The August Bounty
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Curing onions for the winter! (Photo by Claire Burnett)
Ah, mid August on the vegetable farm. The time when the farmer can notice the light changing, coming in from a different angle, less harsh perhaps, bringing with it the promise of breezy fall days and darker mornings. It is a very comforting change with the knowledge that the plants (and your farmers) have worked hard over the summer and we will all now eat well for the winter.
We are planting fall arugula and watermelon radishes, harvesting endless amounts of heirloom tomatoes and beans, trapping harlequin beetles, and trying to keep the farm stand well stocked. We are planning for winter plantings, spreading more compost, pulling winter onions for curing, and of course, trying to stay motivated for the last of the summer's big weeding push.
This week at the stand we continue our push into summer. Because of the late spring weather and other spring misfortunes, our pepper and eggplant crops continue to be delayed and although I am looking forward to ratatouille as much as anyone, we will all have to be just a little more patient.
This week we celebrated the beautiful heirloom harvest with the classic tradition of the BLT. Although in our family, it is more of a BLECT because everything is better with an egg and cheese. We had a very local BLECT night with bread from Ingrained Bakery, bacon and eggs from Jodar Farms, and of course veggies from Native Hill. Topped with a homemade pickle and served with a side of collard greens, it was just what the doctor ordered for a hot August night. We highly recommend it.
Another thing on the busy August menu include pasta with fresh everything: zucchini, tomatoes, cippolini onions, lots of olive oil and practically a whole basil plant. If you have a little time, try stuffing chard leaves with slices of heirloom tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella and then grilling them. Drizzle with some balsamic and salt and serve warm to deserving friends.
This Week's Harvest:
VEGGIES:
Kale
Chard
Head lettuce
Beets
Carrots
Green and Yellow Beans
Basil
Cucumbers (various types)
Summer Squash and Zucchini
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Yukon Gold Potatoes
Yellow and Red Sweet Onions
Farmer's Tips:
Summer is a great time for Gazpacho, that cold summer soup that can be served as a meal or an as an appetizer for a summer get together. There are a million recipes out there, but most are a combination of tomatoes and cucumbers and spices. We like to serve ours with some crusty bread with butter or pesto, but an infused oil would be delicious too. We are still on the hunt for our favorite recipe, so if you are feeling creative in the kitchen, we would love to hear some of your success stories...or try the real deal...just sayin'.
