| Last Week's Farm report | |
| Rainfall | 0.1" |
| High temp | 82° |
| Low temp | 42°! |
| Soil condition | Moist |
| Weed pressure | Medium |
| Corn | Temptation |
| Fridge? | Bag? | Notes & Varieties | |
| Basil | No | Plastic | |
| Cucumbers | Yes | Plastic | |
| Eggplant | Yes | Plastic | Globe and Japanese |
| Garlic | No | No | Inchelium |
| Green Beans | Yes | Plastic | Benchmark |
| Peppers | Yes | Plastic | Green Bell |
| Potatoes | No | Paper | Carola |
| Sweet Corn | Yes | Plastic | Temptation |
| Tomatoes | No | No | Yellow |
| Squash | Yes | Plastic | |
| Zucchini | Yes | Plastic |
A tomato or two are finally in the box this week, with more to follow. What a crazy August we are having. Thus far it’s the coldest August on record going back to 1891. Isn’t it great to be a part of history?
As you’ll note in the table above, tomatoes do not belong in the refrigerator. But thanks to some unbelievably cold temperatures last Friday night, these tomatoes have all essentially been in the refrigerator already. This can result in a bit of a mealy texture in the fruit and a loss of flavor. And I’ve found that to be the case with some that I have eaten. So, while it’s great to finally have some to put in the box, they’re not up to my usual standard of tomato-ness. You may also get one that’s a little on the orange side, if you do just put it on the counter for a couple of days and it will redden up. Tomatoes are best stored upside down since the shoulder of the tomato is the firmest part. Storage on the blossom end can result in bruises. Once the tomatoes begin to flow we typically store them in a nice bowl on the counter somewhere.
The tomato originated in the western highlands of South America and, as much as we think of it as a foundation of Italian cooking, wasn’t grown in Italy until the sixteenth century. The tomato is technically a fruit, since it is a specialized reproductive structure which contains seeds. But according to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1887 it is a vegetable when it comes to commerce.
The potatoes in the box this week are some new Carola potatoes. The skins on them haven’t quite toughened up yet so there may be a few scrapes on them. Carolas are a high quality yellow potato, similar to a Yukon Gold but better flavor and yields. These potatoes are excellent for frying, baking, roasting or in salads.
The other big news is that there’s some sweet corn in the box this week. Some ears may be a little young, but I wanted to make sure everyone got some. There will be more in the next couple of weeks.
Green beans are also back for another run. We’ll have them this week and next week and that will be then end of them.
This year all of the farm news is about the weather. It looks like we finally get a break from the cold this week. The main thing I’m looking at is it looks like the lows will be in the 60’s not the 40’s. Those cold low temperatures are what’s really slowing things down because it takes a long time for the plants to warm back up in the morning and continue their growing. We’re also losing daylight at a pretty good clip right now and things will start slowing their growth because of that as well. The next few weeks should bring us an abbreviated peak of summer in the boxes. We may even get some watermelon, but I’m starting to think that the muskmelon this year are a loss.
The big concern for the week is that we’ve had an explosion of powdery mildew in the winter squash. Prior to that it had been confined to the first planting of zucchini and I was not worried, but to get it into the winter squash this early could be disastrous. I’ve sent away for some potassium bicarbonate which is an organically approved compound that supposedly interrupts the cellular structure of the mildew and kills it. Stay tuned for an update in next week’s newsletter.
One thing I wanted to touch on in this week’s newsletter is to talk a little about what it means to be a member of a CSA. As most of you know it means joining in the risks and rewards that go along with a growing season in the upper Midwest. This year has been a little more trying than most. The absence of sweet corn and tomatoes until this week is troubling for me as a grower because these are two of the signature items people think of when they think of summer. I can use the skills I have gained over the years to provide you with the best product that I can, but ultimately we all have to rely on the weather to create a suitable environment for the growth of the plants. I have chosen to operate a CSA because I believe it is important for people to know where their food comes from and to provide a source of safe, healthful food from our region. But my decision is also based on the economics of operating a small farm in the 21st century and operating a CSA does shield the operator somewhat from the weather related ups and downs. It’s about being a part of a community of people interested in the importance of food and willing to join with a grower to take on the weather, the bugs, the mildews and the deer. So I just wanted to thank everyone for being a part of the community and continuing your support of the small piece of the world which we’re trying to coax our food from.
One other quick note is that the Labor Day Tomato Canning is canceled due to a lack of tomatoes. If folks are interested in rescheduling it a few weekends later let me know, or we could just have some info in the newsletter about canning for those who are interested. Contact me if you have any thoughts about this.
Thanks and have a great week.
-- David Van Eeckhout
Cover potatoes with salted cold water by 1 inch in a 4-quart saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, until just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
Cook garlic in oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is pale golden, about 2 minutes. Discard garlic, then stir potatoes and red pepper flakes into oil and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes begin to turn golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
While sautéing potatoes, cook zucchini in a pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Transfer potatoes with a slotted spoon to a bowl, then add zucchini to oil in skillet and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Return potatoes to skillet and stir in salt.
No real recipe here, just a serving suggestion. As things start to pile up in the drawers of the refrigerator this time of year a great thing to do is fire up the grill and roast a bunch of summer veggies. Put them in some Tupperware when you’re done and keep them in the fridge for tasty sandwiches all week. Options include:
With these as a starting point add some cucumber, tomato, mayo, mustard, fresh mozzarella or humus to make a tasty summer sandwich
