Wellspring CSA Newsletter Week 13

Tomato Time (Week 13)

Hello members! Welcome to week thirteen and the last August delivery.

(Did I not just say it was the first August delivery?) While our tomatoes and peppers are in full swing and it's supposed to be at least 91 degrees again on Friday, the signs of fall are quietly creeping about the farm. I would imagine that every farmer has their favorite signs, and mine comes from the winter squash. The first vines are really beginning to die back, exposing the oblong, striped delicata that have been growing for the last two months. They have been hiding underneath the big leaves of their parent plant, like all the winter squash fruit, until this time of the season. The delicata and acorn are generally the first to die-back, and will be the first to share wk 13 show up in your box. (As well as a variety called Sugar Dumpling, which is shaped like an acorn but colored like a delicata.) I'll go into more explanation about them in the coming weeks when they are actually IN the shares, but for now I'll just say that if you are new to the delicata squash, there are good times in store for your mouth.

Harvesting continues, around the clock it sometimes seems, as does the cover cropping I mentioned last week. We will soon shift to cleaning garlic around the clock, and we are still weeding a few of the fall crops. We are also continuing to plant out the hoop houses in preparation for season extension.

In other farm news, it's definitely tomato season! This weeks box includes a couple-three slicers (pink, red or both), one large heirloom (either pink Bradywine, yellow and red Striped German, or red Nepal) and a few of the medium to small sized heirlooms (varying in color from pink to purple to yellow to orange to brick). And a couple of Roma tomatoes (which I learned from a woman at the Farmer's Market are great for bruschetta because they are a drier tomato - yum!) As well as a bag of cherry tomatoes which we spent many an hour picking Tuesday afternoon. We picked three types of cherry tomatoes and any one of the three could be in your box - either Black Cherry, Sun Gold or Yellow Pear. All three are Delicious w/a capital D.

Special to TOSA market pick-up shareholders!!!

Due to an error in an email I sent out at the beginning of the season, there is some confusion about this weekend's pick up. There WILL BE a share delivery THIS SATURDAY September 3rd. Please come to market to pick up your box as per usual. Please contact Farmer Alissa at wellspringcsa@gmail.com with questions. Thanks!

What's in the Box and Where Does it Go?

CROP FRIDGE? NOTES

1 bu Golden Beets yes edible tops! cook like chard or spinach

1 bu Carrots yes

1 bu Scallions yes

1 bu Chard yes Rainbow

1 bu Dill yes

1 red onion yes onions are still a bit fresh, best to keep them in the fridge or use right away

1 yellow onion yes

Cucumbers yes

Zucchini yes

Eggplant yes

Tomatoes no see above

Hot Pepper yes red serrano and one other

Green Pepper yes

Red/Orange/Yellow Pepper

1 bag Green Beans yes

1 bag Potatoes no yukon gold

1 bag Cherry Tomatoes no see above

Again, nothing really unfamiliar in this week's box, but there is a new item - DILL!! Finally. At least that's how I feel. It really seems that all the successions of dill I have planted this season have germinated very poorly and I'm happy to be able to give this bunch out. Also of note, the potatoes this week are from Evergreen Lane Farm in Saukeville, Wi, grown by our Farmer Friend Matt Gall. Matt also produces the eggs for the egg shares, as well as being an organic dairy farmer. He is a busy guy!

Recipes

I am a real fan of mashed potatoes with beets, which is just basically mashed potatoes with 2:1 potatoes to beets, but I also found this tasty recipe which combines the two:

Oven Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes with Beets in Garlic-Lemon-Thyme Dressing

8 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in quarters (or more if they are big). Try to cut them about

the same size.

2 whole medium beets, boiled and cut into chunks the same size as the potatoes (you

can boil it at the same time you are oven-roasting the potatoes)

1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp olive oil

3/4 tsp sea salt, divided

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper, divided

1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

4 large cloves (or 6 medium) of garlic

8-10 sprigs of thyme

Optional: fresh greens

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. In an oven safe glass baking dish, mix together potatoes,

olive oil, 1/4 tsp ground pepper and 1/4 tsp sea salt making sure all the surfaces of the

potatoes are coated with oil. Add more oil if needed. Carefully position potatoes with

the flesh down, not the skin. The skin is too precious to have to stick to the pan.

Place in the oven for 15 minutes then turn the potatoes and bake for another 10-15

minutes until the corners and skin of the potatoes. Total baking time depends on the

sizes of your cut potatoes.

In a small food processor blend together extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp ground pepper, garlic cloves, and 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper to suit your taste I personally just add more pepper, because I like the flavor of the garlic and lemon to take center stage). Pulse until the dressing is smooth and uniform. Set aside.

As soon as you take the dish out of the oven, toss in the thyme sprigs and dressing

with the potatoes in the dish. Let it cool down before serving with the beets and

greens.

This Zucchini (and Summer Squash) recipe came from a shareholder who has sent me more than one amazing recipe this season:

http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Food/Stir-It-Up/2011/0829/Meatless-Monday-A-zucchini-casserole-even-teens-will-love

This is a favorite of Intern Anna's and is from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.

Chard Rolls Filled with Winter Vegetables

2 TBS olive oil

8 large chard leaves, stems removed and finely diced

1 onion, finely diced

3 carrots, finely diced

8 ounces potatoes, finely diced

6 to 8 cups additional finely diced vegetables, such as parsnips, parsley root and celery root, turnips, or beets

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tsp chopped tarragon, chervil, or parsley or 1/2 tsp dried

salt and pepper

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1 cup water or stock

1 to 2 TBS butter

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the chard stems, onion, other root vegetables, garlic and tarragon. Season with a 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook over medium heat until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice.

Plunge the chard leaves into boiling water for 4 minutes, then set on a towel to drain. Cut away the thick part at the base of each leaf. Place the leaves, smooth side down, on the counter. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of filling just above the notch of each leaf, then fold the sides over the filling and roll up the leaves. Keep the remaining filling in the skillet and set the rolls right on top of it. Add the water to the pan, dot the leaves with butter , and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve the rolls with the extra vegetables and their juices.

Cherry Tomatoes w/ Vodka

A few summers ago a woman at a Farmer's Market in Connecticut passed on this recipe to me for cherry tomatoes. It's a great party appetizer, but be careful! They can really sneak up on you...

"Poke a small hole in each cherry tomato with a toothpick, then place the tomatoes in a a bowl and cover with Absolute Peppar (for that Bloody Mary feel, or just your favorite Vodka). Chiffonade basil and sprinkle over the top. Salt to taste and let sit for a couple of hours in the fridge. Enjoy!"

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

This is a simple pleasure that everyone should try. I haven't done it yet this season, but my three-days-a-week Champion Weeder Kathe reminded me that I love it. So I looked up a few versions for ya'll to check out this week.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/10/oven-roasted-tomatoes/

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/roasted-tomatoes-recipe/index.html

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/08/slow-roasted-tomatoes/

What's in the Box in Pictures