Week 4
Greetings!

Greetings from your farm. We are still waiting for rain. It's been a summery summer here so far and great for lots of outdoor summer activities but it's been tough on the vegetable crops for sure. We're continuing to irrigate with the 1100 gallon tank on the wagon so we are getting water on to the crops and everything is still alive.

 

This week your shares will have a nice amount of tomatoes. Our friend's at Ski Hill Greenhouses grow them for us in a greenhouse and over the past 5 years he has experimented with different varieties and techniques and we all agree this year he's nailed it. We think they are the best tasting greenhouse tomatoes. You'll have enough to whip up a batch of salsa so yes, we can say summer is officially here. Our recipe is below.

 

Over the course of our CSA seasons we have talked with hundreds of shareholders and other CSA farmers. One of the most common comments is "I got way too much _________"; or I didn't get enough _________". It's just the nature of the beast; small scale organic agriculture doesn't always allow us to control all aspects of the growing cycle. We do set up a careful plan but nature doesn't always cooperate. This year our kohlrabi is over performing so for the 4th week in a row you'll be seeing it in your boxes. AND, we just planted the last set of transplants (yes, it's a running joke here now) that had already started in the greenhouse. We all think that kohlrabi is an under appreciated vegetable and hopefully you're enjoying it.

 

New this week is the first basil and summer squash. The summer squash is just starting and once it does it can be harvested twice a day. It grows amazingly fast. This week we only have one for each box of assorted patty pan varieties. Our favorite way to prepare them is to cut them in to chunks and saut� with some butter until they caramelize then season them with crunchy sea salt, pepper, and chopped fresh basil.

 

Have a wonderful Independence Day. We're working but are having a pre fireworks party for the staff and neighbors after our workday. Chef Jon will be grilling up some bison burgers from our neighbor's grass fed buffalo along with some other goodies including, you guessed it, kohlrabi. Happy 4th!

 

Jen, Bob & The Harvest Moon Crew

Tomatoes 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Harvest Moon Farms Salsa

4 very ripe tomatoes, cored and quartered

� sweet onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and cut in to 2 inch pieces

� jalapeno, seeds removed and cut in to 1 inch pieces (reserve seeds)

� cup chopped cilantro

� lime, juiced

1 T Sherry or red wine vinegar

1 T olive oil

1 T kosher salt

1 t Tabasco sauce

pepper to taste

 

Process onion, carrots, and jalapeno until the mix is pulpy. Add tomatoes and blend, add cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt, Tabasco, and pepper. Blend, pour in to a ceramic or stainless bowl (it will chill faster) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably more.

Adjust heat by adding more jalapeno and/or the jalapeno seeds (that's where the heat is) and more hot sauce if you like it very hot.

Don't underestimate the importance of the salt. It might seem like lot but it's what makes the tomatoes "pop".

 
 
 
Kale
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

This week you'll find some kale amongst the other goodies in your box. It is further known as lacinato kale most commonly, but can also be referred to as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale. This is just one of the varieties of greens that we are growing this season on the farm. Other greens that we have include curly kale, collards, and 3 types of chard.

             

These hearty greens can grow in many climates but they do prefer cooler climates (Not that there is a cool climate in the country this week). The kale plants in the hoop-house are living proof of this as they are now going on 7 months old and over 5 feet tall. They have been enjoyed by the staff day in and day out.

 

Kale is a Brassica plant, meaning it is a member of the cabbage family, although it is a non-heading variety. The flavor of it is a mild cabbage flavor with some vegetal notes present. The texture is quite unique in the world of greens. If eaten raw, you might be chewing for a little while. Kale is rarely eaten raw because of its strong and dense texture. It can be sliced thin and added to salads to add an additional texture. Most commonly, kale is blanched for a few minutes and then saut�ed with other ingredients. Other ways that kale is enjoyed is fried, baked, and gilled. Fried or baked kale is a great substitute to potato chips. If you run out of milk, have no fear kale is here. Kale is a wonderful source of calcium, almost matching calcium levels of milk side by side.        

In your share...

 

Basil
Summer Squash
Kale
Tomatoes

Garlic Scapes

Kohlrabi

Onions 

 

 

 

Juicer Share
Red Chard
Green Chard
Green Kale
Lacinato Kale
Basil
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