July 23 or 26

Small boxes :  1 lb. Paul Robeson tomatoes, 1 lb. Juliet tomatoes, 1 bell pepper, 1 bunch fresh shallots, 1 canteloupe, 2 lbs tomatillos, 1hot banana pepper, 1 jalapeno, 1 bulb garlic, 1 italian eggplant.
Regular boxes:  1 lb Paul Robeson, 2 lbs Juliet, 1 bell pepper, 1 bunch of leeks, 1 celery, 2 canteloupe, 2lbs tomatillos, the hot peppers and garlic, 1 eggplant.

Salsa Verde
2 lbs tomatillos
1 jalapeno and 1 hot banana pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 to a whole bulb of garlic
1. peel the dry skins off the tomatillos, wash them, and boil in lightly salted water for 7 minutes or until they are just soft.
 2.Drain, puree them in a blender, and put them in a saucepan with the peppers, half the cilantro, salt, and half the onions.
3.Simmer sauce gently for 30 to 40 minutes.
4.To use for dipping chips in, add the rest of the cilantro and onion fresh along with the juice of 1 lime.  To use it as enchilada sauce, add the fresh cilantro and onion either to your filling or as a garnish on top.

Mom's Freezer Roasted Tomatoes
(the juliet tomatoes are great for this)
In the bottom of a large roasting pan place 1slivered onion tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Halve the tomatoes and place cut side up on the onion.
Throw 4 cloves of chopped garlic on top.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 425 until all juice has evaporated.  Cool before freezing or use them right away as a pasta sauce or pizza topping.

If anyone want s extra canteloupe melons for fresh eating or to freeze for smoothies, we have lots of them this week and will give you an extra one.  Just ask at market or email me and i'll send you one next pick-up!

July 16 or 19

View from the tractor seat of the crew transplanting parsnips!

Small boxes this week:  1 1/2 lbs nicola potatoes, 1 lb beets, 1 lb patty pan squash, 2 lbs small red tomatoes, 1 each of pink and yellow brandywine tomatoes, 1 bunch of cipollini onions, 1 or 2 each of sweet and torpedo onions (depending on size of onions), 1  zucchini, 1 purple bell pepper, 1 Italian eggplant.
Regular boxes:  3 lbs nicola potatoes, 2 lbs. beets, 2 lbs patty pan squash, 2 lbs small red tomatoes, 1 each of pink and yellow brandywine tomatoes, 1 bunch cipollini onions, torpedo/sweet onion mix, 1 zucchini, 1 purple bell, 1 eggplant, 1 bunch of shallots, 1 pint of blueberries.

Tomato season is upon us!  If you want tomatoes to can or freeze, this week or next is the time to do it.  We have lots of the red ones you have in your box today and lots of "seconds" of all varieties.  For CSA members, tomatoes are $1/lb.  (Market customers pay $3/lb.)  If you are interested, email or call me to set up when you want to get them.  Call Anne at 828-545-2362.  They will slow down significantly in 2 weeks so if you want to do it, do it now!

Nicola potatoes are unsurpassed as makers of a perfect potato salad.  They hold their form well due to their waxy texture.  They also make great shredded hash browns!
Cipollini Onions are sweet and mild and make THE BEST roasted or caramelized onions.
Eggplant recipe ideas

I am running late and cannot give recipes right now.  I'll try to get back to it later today or tomorrow!  Hope you are all well!

Onions curing in the barn loft

July 9 or 12

Honey Bees!  Our friend Dave Cowart caught a swarm we had this spring and helped us get it set up at the farm.  Here's to better pollination!

Harvesting fingerling potatoes yesterday.  We had an excellent yield!

Small boxes this week have: 2 lbs. purple viking potatoes, 1 red celery, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 fennel bulb, 1 pint cherry tomatoes, 1 head of garlic, 1 bunch of torpedo onions, 1 zucchini and 3 red tomatoes.
Regular boxes have: 3 lbs of purple viking potatoes and all of the above plus 1 bunch of carrots, 1 bunch of purple basil, 6 red tomatoes, 2 zucchini, 1 lb of austrian crescent fingerling potatoes.

There is a unintentional purple-red theme to the box this week.  The purple vikings are one of our favorite potatoes.  They have a sweet white flesh that makes great homefries or scalloped potatoes.  The red celery has a stronger flavor than green celery and can be used anywhere you would use celery.  It makes a beautiful broth for miso soup.

caramelized fennel
1 fennel bulb
salt and pepper
safflower oil (or whatever oil you use to saute)
Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Cut off the fennel stalks and core.  Cut the fennel lengthwise in half and then cut into 1/4 inch wide wedges.
Add the fennel to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook.  Drain the fennel and pat dry.  season with salt and pepper.
Heat some oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Add the fennel in a single layer, cut side down, and cook to caramelize the wedges, 2 to 3 minutes.
This can be eaten by itself as a side dish  or added to scallop potatoes or soup.

July! 2nd 0r 5th

REMINDER:  THE WEDNESDAY MARKET IS MOVING TODAY TO ALL SOULS RESTAURANT ON CLINGMAN AVENUE!
Small boxes this week:  1 white and 2 orange large carrots, 1 large red beet, 3 onions, 1 bulb of garlic, 1 green cucumber, 1 lb of lemon cucumbers, 2 zucchini, 1 bunch of basil, 3 tomatoes, 1 purple bell pepper, 1 head of green cabbage.
Regular boxes this week:  all the above plus more cucumbers, 2 zephyr squash, 1 pint blueberries, more tomatoes.

The lemon cucumbers are a nice, refreshing cucumber for fresh eating.  We do not peel them and mostly eat them like an apple.  We all love to eat them when we're working out in the hot sun and the kids love to eat them any time so I hope you enjoy them too!  They are good cut up in salads or in a salad all by themselves.
 This weeks' menu:
Pesto on pasta, roasted potatoes, bread
 Beet and goat cheese salad
Carrot and ginger soup
Zucchini Hash
Cole Slaw

View of the tomato field and stormy sky

June 25 or 28 CSA

CSA boxes lined up for filling

Small boxes this week:  1 bunch of carrots, 2 sweet "Ailsa Craig"onions, 2lbs new potatoes, 2 lbs zucchini, 1 1/2 lbs cucumbers, 1 almost full pint of blueberries, 2 tomatoes, 1 bunch dill.
Regular shares:  1 bunch of carrots, 3 sweet onions, 1 head of romaine, 1 bunch of parsley, 3 lbs of new potatoes, 3bs zucchini, 1 1/2 lbs cucumbers, 1 almost full pint blueberries, 4 tomatoes, 1 bunch of dill, 1 head of garlic.

The offer still stands for pickling cucumbers!  We will pick again friday morning around 9:30.  It looks like they'll still be going strong next week as well.  Come and pick and you can have as many as you want.  Or you can get 1/2 bushel for half price.  (1/2 bushel makes about 15 quarts of pickles).
The early tomatoes are starting to come in!  We are in a race with a racoon who has a taste for the reddest, most perfectly ripe tomatoes.  When I went to pick them yesterday, a little taste-tester had gone along and eaten the best part out of all the best fruits.  Kind of funny and cute but also not so funny or cute.  Anyway, if all goes well there will be a symphony of tomatoes coming your way over the next 5 to 6 weeks. 
For breakfast yesterday morning I had zucchini hash browns.
I sauteed some onion in olive oil and added shredded zucchini right on top of the onion and let it cook about 5 minutes, flipped it and cooked about 5 more minutes then salt and peppered, fried 2 eggs in the same skillet and put it on a plate with some diced tomatoes and cucumber slices.  Twas a lovely breakfast!
We make quick pickles a lot at this time of year:  slice cucumbers into rounds.  Place in a glass bowl and cover with some lemon juice, ume plum vinegar (or salt), apple cider vinegar, and fresh dill and cover and refrigerate overnight (or longer).

We will be harvesting the garlic crop this coming Monday and putting it in the barn to "cure".  The melon patch is starting to make little round, fuzzy, green canteloupes that will ripen in 2 to 3 weeks.  So exciting for the melon lovers!  Lettuce is all done for awhile.  We've started another round of it that you'll see in your boxes mid August.  Beans and okra are sprouting.... you'll see them in 4 weeks or so.  Peppers are sizing up.

Harvesting carrots Tuesday morning

ODE TO BEETS

I know many folks who love beets anyway they are presented.  I know some folks who deeply dislike beets mostly related to a childhood experience.  I urge you to give them another try.  Yes, they are very good for you! 

Check this link below for an abundance of information related to nutrition.  I was going to list a lot of the content in my entry but I think that checking it all out for yourself will be more useful.
nutritional content and facts about beets

I will now give you some recipes:

Spicy Beet Bloody Marys
makes 4 cocktails
preheat oven to 400
wrap 3 halved red beets (any color will do) in foil and roast until tender, 45 minutes
remove from oven, open foil, and let cool
in a blender or food processor, blend beets, 3 cups tomato juice, 2 T pepperocini juice, juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 T freshly ground black pepper, 2 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp prepared horseradish, and 1/2 tsp garlic until smooth
fill 4 glasses with ice and 1 1/2 ounces of vodka (or not) and fill to the top with the beet mixture and garnish with celery

Beet Slaw
(I do not peel the beets but if you want them peeled, do that first)
shred 4 large beets using a hand grater or food processor
cut 1 torpedo onion into thin rounds; use the green part of the onion too
slice 3 cucumbers into rounds
chop 1/4 cup fresh dill or parsley
combine all the above in a bowl
make a dressing:
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T dijon mustard
dash of salt and black pepper
pour over vegetables and let sit up to an hour before serving

Roasted Beets and Potatoes
heat oven to 450
cut the beets and potatoes into wedges
toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary or thyme
spread out in single layer on a baking sheet
let cook, stirring once or twice for about 30 minutes ( until a fork easily goes in)
transfer roasted veggies to a bowl and crumble blue cheese over them and eat hot or cold.

Cyril taste testing gold and chiogga beets

June 18th or 21

Small boxes this week:  1 head of romaine lettuce, 1 head of green bibb lettuce, 1 bunch of beets and carrots, 1 bunch of red torpedo onions, 1 pint of snow peas, 1 1/2 lbs of cucumbers, 2 lbs of zephyr and patty pan squash. 
Regular shares have all the above.  You have 1 bunch each of carrots and beets, 3 lbs of cucumbers, 2 zucchini, 2 lbs of new potatoes, 2 tomatoes and a sprig of basil!

If anyone is interested in making pickles, we are in the cucumbers for the next 2 weeks.  You can come and pick your own with us on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday morning and help us pick and you can have them or you can buy them for $22 a 1/2 bushel box (this is half the price we charge non-CSA customers).  Email if you are interested.

For dinner this week:
Beet, cucumber, and onion slaw
Grilled or roasted squash with goat cheese either hot or with romaine lettuce
New potatoes and snow pea hash
Cucumber, bibb lettuce, and butter sandwiches

 

 

your beets and carrots in the wash room