“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
~Nelson Mandela~
Summer Share Box 16 Crop List
- Spaghetti Squash – All Shares
- Watermelon – All
- Apples – All Shares
- Peppers (Italian frying, hot wax, jalepeno, cayenne, habanero) – All Shares
- Potatoes – All Shares
- Chard – All Shares
- Lettuce – All Shares
- Okra – Half Shares Only
- Squash/Cucumbers farmer’s choice – Flex Shares Only
- Mini Tomatoes – Flex Share Only
- Eggplant – Full & Half Shares Only
- Radishes – Full & Flex Shares Only
- Lemon Balm – Full & Flex Shares Only
- Fennel – Flex & Half Shares Only
Farmer Notes
*There are 2 boxes remaining after today in our 2022 Summer CSA Share
*Boxes are heavy and handles break easily, please use caution
*Rehydrate the chard and lettuce by soaking it in very cold water for half an hour
*Italian frying peppers are like candy – enjoy
*Apples are Enterprise and can be eaten as is, made into sauce or a dessert, or cut into a salad
*We received our first hard frost/freeze last night – read our farm article for more info.
*We have many different hot pepper varieties that are highlighted in our featured vegetable
*Last of the fennel, cucumbers and summer squash, and tomatoes for this year
Last night we received our first frost and freeze on the same night as it got down to 31 degrees here on the farm. Normally we get a night or two of frost and then a 2-week period or so until our first actual freeze. They were predicting it so we were more or less ready:
Crop of the week – Peppers
Summer is officially over. With a frost on Tuesday night some of our summer staples are done for the season. That being said we still have a lot of crops chugging along and producing just fine. While they’ve been in the boxes in some capacity for quite a while now, peppers have really hit their stride, and will be this week’s featured crops. Of course we have the bell peppers that are mostly green and a few fully ripened red ones. Also the intriguing chocolate bell pepper that has a dark brown hue. Italian frying peppers have been prolific this season, and impart a sweetness that is missing in the bells. With hot peppers we have cayenne, hot wax, beaver dam, jalapeno, and habanero. What sets the hot peppers apart from the sweet and bell peppers, or better yet what makes them hot, is capsaicin.
Capsaicin is a colorless, odorless compound found in the membranes that hold the seeds. Hot peppers are usually called chili peppers or chilis to avoid mistaking them for the black pepper plant as Cristopher Columbus once did. Capsaicin is measured in Scoville heat units on the Scoville heat scale, which ranges from zero (bell peppers) to sixteen million (pure capsaicin). Capsaicin can be used as an analgesic, most commonly in a topical form such as a salve. It can boost metabolism by increasing the rate in which you use energy and burn fat stores. It is also great for inflammation, which in turn can help with heart problems.
We all know that adding some diced hot peppers to any dish can elevate the heat, but are you not sure what to do with a plethora of peppers? You can make hot sauce or pickled peppers. If you have a dehydrator you can dry and then powder them to make a pantry staple that can last years. One of my favorite ways to use jalapenos is to make cowboy candy. Also known as candied jalapenos, this spicy yet sweet concoction goes perfectly over eggs or with any meat dish. I hope that y’all have been expanding your culinary horizons this season, trying new foods and interesting recipes. I’d love to hear about it sometime. Cheers!
-Farmer Dylan
Some Recipes To Try:
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