1. Cucumbers
  2. zucchini and summer squash, including lemon squash: Marinated Squash
  3. Eggplant: Alice Waters Ratatouille
  4. cabbage: Rice Noodle Salad
  5. basil
  6. carrots
  7. onions, fresh so store in fridge
  8. Garlic, nearly cured so 60 degree / counter storage is ok. You can store in fridge but they’ll sprout when brought out to counter.
  9. head lettuce
  10. tomatoes: Pesto Tomato Sandwich
  11. dragon tongue beans: Beans with Ginger Vinaigrette
  12. jalapeno pepper: Jalapeño & Sweet Corn Cornbread
  13. celery: Celery Stir Fry
  14. sweet corn, couple ears…more to come when next group is ready!

herb share: parsley, mint, oregano, lemongrass

We are to the half way point in our summer CSA season. Wow, it’s hard to believe how quickly a season flies by! This is the time of year of abundance with peak season nearing and tomatoes starting to roll in.

Carrots are new this week. We all love carrots and these will be available in our boxes for the rest of the year. I have come to truly appreciate the versatility of carrots and the nearly year round availability due to their storage ability.

The lemon summer squash are also new. They look like a lemon. Pretty little things. I plan to serve a meal of them tonight as I haven’t had a chance to eat them yet. The variety of produce sure keeps things fun as we can offer you things that you might not regularly find in a grocery store or might have never purchased before.

Celery is abundant this year. Enjoy it for snacking, or add it to stir fries, salads, or anything you’d like a little crunch in. The tops can be chopped and frozen for making veggie stock or adding to soups in the fall/winter. The celery looses its texture once thawed from the freezer but all the flavor and nutrition remains.

I hope you are enjoying the small head lettuce in the box. Although loose leaf salad greens are not happy this time of year, some varieties of head lettuce do just fine. We are continuing to develop our head lettuce program at the farm as it is a nice addition to summer sandwiches.

Tomatoes and basil are a match made in heaven. So we have a nice bouquet of basil in the boxes this week to pair with your tomatoes or to make a little pesto. Pesto mixed with mayo really takes a BLT or other sandwich to the next level.

For those with herb shares, lemongrass is something new we grew this year. Lemongrass tea is supposed to help lower ones internal temperature when it’s hot outside. Drink it hot or cold; however, the tea is first made by pouring boiling water over 25-30 1.5″ long pieces of lemongrass. Steep for 15 minutes. Strain and serve hot or cold.

Along with the busy summer season of harvesting and preserving, we are in the thrust of our pizza season topped with the Buffalo County Fair this weekend. This is the first year that Ashlan is bringing a pig to the fair. He has really enjoyed working with Nessa his pig and has been practicing walking with her in our pen using marshmallows as bait to follow his show stick. Ethan is preparing his non animal show items, his proudest project would be a pioneer cabin he built out of Popsicle sticks.  Although life is full and busy, it’s a great time of year!

Eat Well. Smile Often.

Your Farmer,

Heather