“The aim of not knowing is to find out. The aim of finding out is to encourage the venture into more unknowing.”
– Leon Saulter
Week 8 produce list
- Romaine lettuce
- Red potatoes
- Thai basil
- Summer squash
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
- Eggplant
- Beets – full/half
- Radishes – full/single
- Kale – single/half
- Green beans – full/single
- Wax peppers – full
- Zucchini – full
Farmer notes
- Many of our fall transplants could use a nice drink of rain about now
- Please return our blue ice packs regularly
- It is another very warm, humid delivery day – please grab your box or produce as soon as you are able to do so
- Eggplant, cucumbers, and tomatoes are in full swing
- Bell peppers and sweet corn should show up next week
- Some tomatoes are ready to slice, while others could sit on your window sill for a few days to fully ripen
- Slice a tomato and top with some Thai basil, olive oil, pepper and parm
- Many of this week’s offerings can be cut up together for the grill/oven or put into a yummy cold salad
- Mark your calendar for our Fall Harvest Gathering Saturday, October 15th
- Please wash all of your produce before you eat it
- Have a great weekend, eat well, and live with joy!
Who am I?
I began, of course, last season, inside of the fruit of my parent plant. This all happened somewhere in the great state of Maine so I am all down with these northern climates. I was dried and packaged late last Fall and sent on out to Minnesota in mid January. By early March I was already in some soilless mix in 128 trays and placed into a germination chamber with a constant temperature at about 90 degrees. Within a week I already felt like sprouting, with such warm and humid conditions, so I said to myself, “Self, just do it then and see what the big world has to offer.” Some geezer farmer and 2 young people took good care of me. They put me in a warm greenhouse, kept me well watered, and kept air circulating so that I would not always stay so wet. I was potted up into a larger container when I got too big for my britches, and by mid May I was put outside onto hay racks to get used to the outdoor climate. In early June I was transplanted into black plastic with 2 square foot all to myself. As I started to grow even larger and put forth blooms I was given some twine trellis to lean onto. It has been quite an experience for me. I have not particularly enjoyed the constant rain, dew, and moisture on my skin, so I have some blight that is normal, but more severe this season. I am thrilled to finally be bearing fruit and to be coming into your homes to be eaten. I hope to continue to bless you for several more weeks before I go back into the soil from whence I came.
Thank you so much for wanting me, waiting for me, and now enjoying me in so many juicy ways!!
Cool options for enjoying summer veggies:
Savory Squash Noodle Salad
There are two ways to enjoy this recipe. Use your own noodles, or make them with the squash! Using a julienne peeler or a mandoline, cut the skin and layer of flesh from each squash in long ribbons, or “noodles.” This recipe is easy to change depending on what you might be serving alongside it. Trade out the thyme for a couple tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar or kick up the heat with a pepper.
Ingredients:
- one earth dance farm squash (two if you’re making the noodles)
- one onion
- as many heads of garlic as you prefer (3-4 minimum in my case)
- generous pinch of thyme
- salt to taste
- oil for cooking
Directions
- heat garlic and oil and add chopped onion until onion skin is translucent
- add thyme and one sliced squash
- while thats cooking, julienne or mandolin the other squash for noodles
- serve warm or cold
Tasty appetizers or snack ideas:
- tomato slices with large granule salt
- cucumber slices with Balsamic vinegar
- roasted potatoes with garlic and thyme
- fresh tomato slices on hummus smeared toast
