat the egg in a large bowl and then add eggplant, parsley, Parmesan, garlic, cayenne, bread crumbs and salt to taste.

Put at least 2 inches of oil in a deep pan over medium heat - bring the temperature to 350F. Drop the fritter batter into the hot oil, about 1/4 cup or large spoonful each. Cook the fritters about 4-6 minutes total, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides. Drain the fritters on paper towels. You can keep fritters warm in the oven at about 200F until all the batches are done. Serve with lemon wedges.

Week 8

When the cherry tomatoes, eggplant and peppers begin to come in we know that we are in the height of summer.  It might sound obvious but sometimes on the farm we need to stop and appreciate the current season because we are so often thinking ahead to ensure that future harvests are on the way. All the beautiful colors coming out of the fields (and into our kitchens!) this week has helped us appreciate the present. Don't worry, behind the scenes we are cultivating the fall brassicas, seeding spinach and other late season greens, and weeding the fall carrots!

In the CSA this week:

• Peppers- Green and Purple "Islander" are the first two peppers ready for picking! Many more varieties to come in late summer and early fall.
• Eggplant- The first of the season! Choose from Beatrice and Irene. Their taste is similar and both can be used in any eggplant recipe.
• Celery- This celery is a variety called Tango and it is packed with flavor which makes it great for cooking.
• Fresh Onions - Ailsa Craig and Red Long of Tropea
• Red Gold Potatoes
• Cucumbers
• Lettuce
• Summer Squash
• Zucchini
• Red Ace Beets
• Nelson Carrots
• Cabbage
• Arugula

CSA PYO:

• Jalapeno Peppers- Spicy fans out there will be happy to know that this is the first of many weeks of hot pepper picking!
• Cherry Tomatoes - All varieties are ready for picking including: Sungold, Matt's Wild, Jasper, Grape, Black Cherry and Mountain Magic. Enjoy!
• Sunflowers
• Dragon Langerie Beans- These long flat purple spotted beans are perfect for picking this week!
• Green Beans- A new planting is ready for picking.
• Herbs: Thai and regular basil, sage, mint, thyme, cilantro, dill, dill flowers and parsley

In the store:

In addition to the items listed above, we'll also have Happy Rich broccolini, and  Verrill Farm sweet corn.

Peanut Noodles

On of my favorite meals for a hot summer day is rice noodles with raw veggies and peanut sauce. I start by boiling rice noodles which I drain and rinse then add to a large bowl of chopped veggies form the farm including: cucumbers, carrots, green pepper, cherry tomatoes and thai basil. Add whatever sounds good to you! Then I mix it all together with peanut sauce and top with sauteed tofu (grilled chicken works great too!). There are many options for the peanut sauce, below I've included a great one by Mark Bittman.

Peanut Sauce by Mark Bittman, How to Cook Everything

Toss this Thai-style sauce with Chinese egg noodles or pool some on the bottom of a plate and top with broiled or grilled shrimp, chicken, pork, vegetables, or tofu. Or use it as a dip for celery, red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, and rice crackers. If you want a smooth sauce, use peanut butter instead of chopped peanuts; for a sweeter one, add about 1/4 cup of ketchup along with the coconut milk; for lightness, substitute stock or water for the coconut milk.

3 small dried red chiles (like Thai or piquin), seeded, or cayenne or hot red pepper flakes, to taste
3 garlic cloves
2 shallots, peeled
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, peeled, trimmed, and thinly sliced (optional)
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon peanut oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
1 cup coconut milk 
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts or crunchy peanut butter
Salt

1. Combine the chiles, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, and turmeric in a food processor and grind and until fairly smooth; scrape down the sides of the machine once or twice if necessary.

2. Put the oil in a medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chile-garlic mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk until smooth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Taste and add a sprinkle of salt or a little more soy sauce if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week (warm gently over very low heat or in a microwave before using).

Curry Peanut Sauce. Another layer of flavor: Omit the chiles, lemongrass, and turmeric. Instead, put one 2-inch piece of fresh ginger and 2 tablespoons of curry powder or curry paste in the food processor along with the shallots.

Simpler Peanut Sauce. More peanutty (and makes less): Omit everything except the chiles, sugar, soy sauce, and peanuts. Use the food processor to blend, adding a little water or more soy sauce to get the consistency you like. Then gently heat the sauce in a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Finish with 1/4 cup each sliced scallion and minced fresh cilantro.

Southern-Style Peanut Sauce. Peanut sauce, down-home style: Omit the chiles, lemongrass, turmeric, and soy sauce. You can hand-mince the shallots and garlic if you like, instead of using the food processor. Proceed with the recipe, but use cream instead of coconut milk and lemon juice instead of lime juice.