2017 Week 9 Newsletter
Approaching Peak Production
The crops are loving the gorgeous sunshine this month and our solar panels are getting a workout keeping everything well watered. Lots of new veggies this week and more to come! Green beans, tatsoi, a new crop of broccoli, a new variety of carrots, and shishito peppers! In the next weeks you will start to see eggplant, melons, and maybe even some artichokes. The artichokes (like a lot of things this year) were a bit of an experiment - they are a perennial and we weren't sure how much flowering to expect this first year. Only about half the plants are flowering but we may get some more in August. And now I need to figure out what to do with an artichoke. (I usually buy them in jars!)
CSA Basket - Week 9
Your CSA basket this week includes the following:
Tomatos - a few more varieties this week - still waiting on the big ones - Enjoy!
Black Star Zucchini - Try roasting -it makes them very sweet! Cut in half longwise and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper - roast at 400 for 10 minutes
Lettuce Mix - enjoy a fresh salad on a hot day
Kale Mix - I just made a yummy quinoa salad with kale and craisins - the kids even ate it! (they said it was OK - I thought it was quite tasty)
Shintokawa Cucumbers - Yummy for snacking or on a salad. Or make it into a cool, refreshing raita for the hot weather this week. Chop and stir into plain yogurt with lemon juice and fresh chopped cilantro or mint. Use as a topping for roasted veggies or on a bowl of lentils.
Tri-Color Carrots - add a splash of color - grate the purple and yellow ones onto your salad
Baby Mustard Greens - tender enough to eat raw in a salad or great sautéed as a side dish or mix into farm fresh scrambled eggs. Did you get your egg add-on?
Tatsoi - new this week! Another tasty green from the brassica family. Use like spinach.
Broccoli - Some nice sized heads on the new plants. My favorite is roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. You really can't go wrong roasting any vegetable - but you might not want to start your oven when it hits 100 degrees on Wednesday (maybe snack on it raw)!
Basil - basil makes everything better! Slice thinly and toss on/in anything!
Dragon Langerie Green Beans - these are a beautiful green and purple beans - I haven't tried them yet - let us know what you think!
Shishito Peppers - so excited to finally have peppers! I've been waiting to grill these since we ordered the seeds in January! Delicious - not hot! See info below.
Veggie of the Week:
Shishito Peppers!
Botanical Facts - Capsicums, or peppers, are a genus of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) and are related to the New World tomatoes and potatoes, and to the Old World aubergine (eggplant) and deadly nightshade, the latter being highly toxic. Their flavor comes from the presence of capsaicin, a powerful alkaloid that is found in the inner membrane and seeds of the pepper. Capsaicin content can vary widely even in fruits from the same plant.
Historical Origins - All capsicums are native to the Americas. Wild chilies were eaten in Mexico around 7000 BCE and cultivated by 3500 BCE. Columbus likely brought plants back to Europe in the late fifteenth century, and the Spanish and the Portuguese took them to India and Southeast Asia shortly after. Chilies spread quickly to the Middle East, the Balkans, and Europe. Chillies rapidly became important to cuisines around the world and are prized for their tangy to spicy flavors.
Grilled Shishito Peppers
This is my favorite way to eat Shishito peppers - they make a tasty appetizer. Shishito peppers are not hot peppers - but every so often there is one that IS hot - maybe one in ten depending on the plant and growing conditions. So take a chance!
Ingredients:
1/2 pound shishito peppers
1 Tbsp olive oil
Coarse sea salt and pepper
Lemon wedges
1. Heat a cast iron pan or outdoor grill to medium high heat (375 to 425 degrees)
2. Place the peppers in a medium bowl and toss with olive oil
3. When pan/grill is hot, arrange peppers in a single layer, turning occasionally, until they are charred and blistered, about 6 to 8 minutes total
4. Return peppers to the bowl and toss with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon over peppers to taste. Serve immediately - pick it up by the stem and take a bite. So tasty!
Gorgeous Symmetry
One of our members, Darlene, took this photo of a dahlia blooming in the fields. I love the intricate symmetry of the dahlias - such beautiful and delicate patterns in the curled petals. I would love a whole field of nothing but dahlias - but then we might get a little bit hungry.
Have a great week and come see us at the market!
Your SVF Farm Team