Produce Subscription (Week 31)

I am sitting here eating green beans out of a big bowl like pasta! I love that squeaky sound they make as you chew them down. TMI? Beans are truly missed during the odd seasons here at Farm WLIG.

This weather has been odd, hasn’t it? Not sure who to pamper and who to water and who to throw a coat on! At least we have the mosquitoes foiled a bit.

Deer, that is another story. You can set your watch on their accuracy in visiting with lettuce heads are just-about-ready and Razz-is-going-to-cry-if-they-eat-them-now. I should have take pictures today; at least you would have that for the memory!

The indoor lite-weight tomatoes are coming along, outdoor tough kids are catching up; actually the high tunnel paste tomatoes are swamping the vines! Great to see.

The first beautiful heirlooms of 2013

Perhaps some traditional Midwestern salads this week, along with all of the other colors and textures and heats in your boxes this week:

Cucumber The field and high tunnel cucs are working for us now. Trying to save all from squash and cucumber beetles…the year of!

Tomato, cherry variety Cherries are slower than last year? Hoping for a boost soon.

Tomato, slicer and paste variety All were harvested at early stages to give you some time to use them. DO NOT refrigerate (for best flavor)!!! Set out on counter (if you don’t have counter-surfing tomato-eaters) and watch them blush just for you.

Lettuce, summer crisp (2) Hard month of hot, hot for the lettuce plants; let’s see what the summer crisp did for you.

Baby lettuce mix It was picture perfect for harvesting lettuce mix today— no sun, light misty-rain, cool morning temps. Salad mixes going away for a few weeks to prep for fall offerings.

Zucchini Well, at least we can say that you won’t have too many to throw at the neighbors. Squash bugs…grrrr.

Zephyr squash Really hoping to get more of these beauties; second planting is coming along (along with the second squash bug bloom!)

Broccoli I think there were 2 State Fair heads in the batch. Need to work on volume for the broccoli-philes. Maybe in the fall.

Beans, green More beans, I just love more beans.

Cabbage (Caraflex) The cone-shaped ones are done for the season, wish them well.

Cabbage, red These “red express” were not express-like and thus did not impress. Next year Mammoth Red Rock— just you wait and see. They are gorgeous.

Sweet peppers The “islanders” continue to wow us with their productivity and color.

Pepper, hot (El Jefe Jalapeno) I can’t eat them, but I love growing and looking at them! Enjoy all you hot-heads.

Mini- onion The end of the early onions. We are looking at the next round of bulbs to see who is on the block.

Chives Can’t have enough chives; they go in everything. Just made a coleslaw with chives, homemade mustard, dillweed. Mmmm good.

Cilantro And can never have enough cilantro. Whip up a nice salsa with some kick to it.

Recipes for your consideration

Sloppy Joes

1 # tempeh or seitan, diced (or Gimme Lean ground burger-style, prepared in skillet)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 sweet peppers, diced
1Tbsp chili powder
½ – 1 jalapeno (optional)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 ¼ cup catsup
1 Tsp prepared yellow mustard
½ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
½ cup water (as needed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toss tempeh or seitan in oil; bake at 350F for 15-20min, until golden but not crisp.
Saute onions, peppers, garlic and chili powder (and jalapeno) in oil.
Add remaining ingredients, using water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Simmer 10-15min.
Serve on nice big slab of fresh bread or a soft Kaiser roll.
**********

Sweet and Sour Cabbage
2 cup onion, sliced
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
½ cup apple cider
3 Tbsp umeboshi vinegar (“ume plum vinegar”)
1 Tbsp caraway seeds (optional)

Saute onion in oil until translucent. Add cabbage and apple cidar, simmer until cabbage wilts (15-20min). Drain cabbage/onion mixture. Season with vinegar and caraway seeds. Serve warm.

For Your Reading Pleasure

Little House in the Ozarks— The Rediscovered Writings (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
Edited by Stephen W. Hines

Really interesting look back into the times lived by our local heroine, Laura Ingalls Wilder. I read snipits now and again— they are all just one page/one paragraph little works. It is refreshing to hear her take on the world, men, women, politics, children, the land, the cities. Well worth having on your bedside table, coffee table or bookshelf.

Farm News

I spoke poorly of pigweed last week, and I have to apologize yet again. MP brought it to my attention that pigweed (i.e. common purslane) is THE leafy vegetable (barely up from weed!) that is highest in omega-3 fatty acids, specifically linolenic acid. Very good stuff, peoples. So, I shall not besmurch its reputation one moment more, and I promise to fill all of your boxes with the precious (weed) vegetable (weed) so common (weed) to every other (weed) country’s culinary (weed) habits. Go Omega-3s!!!

We are in transition now to cover crops and fall planting. Lots of juggling of space and crossing fingers for good growing weather thru Aug and Sept. Re-plantings of brassicas that were burned in the heatwave are just about to go out again, with personal umbrellas. Lettuces are gearing back up, for the deer. And we are trying to figure out how to put everything we want in the high tunnel (Fall position) in the high tunnel! An engineering degree and a veterinary surgery degree between us, and the dirt still has us stumped most of the time!

The best photo I could find of us two was my cute husband wearing my favorite vet shirt. (I need my sister to visit to take some group photos!)

Produce Bonus: Find the conjoined (BFFs) Zephyr squash, and then drop us a line with the photo and you win a prize next week.

Me-me-me-me The winning carrot warming up (ok, musical reference for those out of the tuning fork loop!)

Have a wonderful week, and enjoy the vegetables.

Roger and Lara