“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:
| Servings |
|
- 1 pound hot peppers In any mixture, in your case it would be hot wax, jalapeno, and cayenne.
- 1 quart filtered water
- 3 TBSP kosher or pickling salt
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp coriander seed
- 2 tsp fresh oregano
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- a little dash of distilled vinegar (optional)
Ingredients
|
|
- Thoroughly wash and scrub all the peppers under cool running water. Take time to get your quart sized jar and the lid super clean and sterilized. We like to scrub ours with hot soapy water, then send them through the sanitizing cycle in the dishwasher.
- Using a sharp knife, remove and compost the pepper hulls, then slice all the peppers into rings. There’s no need to de-seed and de-vein the peppers, but if you prefer to, you certainly can. You may want to wear gloves for this step if you have sensitive skin, the oils from the peppers can cause burning and rashes.
- Set 1/2 cup of filtered water to boil, either in a tea kettle or a saucepan. Measure out three tablespoons of kosher or pickling salt and pour it into your quart sized jar. Measure out and add the flavorings listed above to the jar as well.
- Once the water is boiling, pour it into the jar and stir vigorously with a spoon until the salt dissolves and everything is mixed.
- Pack the sliced peppers carefully into the jar, pushing them down gently after each addition. Keep filling the jar until you reach the neck of the jar. If you want to add some vinegar, leave a little room to top it off. Pour clean, filtered water slowly into the jar until all the peppers are covered. Cover the jar tightly with the lid and keep in the refrigerator for at least a day before enjoying. Do be aware, this is not a canning recipe, so you must keep the peppers in the fridge in order to keep them safe for consumption.
- Your pickled peppers will keep in the refrigerator for around 6 months, and can be enjoyed on any number of dishes. We like to use ours to add a little spice and flavor to stir fries, toss them into omelettes, and even put them on homemade pizza!
| Prep Time | 5-10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
|
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper and/or any other kind of pepper(s) seeded and chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 1/2 cups red potatoes cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 cups tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
- herb (oregano or mint would go great with this dish) finely chopped for garnish
Ingredients
|
|
- Heat a large frying pan to medium-high heat. Add the oil, water, onions, peppers and potatoes and sauté for 7 mins.
- Mix in the chopped tomatoes, water, cinnamon, smoked paprika, honey, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and reduce heat to low and cook for 20 mins till the tomato sauce is thickened.
- Do keep an eye on the mix during cooking as you may need to add a tbsp or two of water so that the tomato mix has a passata type consistency. Adjust the seasoning.
- Break the four eggs on top of the tomato sauce and cook for about 10 mins until the eggs are just set, or longer if you prefer your eggs cooked harder.
- Top the Shakshuka with your chopped herbs. This dish pairs well with crusty bread.
