Week 15

We are going to hit you with one last dose of summer!  Your boxes will still have summer items in it in the coming weeks, but this box is chock full of summer.  The field cherry tomatoes have been slowly succumbing to disease over the last month and I think this rain will put that into overdrive.  The cucumbers and the zucchini are slowing down as well. 

We loose a crew member this week and another next week.  It feels like it is decent timing.  The very end of the month with two more people gone might get a bit iffy, but I am really pleased with what we have accomplished in the past two weeks and I think stuff looks solid going into fall. 

Kelly has been handling the water on the winter squash and I hadn't been over to look at the field (they are all by themselves in a different location) in a couple months.  I turned the water on last week and walked around.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Kelly had talked a lot about deer damage and while there was plenty of it, all and all it looks good.  The first thing I always look at is the size and quantity of the delicatas.  That is my indicator of how everything will pan out and I am happy with what I saw.

But back to summer for now...

Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumber
Zucchini
Sweet Pepper 
Arugula
Lettuce
Beets - I made this beet and red onion tarte tatin last week and loved the flavors in it.  The puff pastry, tart presentation made it very pretty, but I realized I don't care a lot about store bought puff pastry and since I have no intention of making it myself, I might skip that part.  However, I will most definitely be making the beets again.  I ended up draining a little liquid off before I added the puff pastry so it wouldn't get soggy when I flipped it and I think that was a good decision. 
Slicing Tomato - Large Only

Week 7

I think we all tend to cook food we know how to make when we are busy.  For one, it is easy and besides there is something comforting about familiar food.  However, there are finally a lot of vegetables around and while it can be difficult to find time to cook new stuff, I feel obligated to try some new things.  Loving to cook and eat is one of the things that led me to farming.  It is still a motivator and a source of satisfaction.  Alternatively, not taking time to cook new food can start to feel frustrating.  Last week I managed to try something new and get in a rut.  A little over a week ago I had a salad with raw beets in it.  To be honest, I was a little skeptical because I am not crazy about raw beets.  However, the salad was great and when I found out it was from a cookbook I own (Jerusalem), I decided to make it myself the next night when we were having company for dinner.  I made it again last night for a potluck/house warming party we went to.  The same dish, three times in a week.  The recipe is really flexible and I just used it as a guide.  I will include a link below if you are looking for something different to do with your beets.  It is almost as easy as making a dish you prepare regularly from memory.  

Lettuce

Carrots

Cauliflower - These will not be the biggest heads of cauliflower you receive from us (those come in the fall) but they are delicious.  

Beets

Green Beans

Cherry Tomato or Raspberry - your choice until we run out of one or the other

Cucumber

Green Bells - Large Only

Root Vegetable Slaw

I adapted this recipe to what I had available to me and you should feel free to do the same.  I skipped the celery root both times because it is not in season.  I used turnips one time and kohlrabi the other.  I used all the herbs the first night but only had parsley handy last night.  One night I topped it with Labneh, one night I didn't.  Each time it came out great.  Many of you have Chioggia beets in your box.  These are particularly beautiful raw with their candy cane stripes.  As a bonus they don't bleed and are easy to deal with when raw or cooked.  They are a little milder than the dark red beets.  

Week 16 

With the equinox just around the corner and the ground littered with leaves it seems appropriate to start dishing out winter squash.  Your first squash will be a spaghetti squash.  There are people who think it tastes great with marinara.  I am not one of them, but the strands are fun and it makes a simple side dish when tossed with some garlic, herbs and butter.  It is also good tossed with butter, roasted kale, mushrooms and topped with a bit of Parmesan.  Because it has a mild flavor you can season it any way you like.  If you are looking for some  inspiration and recipe ideas  the Huffington Post has a couple dozen photos with recipe links you could check out.

We have only pulled spaghetti squash and some delicata (in your boxes soon, I promise) thus far but this week we hope to get the rest of it out of the field and into the barn.  Where it is all going to go I have no idea!  We didn't seed anymore than last year but after seeing how much space the spaghetti squash is taking up I am a little skeptical.

Carrots
Beets - If you haven't jumped on the beet chip bandwagon yet here is your chance.  Be careful, they are easy to burn.
Potatoes - We have been rubbing potatoes with oil, rolling them in course salt and rosemary and baking them right on the oven rack.  So good - I forgot how tasty a good baked potato can be.  I know what potatoes I would like to give you tomorrow but some of the varieties have a lot of bug damage so I am going to resist making promises about the variety but I find that even the waxy potatoes are great baked.
Lettuce
Turnips - These small Japanese white turnips star in a very nice short video in the Kitchen Vignettes segment on PBS.  It is only three minutes long and shows you how to make soba noodles with turnips and shitake mushrooms.  You can find the dancing turnip video here or if you would rather just check out the recipe it can be found here.
Cherry Tomatoes - last of the season!
Kohlrabi - We don't grow much kohlrabi because it isn't particularly popular but I think it tastes great.  We had a salad tonight for dinner with some shaved radishes, kohlrabi, carrots and the the lettuce that most of you will be getting.  I made a poppy seed dressing that I liked.  It was much lighter than the really sweet poppy seed dressing you can buy.  The whole salad was inspired by the recipe for a shaved turnip and radish salad from a beautiful cookbook I heard about on The Splendid Table radio show.
Spaghetti Squash
Zucchini - Large Only
Number Two Tomatoes - The slicing tomatoes haven't been looking great lately but summer is quickly coming to an end and we thought you might enjoy one last tomato even if it is a little on the ugly side.

Week 3

Finally, summer is here!  Oh wait, it has been summer for the last month.  When I first moved here I heard the word Junuary used to describe a cold and rainy June and I thought it was funny.  I don't find myself wishing for Junuary but I do find myself wishing for rain on a daily basis.  There is no sense in complaining about the heat, which I kind of like, but I am all about wishing for rain as a positive alternative to whining about how hot I am.

Every summer I have a wish list of sorts.  It is stuff I want to make and eat and places I want to go.  I call it a wish list because I don't usually go anywhere in the summer (not that bad of deal, really) and I don't always have the chance to cook an elaborate meal.  This summer I am determined to do something that has been on my wish list for years - go to a Tacoma Rainiers game.  I bet you didn't know I was a baseball fan.  Actually, I am not, but there is just something really summery about having a beer and a hot dog at a minor league game.  On the eating front I have too many to list but held over from last year and still on my mind are peach pie, cold cucumber soup and beet burgers.  You are getting beets in your box today and I will include a link to the recipe…maybe you will get around to making them before I do.  I do realize that I am not going to convince those of you who don't like beets to like them but I am also including a recipe for a vegan chocolate beet cupcakes that I hope to make soon for the two guys working with us this summer and a beet hummus that seems to be a little trendy at the moment with customers at the stand.  I made it by tossing a beet into my usual hummus recipe which involves no measuring and as a result never tastes the same.  For those of you who prefer a recipe to just throwing everything willy nilly into the food processor I have included a link below.  In the hummus I made the beet flavor was subtle but the color was amazing!   I didn't use any mint but I love mint with beets and that sounds good.  I also like cumin with beets and a few toasted cumin seeds might be a nice garnish.

Have a great first week of summer.  We should have zucchinis and new potatoes for next week.

Carrots
Snap Peas
Beets
Garlic
Japanese Cucumber - Last week the small shares had an American slicer and the large shares had an American slicer and a Japanese cuke.  This week everyone is getting a Japanese style cucumber.  They are the one that we prefer but you can let me know what you think.  In general you will see more American style slicing cukes in your boxes because we grow more of them.  In order to get a nice looking Japanese cucumber they need to be trellised and pruned and we only do that in the high tunnels.  The American slicers get a small planting in the high tunnel for early cukes and then our field planted in larger quantities.  
Berries - You will have some berries  - they may be all strawberries, there may be some raspberries - tough to make an accurate prediction.  Our raspberry patch is in decline.  We tilled up some new ground but it wasn't ready to plant this spring so sadly an epic raspberry year is ways in the future.
Butterhead Lettuce - Large Only
Salad Mix - Large Only
Parsley - Large Only
Swiss Chard - Small Only

Beet Hummus looks beautiful and tastes great.
Vegan Beet Cupcakes  Beets and chocolate sounds weird but it actually is pretty tasty and a great way into fooling someone who doesn't like beets into eating them.
Grilled Beet Burgers - It was the color of these burgers and the pretty photos that intrigued me along with the thought that they are nothing like anything I normally cook.  The fact they have feta cheese in them probably peeked my interest as well.

Week 11

My dad left today in his RV after being here for a few weeks.  With him he took the chips, the cookies, the onion dip and the ice cream that we have been over indulging in for three weeks.  It was fun, but I am looking forward to more veggies and less junk.    I was half joking that I was going to eat nothing but kale, collards and quinoa after he left.   Instead I became envious of your bags of tomatillos and decided to bring some home to make some sauce to go with enchiladas this evening.  The kale fast will have to wait until tomorrow.  Have a great week and enjoy your veggies.

Lettuce 
Carrots
Golden Beets - Less earthy beet flavor, lots of sweetness and a brilliant color that doesn't bleed all over everything.
Tomatoes 
Garlic
Cilantro
Tomatillos
Onion - Just a small one for tomatillo salsa
Chile Pepper - I am not sure why but sometimes our hot peppers aren't that hot.  We gave you a couple, hopefully at least one has some kick.
Squash Blossoms  - If you didn't receive them last week they will be in your box this week.
Squash or Taters - Large only
Broccoli - Large only
Sweet Pepper - Large only

Grilled Tomatillo Salsa

Remove the husks and wash the tomatillos
Remove the skin from the onion

Put the tomatillos and onions on a hot grill to char the outside a bit and soften to tomatillos.  Allow to cool a little

Roughly chop some garlic, the chiles and some cilantro.

Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency.  Season with salt.  Thin with a bit of water if necessary and if you like it a bit more tang add a squeeze of lime.


Beets with Cumin and Mint

This salad is good with both warm and cold.  Mint, cumin and lemon juice are awesome together.  Letting the dressing sit will help soften the cumin seeds.  To toast your cumin seeds just place them in a dry, moderately hot skillet until they become fragrant.

While your beets are cooking mix together a couple tablespoons lemon juice, a couple tablespoons olive oil, a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of toasted cumin seeds.

Skin the beets and cut them into wedges.  Toss with dressing and add some chopped mint.  It is that easy and it is delicious.

Week 2
I was telling a customer on Saturday how even though Kelly and I spend every day in the garden we are frequently amazed by something we didn't see coming.  Sometimes it is a nice surprise and sometimes it makes you want to go home and go back to bed.  Today's surprise was small but delightful.  After checking for several days in a row last week and then giving up I finally spotted my first peas on a new variety of snow pea we are growing.  They have a stunning purple flower (all the other peas we grow have white flowers) and a bright yellow pea that really stands out against the green leaves.  I hope this pea tastes as good as it looks.  The peas are very small at the moment but  the plants are covered with them.  We should all be eating some in a couple weeks.  It is always nice to have something to look forward too.

We hope you enjoyed your first box of veggies.  We ate garlic scapes at least three times in the past week.  We try to eat them as much as possible during their short two week season.  We also had some sautéed kale with polenta and poached eggs for dinner a couple nights ago.  We were pleased that the kale still has a mild spring flavor.  Hopefully you found it as delicious as we did.


Today's Veggies

Lettuce
Summer Turnips aka Tokyo Turnips - When you see these you might think we are giving you radishes again but they are a bit different.  Don't think you like turnips?  Chances are you will like these.  They are sweet and tender.  You can cook them but we recommend you try them raw first.  We think they taste best that way although many people enjoy them cooked as well.  The greens are delicious too.
Carrots
Beets - People tend to love them or hate them.  If you think you hate them but haven't had them since your mother served them out of a can please give them another try.  There are some cooking suggestions below.
New Potatoes - This is our first dig of the season.  The variety is purple viking.  It has a purple skin with pink stripes and a white flesh.  It is the most unusual potato we have ever seen.  New potatoes have a very thin skin that can be rubbed off with your thumb.  They will not keep the way a mature potato would.  You should eat them this week.
Snap Peas - They have a string but the pod is edible.
Strawberries - Today will be the first picking.  There might not be many, there is a good chance you will be able to eat them all before you even get home.  Hopefully the rain didn't get them too dirty.
Garlic Scapes
Cauliflower - Large Share only
Spinach - Large Share only 


Cooking Beets

Beets take quite a while to cook.  We like to cook a bunch and then store them in the fridge.  They are great tossed in a salad.  Because they take a while to cook I often forget about them until the pot boils over or runs out of water.  Since I am so easily distracted I like to cook them in the oven.  I toss them with oil, a little salt, wrap in foil and pop in a 375 to 400 degree oven until tender.  If they are small this might take 30 minutes.  Larger beets will take up to an hour.  Once they are cool I slip the skins off in a bowl that I set in the sink.  Kelly's favorite way to cook beets is to mix them with carrots and roast them.  In the fall we often include other veggies but this time of year it is usually just beets and carrots.


Roast Beets and Carrots
Carrots
Beets
Olive Oil
Garlic Scapes or Garlic
Salt and Pepper

Heat your oven to 400 degrees

Wash your  beets and carrots.  Cut them up so they are about the same size - around one inch pieces/wedges.  You don't need to peel your carrots and if the beets are small there is no need to peel them either.  We do half carrots and half beets.

Toss them with oil, salt, pepper and  and spread them out on a cookie sheet.  You don't want them to crowded or they won't caramelize.

Cook for about a half an hour.  Take them out of the oven and add some chopped garlic scapes.  Mix with a spatula and pop back in the oven until tender and brown on the edges.  If they start to brown before they seem to be getting tender you can put a little foil over them.

Once they are done you can eat them as is or toss them with some fresh parsley or thyme.  They are also delicious tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette and topped with a bit of goat cheese or feta.

See you later.