Produce Subscription (Week 29)

The box is getting heavier! And fuller. Packing genius, Rog, is starting to exclaim. Little does he remember from last year.

This week seems to have develop an “Allium” theme. Here’s to hoping you like the onion family.
—Make up some garlic chive-flavored cream cheeze dip (Tofutti brand is the best; add a pinch of sea salt).
—Sauté the scapes in olive oil, sea salt and toss with freshly boiled new potatoes.
—Slice the Purplette onions paper thin and sprinkle atop a salad with cilantro vinaigrette dressing.
The fresh zing of the allium family is all around you this week. And along with them come the following in your boxes this week:

Cucumber Trouble on the horizon of the hightunnel cucumbers; here’s to hoping the field cucumbers start coming on fast!

Chard A rainbow of colors. Zap these beauties with a little heat and toss in some minced garlic and sea salt. Simple and fresh.

New potatoes Ah, potatoes! Nothing better than gently boiled, a little olive oil and sea salt/pepper. Delicate, edible skins; white flesh. Mmmmm good.

Napa cabbage More tender than regular cabbage and very versatile; it takes a light Asian vinaigrette beautifully.

Cabbage If you are up for a little kitchen work (easier w/ a bread machine); sautéed cabbage/onions/black pepper wrapped in bread dough and baked is an absolutely fabulous pocket-sandwich! (Thanks again, LK)

Salad mix Old standby…is it old by now? Seems to be less appealing than mature head lettuce to the deer, altho harder to harvest!
Sweet peppers Yes, the peppers beat the sugar snap peas; go figure.

Kale, lacinato Fresh kale chips for everyone; give them a try.

Peas, sugar snap The heat has challenged them, but they remain sweet. Hopefully more in the fall.
Cilantro This glorious herb and onions or chives make the walk-in cooler an aromatic mind game round about 8 or 9pm on harvest day (when dinner is still far away!)

Chives Chop and sprinkle on those beautiful new potatoes. Simple for the palate, but oh my…
Garlic chives These guys are shorter and flat-leaved. See what you think.

Garlic scapes The scapes surprised us this week; thought we had harvested everyone. But more popped, so I guess we have more garlic than I thought. Good.

Mini- onion Named “purplette”; how sweet!

Recipes for your consideration

I think this is a simple and fresh week. No complex recipes. Just the flavor of the produce seasoned with the various allium-family items and light sea salt/ground pepper. Make simple vinaigrettes with a good olive oil and light vinegars. Too hot for lots of cooking.

For Your Reading Pleasure

“Considered by many as the father of wildlife management and of the United States’ wilderness system, Aldo Leopold was a conservationist, forester, philosopher, educator, writer, and outdoor enthusiast.” (From The Aldo Leopold Foundation)

The Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

If you value the outdoors and wildness, you must read this book written so long ago by a visionary and observant man.

“Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left. That is to say, you cannot love game and hate predators… The land is one organism.” —Aldo Leopold

Farm News

We have lost approximately 25% of our early high tunnel cucumbers. Still trying to figure out to what they succumbed, and whether their neighbors are going to leave us too. Very depressing. The field cucumbers are coming along, but not quite there yet. We hope to keep you stocked.

Wondering what all of you thought about the “new” lettuce mix from last week. Larger, heavier, frillier leaved stuff. Send us your thoughts.

We are going to offer peaches again this year. We order them from a friend of a friend who has a family farm in Colorado. They take special orders and then truck them here over a long weekend. We will store them until delivery day and then distribute them to you. They come in 20# boxes, and they are something to behold! Juice runs down your chin. We order 4-5 boxes for ourselves and try to make them last until we can freeze and can for the year. Lots of fresh eating dwindles our storage pile! Keep your eyes open when we open the market this weekend; we will probably limit the volume for delivery-vehicle sake.

And bonus: There is an albino mini-onion out there somewhere. If you find it, truly a white purplette, with no subtle purple on it, drop us a line and you win a prize next week.

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara