2017 Week 10 Newsletter
Thinking of......SNOW!
Its been a hot week of summer heat - add the smoke from the fires and you've got a sweltering August. It's just too hot to work in the fields during the worst heat of the day - so we have been taking a break and planning our fall and winter crops. Yes - hard to believe but winter will be here before we know it! It's time to order seeds for the overwintering plants that get harvested next spring - like cauliflower, peas, kale, garlic, and onions. They will get planted out in late August or early September and protected from the worst of the winter with a layer of straw mulch. Planning for the next season never stops on the farm!
CSA Basket - Week 10
Your CSA basket this week includes the following:
Himalayan Balckberries - Yes, they are invasive - but a ripe one sure is delicious! We are in a constant battle to keep the blackberries contained here at the farm.
Zucchini - Black Star or Costata Romanesco. The Romanesco is the ribbed version - it has a firmer flesh and holds up to roasting better than the Black Star
Tomatoes - a few more varieties this week - mostly yellow and orange heirloom varieties - Enjoy!
Lettuce Mix - Many different varieties. Depending on your bag, you may have arugula, endive, butter crunch, breen, flashy trout, or encino...let us know which you like the best!
Siberian Kale - The large, flat, and tender leaves go well instead of lettuce on sandwiches
Shintokawa Cucumbers - We find that the flavor and texture of these make for a great snack
Tri-Color Carrots - add a splash of color - grate them onto your salad, if you don't just eat them whole first
Hakurei - these fit the place of radishes, but still grow great throughout the summer - unlike the radish which prefers the cooler weather
Broccoli - did you try roasting it last week? or eat it raw?
Mint - add a little extra flavor to your cool refreshing ice tea
Shishito Peppers - have you tried cooking them as suggested in last week's newsletter?
Listadia de Gandia Eggplant - your new veggie of the week. Their color is even more eye popping than in the catalog. Try the roasted eggplant and tomato stacks in the recipe below!
Veggie of the Week:
Aubergine!
Botanical Facts - Another member of the nightshade family! It is a bushy annual and is grown for its egg-shaped fruit. The stems are spiny and the leaves are soft, green, and downy. Aubergines bear attractive, star-shaped flowers with blue to violet petals. The fruits can vary from white to purple-black and some are up to 8 inches wide.
Historical Origins - The aubergine is native to tropical Asia. It was first cultivated in India, where wild forms still exist. It become popular in the cuisines of the near East and Asia as its mild flavor and soft texture combine well with other ingredients. The Persians introduced it to Africa, and the Arabs introduced it to Spain in the eighth century. It traveled to the New World with Spanish and Portuguese colonists in the fifteenth century.
Eggplant, Tomato, and Pesto Stacks
These stacks make a tasty appetizer or a side dish with your favorite pesto pasta dish.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup jar of pesto (or make your own!)
One eggplant, cut into 8 rounds
1 tsp sea salt
2 heirloom tomatoes, each cut into slices
8 slices (8 oz) fresh mozzarella
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Chopped walnut and basil leaves for topping
1. Heat oven to 400F. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, roast on a baking sheet until tender, turning once, about 20 minutes total
2. Arrange cooled eggplant on a plate and top with pesto, tomato slice and mozzarella
3. Drizzle stacks with balsamic vinegar (my favorite is a blackberry balsamic) and top with chopped walnut and basil leaves
Community Project
This week we began work on an outdoor pizza oven at the ponds. Our hope is to plan community events for CSA members at the farm. And what better way to do that than with wood-fired pizza with farm fresh ingredients? Our goal has always been to have CSA members feel connected to the farm and the food we grow here. If you haven't been to the farm and would like to have a tour just give us a call or send us an email and we can show you around!
Your SVF Farm Team