Peaches
  

Eating a perfectly ripe peach at the height of summer can be a transcendental experience; juicy, succulent and sweet with a hint of almond and the perfect acid bite. On the other hand, eating a supermarket peach that was picked green and turns mealy is one of the more disappointing experiences anyone can have with a piece of produce.

   We are not great peach growers at Terra Firma, as I am often reminded by emails from subscribers gently pointing out our failings in this department. We've been growing them seriously now for about 6 years (compared to over 20 for tomatoes or apricots, for example), and I would like to say we are getting better at it.

   There are many similarities between growing good tomatoes and good peaches - harvesting at the right stage, handling them with care, and making sure that the fruit is not damaged during delivery by other produce in the CSA box. Still, there is a very important difference - there are no do-overs with peaches.

We grow over a dozen varieties of both crops, each with its own particular quirks. But unlike, say Brandywine tomatoes, which we harvest from several plantings over the course of the summer, we only get one shot at each peach variety.   Our orchard has one or two rows each of a particular variety - say, O'Henry - and all the fruit on those trees ripens within a 7-10 day period. If we jump the gun and harvest the fruit too green, or if we wait a day too long and the fruit gets overripe and soft, we don't get another chance.

   Each of the peach varieties we grow acts a little differently. Some are best left to ripen completely on the tree, staying firm. Others need to be harvested when still partly green or they will bruise when touched. White peaches ripen differently than yellow ones. Sometimes it feels like we are just getting the hang of one type and it is time to move to the next.

   To make matters worse, 2011 has been a rough year for peaches. Heavy rain and cold weather during bloom lead to poor pollination and created ideal conditions for disease. Many of our varieties had a light crop; others had none at all. Bugs and birds always claim a percentage of the fruit, but this year that percentage is much higher. And the riper we let the fruit get before harvest, the more they get.

     We are committed to becoming expert peach growers. We have been expanding our orchard every year with the eventual goal of putting peaches or nectarines in your CSA boxes every week from May through September - weather permitting, of course. I won't promise that TFF peaches will ever be the best you've had - the farmers market or the tree in your backyard are still a better bet for that - but we'll get it right eventually. In the meantime, keep letting us know when we don't.

P.S. -- we have also gotten several complaints about the non-TFF nectarines in the boxes failing to ripen or getting moldy.  We will not source any more fruit from that particular farmer. 

 

In your boxes    
Watermelons for everyone this week:  a red Mini for the Small boxes, and a larger icebox red for the Medium and Large boxes.  Other melons are starting to ripen in the field, and you may see them as soon as next week.
The Plums in your boxes are picked when firm but just beginning to soften.  You can eat them crunchy, or let them sit at room temperature until they soften.  Eventually they will become almost liquid inside the still-crunchy skin.  The flesh will get sweeter as it softens, but the skin will remain tart and mouth-puckering.
      You may have received Sweet Corn in  your box in the last two weeks that was missing some or many kernels.  This is caused by either cold or hot weather during pollination -- this year it could have been either.  Please let us know if you received any corn like this and we will give you a credit.  Our crew is now on the lookout for poorly developed ears and you should not receive any more.

Bulk Tomatoes Now Available  
Our tomato season is in full swing now, so we're offering subscribers 12 lb. boxes of Early Girl tomatoes for $15.  If you're interested, log into your account and go to the "Store" section on the account screen to buy a box...or five!

Recipe -- Grilled Veggie Gazpacho
The only thing raw in this soup is the cucumber and basil.  Can be served hot or cold.  You can also use an oven to roast the veggies, instructions in parentheses.
Fire up the grill, or light the coals.(Turn the oven to 425).
Cut 1 onion into quarters.  Brush on all sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Remove the silk and the outermost leaves from 3 ears of corn.  Dunk in water to wet the husks.
Place a large piece of cooking parchment on top of a large piece of foil.  Put two pounds of tomatoes on it, then wrap them up such that their cooking juices will not leak out.
Place everything on the grill (on a cookie sheet or sheets) -- the onions in the center, and the corn and tomatoes further out.  Cook the onions and corn until each side is browned but not burned.  The tomatoes should be browned or even black on the outside.  Covering the grill will give you more "smoke" flavor.
Remove the finished vegetables and allow to cool. 
Shuck the corn and cut the kernels off the cobs.  Core the tomatoes, but make sure to reserve the juices. 
Place the corn kernels, onions, and tomatoes & juices in a food processor and puree until partially liquid.  Add 1-2 C. water and puree again to achieve the desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper.
Dice 1 cucumber and chop 1 C. basil leaves.  If serving hot, warm the soup (if necessary) and add them before serving.  Otherwise, chill the soup for at least and then add before serving.