Box 8

Full Share (above)

 

Medium Share (above)

 

Small Share (above)

 

Hello dear members! Welcome to week 8 of the Sleepy Root Farm CSA. This week has seen a return to the hot and sticky weather we all expect from August.  Up until lately the summer has been relatively cool and has prolonged the maturity time on our beloved Summer crops.  We have a full arsenal of tomatoes who have been waiting for the heat to ripen and make their way into boxes–unfortunately they are still catching up with the weather.  As we walked through the tomato patch with high expectations for the first flush of ripe tomatoes we were silently mocked at almost every turn by green tomatoes:

and more green tomatoes…

and more…

 

and more…

and–wait! that one’s almost ripe!

 

All said and done, after walking close to half a mile worth of tomato rows, this is what we ended up with:

 

A lot for one person, not a lot for 150 members, and definitely not a lot for 1200 tomato plants.  So this week only a trickle with a few consolation tomatoes going to the 2o full shares.  But once all those green tomatoes start turning en masse, we are all going to be in tomato trouble in the best kind of way.

We had a great yoga class here on Saturday,thanks to Tarisa and Susan of YogaSoul, complete with a wonderful potluck lunch. We hope to coordinate more in the future, so keep your eyes out for the next announcement. Thank you ladies, for leading us in a lovely session.

 

A few photos from the farm this week:

 

A spotted salamander hiding under a head of lettuce. Heather’s best amphibian find EVER!!!!!!

 

Frank doing what he does best.

 

Heather with a particularly whimsically nosed eggplant

 

Cucumbers climbing to the top of the high tunnel have reached the peak of their trellises 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin doing his best Steve Zissou point before chartering off to mow the buckwheat and clover cover crop aisles between the tomato rows.  

 

Can you spot the blue dragonfly?

Now on to what’s in the box this week!

Eggplant (2 for full shares and 2 for small shares)

Zucchini (3 for full shares, 2 for medium, 1 for small)

Cucumber (2 for full shares, 1 for medium and small shares)

Onions (4 for full shares, 3 for medium and small shares)

Basil (1 bunch for full, medium and small shares)

Head lettuce (2 for full and medium shares, 1 for small shares)

Snap Beans (1# each for full and medium shares)

Cabbage or Broccoli (one or the other, for full and medium shares)

Arugula (1/2# each for full and medium shares)

Fava Beans (1 1/4# for full shares)

Tomatoes (about 1# for full shares)

 

Onions-this week’s spring onions are the Copra variety. Fairly mild and sweet, we think you’ll enjoy them raw or cooked.

Basil-a gorgeous mix of Geneovese, the typical pesto basil, and Purple Italian, perhaps the prettiest basil on the block.

Arugula-this fantastic, peppery and pungent salad green makes its first appearance this week. The leaves have lots of little holes in them, but don’t worry, they still taste great! We love arugula for its versatility in the kitchen. Try dressing it lightly with olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon, some shaved manchego cheese and toasted almonds for an awesome summer treat. Add those snap beans, blanched, and a hard boiled egg if you really want to go over the top! It does really well in pasta dishes as well-you can cook your favorite pasta, drain it, toss it with butter or olive oil, a pinch of salt, the zest of a lemon and any cheese you like. Add the arugula while the pasta is still piping hot and it will wilt to the perfect tenderness.

Fava Beans-A special treat for full shares, we had a slim harvest of fava beans this week but we decided it would be worth passing them on to you anyways.   Likely not enough to make a full dish out of, but enough for a novelty item or a small yet exquisite addition.  Also known as broad beans, fava beans are a relic legume of the Old World, reportedly the only bean eaten in Europe before Europeans discovered the variety of pulses from the New World.  They are a fascinating, prehistoric creature that reveals itself as an elegant gem through it’s multistage shelling ceremony.     Before you eat them, you will need to know how to properly shell them by clicking here.  For a few more recipes click here.  And for a little more history and background click here.

Fava Beans

 

Recipes

Our friend Lindsey blessed us with her Grandma’s cole slaw, so if you were lucky enough to get cabbage in your box this week, or have one leftover from last week, proceed immediately to making this recipe. It is the best coleslaw we have EVER EATEN!!!! Thanks, you two!

Grandma Libby’s Coleslaw

1 large head cabbage shredded or more

1 large green pepper diced

1 bunch of green onions cut  (Psst…you can use the green part of the onions from your box if you want!)

2 cups (or so) carrots, shredded

Mix together separately:

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup of mayo

3 tablespoons of white vinegar

3/4 cup of sugar

1 tsp of celery seed

1/2 tsp of salt

I add all of the vegetables to a big bowl and then pour in a little dressing, mix, pour in a little dressing, mix – depending on the size of the cabbage, and how saucy you like your coleslaw. (This recipe makes a lot of sauce.)  Always tastes even better after a day in the fridge!