After The Solstice
“A farm is a manipulative creature. There is no such thing as finished. Work comes in a stream and has no end. There are only things that must be done now, and things that can be done later. The threat the farm has got on you, the one that keeps you running from can until can’t, is this: do it now, or some living thing will wilt or suffer or die. It’s blackmail, really.”- Kristin Kimball, The Dirty Life We've eaten our first cherry tomatoes, the eggplant are growing in size, there are wee baby peppers on the pepper plants. Summer is officially here! It is always strange to me how right when Summer begins the days start getting shorter. I understand the science behind it of course, but it feels like these long days will last forever. Sometimes it feels like they aren't quite long enough as June is when the farming season hits new heights. Bless their heart that they don't get longer though as the weeds are nearly impossible to keep up with right now. The long days make the weeds, and the crops, grow incredibly fast. Our succession plantings start to melt together on these days as well and even though we planted something 2 weeks after something else, the plants grow so quickly that both plantings are ready to come out of the field at the same time. Though August will be just as hot (if not hotter) then June, the shorter days will benefit us immensely in terms of weed control. We're starting a lot of our Fall crops this week in the greenhouse as well. Our Fall broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage and more will get their first go of it in the greenhouse, before they make their way out into the fields in late July. Expect eggplant to be in the share in the next couple weeks, followed by tomatoes and peppers. Before our tomato harvest season begins, we have a neat little treat in the share options this week that some of you may remember from last year. Tomato butter from last season that we got made from our tomatoes! It is a delicious spread, similar to apple butter, and is great on toast or with a cheese plate. ____________________________________________________________________ Going over harvest for the morning
Baby eggplant
Fennel fronds in the morning light
Spiderweb amongst the kale
Wash station supervisors
LEMON PARMESAN ZUCCHINI NOODLES
PREP TIME 3 mins COOK TIME 7 mins TOTAL TIME 10 mins These lemon Parmesan zucchini noodles are unbelievably flavorful, healthy and only take 10 minutes to make. Perfect with veggies from the garden. Author: Denise Wright (MyLifeCookbook.com) Serves: 2 INGREDIENTS
2 zucchinis made into noodles
2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 lemon, zest only
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 Tablespoons of olive oil divided
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
In a saute pan add 2 Tablespoons of oil.
Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Next add your zucchini noodles and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add the rest of the oil and cook for about 5 minutes.
Take off heat and add zest and Parmesan.
Roasted Fennel
Prep and Cool time 10 mins Cook time 40 mins Total time 50 mins Recipe type: Sides, Gluten-Free, Primal Yield: 3 servings Ingredients
2 large fennel bulbs (about 1 lb.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the stems of the fennel. Rinse and dry the bulbs. Slice each bulb in half lengthwise. With the cut side down, slice the bulb vertically into ½-inch-thick slices, leaving the core intact.
Arrange the fennel slices in a 13 X 9 -inch baking dish. Drizzle with the olive oil and use your hands to coat the fennel pieces with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, add the Parmesan and toss to coat. Return to the oven and bake until the fennel is fork-tender and the top is golden brown, about 20 more minutes.
Notes Adapted from Ina Garten.
Share Options This Week Scallions- 1 point/bunch Kale - 1 point/bunch Chard- 1 point/bunch Fennel- 1 point/bunch Garlic Scapes- 1 point/bunch Summer Squash/Zucchini- 1 point/pound New Potatoes- 1 point/pound Asian Spinach- 1 point/bunch Baby Bok Choy- 1 point/ 1/3 of a pound Butterhead Lettuce- 1 point/head Kohlrabi- 1 point/ 1.5 pounds Napa Cabbage- 1 point/head Collards- 1 point/bunch Slicing Cucumbers- 1 point/each Pickling Cucumbers- 1 point/pint Basil- 1 point/container Fresh Garlic- 1 point/3 Tomato Butter- 2 points/ each Salad Mix- 2 points/bag
