“Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
~Thomas Edison~
Summer Share Box 9 Crop List
- Sweet Corn – All Shares
- Summer Squash – All Shares
- Cucumbers – All Shares
- Mini Tomatoes – All Shares
- Cilantro – All Shares
- Peppers (Green Bells and/or Hot Wax) – All Shares
- Farmer’s Choice: Radishes or Okra – Half Shares
- Eggplant – Full Shares
- Green Beans – Full Shares
- Watermelon – Full Shares
Farmer’s Notes
*We received over an inch of rain again this week so the crops are looking good
*We are planting many vegetable starts now for the fall and winter boxes
*Watermelons this week and next, followed up by the cantaloupe
*Sweet corn will be in most every box for the next month or so – you can grill them, steam them, blanch and freeze them, micro
wave them at 2 minutes per ear – and don’t forget to use them in salsas and cold salads
*Probably 2 more weeks before everyone is receiving slicing tomatoes – the minis will keep coming
*We will try to stay with basil and/or cilantro for the next month since it pairs well with many of the other high summer crops
*We have another green bean planting set for a mid fall harvest
*Sorry, no sugar snap peas this year – we were a little late in planting them and that hot spell in early June kept them from germinating
*Think about if you want to pickle any cucumbers this season – next week we will offer a special pickling cuke along with dill as an add-on option
*We hope that you are enjoying your summer as it is dang near mid-August already
*Please continue to return our boxes and ice packs each week
Well, we are in the heart of the summer CSA now as we come to the halfway point in our season. Crops like tomatoes of many varieties, Italian and Japanese eggplant, sweet corn, bell and different hot peppers, melons of several flavors and herbs like cilantro and basil will remain in the boxes for the next 4 to 6 weeks. We will be offering several add-on options as we move forward: pickling cucumbers for canning, large quantities of tomatoes for canning, a salsa box. We will let you know in advance what we may have to offer and a price – payment can be made online using the miscellaneous option. Next week, August 19th, we will offer a bag of 25 pickling cucumbers and a bunch of dill for $25 – let us know if you want one of these. I know that many of you are on vacation here before school gets underway. Please make sure that you have a neighbor, friend or family member pick up your box for you if you are gone. Enjoy the box of summer’s bounty!!
~Norm
Crop of the Week: Sweet Corn
Sweet corn and field corn are closely related, but they aren’t exactly the same. Field corn is used to make food products like cornmeal, corn chips, and corn syrup, but it’s primarily grown for animal feed. No matter how much butter you slather on it, the high-starch and low-sugar content means it’ll never taste good. Popcorn is a whole different kind of corn too, and it makes up less than one percent of the corn grown in the country. Sweet corn is an annual plant that requires a long, frost-free growing season. It is wind-pollinated and if you miss the optimal harvest time the corn’s flavor will go downhill fast as its sugars convert to starch.
Besides being delicious, corn is also good for you. It’s loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that promote healthy vision. The silk is a great diuretic, commonly used for kidney, bladder, and urinary tract infections. Just dry it in the shade and keep it to make tea when you need it.
Besides being delicious, corn is also good for you. It’s loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that promote healthy vision. The silk is a great diuretic, commonly used for kidney, bladder, and urinary tract infections. Just dry it in the shade and keep it to make tea when you need it.
Some Recipes to Try:
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 15 minutes |
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 2 ears sweet corn grilled and charred, then cut off of the cob
- 4 medium tomatoes (can also use the mini tomatoes) cut into small chunks
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- 3 green onions minced
- 1 hot pepper (whatever kind of hot pepper you like) seeded and minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 clove fresh garlic minced
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 TBSP olive oil
Ingredients
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Instructions
- FOR THE CORN: Preheat your grill to low. Peel off the husk, strip away all the silk and place the corn on grill grates. Turn once and grill until bright yellow and kernels are tender. Increase the heat to medium-high and continue to grill until a few kernels char. Charring the corn is totally optional.
- Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Toss once more before serving. Serve with tortilla chips or on tacos, enjoy!
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 3 cups fresh sweet corn kernels
- 6 radishes thinly sliced
- 1/2 jalepeno seeded and finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro leaves roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt to taste
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season with salt to taste.
- The salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings |
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Ingredients
- 1/2 lb whole rotini pasta or penne
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 2 medium summer squash quartered vertically and then sliced into 1/4-inch wide wedges
- 1 medium zucchini quartered vertically, and then sliced into 1/4-inch wide wedges
- 2 Tbsp oilive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 ounce goat cheese crumbled
- 2 cloves garlic
- pinch red pepper flakes
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. On the baking sheet, toss the whole cherry tomatoes and sliced zucchini and squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer (or as close to a single layer as possible). Roast for about 25 minutes, tossing halfway, until the cherry tomatoes have burst and the squash is tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente, according to package directions. Before draining the pasta, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
- While the pasta is hot, add the lemon juice, butter, goat cheese, garlic and red pepper flakes to the pot. Add about ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and gently toss the pasta until the ingredients are evenly mixed together and the pasta is coated in a light sauce (add more reserved cooking water if the pasta seems dry).
- Once the tomatoes and squash are out of the oven, add them to the pot along with all of the tomato juices. Gently toss once again to combine. Season to taste with salt (I added more than ½ teaspoon) and freshly ground pepper, then sprinkle chopped basil over the pasta and divide into individual serving bowls. Serve immediately.
