A tsunami of ripe fruits

Hello Folks,

September is here and has ushered in some lovely cooler temperatures...at least for now...and your farmers will take advantage of it while it lasts.  This first full week of the month finds your farmers sticky with tomato sap as we push through a tsunami of ripe fruits that has recently hit the farm.  We harvested over 800 lbs of romas yesterday alone and we will have them at the market for the next few weeks for your saucing pleasure. 

Romas are great for canning because they are a more fleshy tomato and tend to yield more than heirloom or slicing tomatoes.  I like to put away a mix of different types of tomatoes so that I can use the bulky romas for quantity and the heirloom and slicing tomatoes for quality.  I tend to cook down my slicing tomatoes skin and all on the stove top and then either put them through a food mill or use an emulsion blender to take care of the skins.  Then I put the final product in zip lock bags and squirrel them away in the freezer for soups and sauces. 

Cherry tomatoes are great for roasting and then freezing.  I like to cook mine down with fresh rosemary, thyme, and basil.  Portion some out and add some sweet white balsamic and salt and spread over crusty bread with some crème fresh or goat cheese for a easy week night supper.  If you are feeling as though you have more time, cherry tomato and fennel risotto is certainly worthy of it.  Serve with a side of fresh broccoli and skillet chicken and you will feel like royalty.

We are harvesting winter squash today...and probably tomorrow too.  It will need to cure for a few weeks before it sweetens up, so you will not see it at the market, but it is a sure sign that fall is in the air.  Speaking of fall, we only have 8 weeks left of our summer program, so if you haven't signed up for your winter share, now is good time to do so.  You can either bring a check to the market and circumnavigate the pesky credit card fees or you can do it from the comfort of your home here.  

Looking forward to seeing many of you real soon!

Katie

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This Week's Harvest

Kale

Chard

Collard

Head Lettuce

Carrots

Beets

Potatoes

Leeks

Broccoli

Savoy, Green, and Purple cabbage

Fennel

Heirloom, Cherry, and Roma Tomatoes

Eggplant

Bell Peppers

Basil 

Red Onions

Garlic

Flowers

Green Beans