July 26, 2020
Workshifts For Week of 7/27
by Farmer Derek

This week we'll continue harvesting onions as well as pull weeds. If you signed up for a share with work discount, please consider joining us soon.

Per the PA Dept. of Health, masks and social distancing are required.

Workshifts scheduled for this week:

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-For-Week-of-727-2494/

July 26, 2020
Farm Goods
by Farmer Dana

Harvest #11 (Week A) should include watermelon, cucumbers, zucchini, sweet peppers, eggplant, heirloom/slicing tomatoes, carrots, scallions, lettuce, basil, beets, hot peppers, okra, and Italian dandelion. Some items will probably be a choice. U-pick should include cherry/grape tomatoes, snap beans, husk/ground cherries, tomatillos, flowers, and herbs. Looking for a cilantro substitute? Check out papalo in the herb garden!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Farm-Goods-2495/

July 26, 2020
Hot Humid Dry to Wet
by Farmer Derek

The sweltering heat continues. Numerous rainstorms and Friday's brief cool down provided some nice relief. A few more days of super-heat this week then it looks like we'll descend back into more tolerable working conditions. It is July which traditionally seems to be our hottest and wettest month. I'm not sure how many days have been above 90 this month but I would guess 90%. Precipitation has eclipsed the 6" mark with about a week to go but doesn't feel like too much just yet. After the 1.2" Thursday night/Friday morning the ponds were filled to capacity once again. I haven't scoped out all the fields since that deluge but am hopeful there wasn't much soil disturbance, though the lower pond was pretty turbid. Due to increased impervious surfaces on neighbors' properties upstream there's been an increase in stream scouring of tributaries feeding our ponds, which is likely the source of suspended soil particles.

Big harvests are continuing. Forty percent of the onions (approximately 1,250lbs) have been safely stowed and today the next round will be pulled and left in the sun to hopefully dry and cure for a few days before being put in cold dry storage. After the onions we'll begin harvesting the early variety of potatoes - Dark Red Norland - after the tops die back and they cure and heal in the soil, probably early to mid August.

Desperate un-irrigated crops received some much needed rain last week. I'm perennially amazed by our crops' ability to tolerate hot and dry conditions. Little transplants went into raised beds a week before last Wednesday evening's light soaking rain and survived healthily for a whole week of blazing sunshine and very high temperatures. This is when I'm most thankful and appreciative of our relatively heavy north-facing soils. Those transplants should now grow like mad but also wanting to sprout and thrive are the weeds. With the numerous soakings last week the thousands of bed feet of transplants will need some timely cultivation of the germinating weeds while they're at the vulnerable thread stage. Since there is so much bare ground to work we'll probably utilize the tractor and our antique basket weeder for some of this work. We'll still need to manually hoe in between plants, but the tractor should save us hours of cultivating.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Hot-Humid-Dry-to-Wet-2496/

July 26, 2020
Continual Veggie Delights
By Linda Dansbury

I am always looking for new ways to use the harvest and so I am happy to say that I found a couple new things to try and enjoy over the past couple of weeks. I frequently go through the fridge to make sure I am rotating the produce and using the oldest veggies first. Checking on things every couple of days enables me to determine if anything is starting to look a bit ragged, so I use it before it spoils. I use 2 different large plastic containers to store the greens, with one always storing the oldest, and when empty, I refill it from the container that has the newer greens - this includes lettuce, dandelion and chard greens. I have written about salads and how well veggie salads keep, but don't think I have ever said that I enjoy the leftovers for lunches topped with some tuna, leftover meat, or cheese, such as feta or parmesan. Send me how you are enjoying your harvests by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. And please put Anchor Run in the subject line.

Here is a bit of what we enjoyed this past week:

Zucchini, peppers, eggplant, scallions - simplest and one of the tastiest ways to enjoy these summer treats! Cut everything longways into wedges, and brush with a bit of olive oil. Place on hot grill and keep watching. Turn the wedges when they start to brown, and keep grilling until browned on all sides and nice and soft - less done if you prefer, but I like these to be nice and carmelized and soft. When removed from the grill, sprinkle with sea salt, and if desired some good quality olive oil and fresh chopped herbs. I often make extras and chop them up and turn into a simple pasta salad for the next day.

Snap Beans, garlic, scallions, herbs - did a stir fry of beans. There are a lot of recipes that are easy to find. I do stir fries a lot. I make sure I always have ginger, garlic, onion/scallion, tamari/soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, hoisin, and ingredients to add heat, including Sambal, hot peppers, sriracha sauce. With all these ingredients, the flavor combinations are almost countless.

Zucchini, thyme - made another batch of the Lemon Zucchini Bread with Olive Oil and Thyme. I have skipped the glaze topping each time I have made it.

Eggplant, scallions, garlic, cilantro or other herb of choice such as papalo, hot pepper - I found a new way to enjoy eggplant, called Tamari-Ginger Meatball & Eggplant Casserole. It is delicious, not very difficult, and doesn't create too many dishes. I hope you like it as much as I do!

Cucumbers, scallions, herbs - made a few different salad combinations - typically, I make more than can be eaten in one dinner, so there are leftovers for another meal.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Continual-Veggie-Delights-2497/

July 26, 2020
New Methods!
By Linda Dansbury

I received emails from 2 members this past week, which makes me so happy. It is so appreciated when members take the time to send a message to help us all learn new ways of how to enjoy our harvest.

The first one is from Ashmali Patel. She sent a recipe she simply calls Vegetable Fritters. I love this because it uses so many different components of the harvest, including eggplant, zucchini, onions/scallions and greens. I definitely plan on making them this coming week!

The second email I received is from Kate Sheldrick. You can see from the email below she is an accomplished and creative cook. In the coming week I plan to turn some of what she says into recipes to keep on this site, but read below her detailed email.

"Every summer I make what I call zucchini jam when I get my first bounty of zucchini. You grate them (I did 4 this batch) into a colander and gently press with the back of a wooden spoon to release extra water, let it sit while you do some other prep. I like to let it sit for 20 or more mins to really drain out a bit and I try to press on it every 5 mins or so. We typically have a jar of bacon fat in our freezer so I took this out and let it thaw in the heat at the beginning of prep too. Dice a small yellow onion or two shallots and sauté in two tablespoons of bacon fat until translucent, I do this in a cast iron skillet but any heavy bottom pan will work. Then add the shredded zucchini and toss to incorporate the onions and wet the mixture with the fat evenly. Cook over low heat until the zucchini cooks and the liquid has cooked out and you have a sort of spreadable jam like consistency. This usually takes about 15-20 mins, don’t move it too much just kind of cover the pan let it sit and then move it around but keep an eye and avoid browning..if it looks dry add another heap of bacon fat or a small knob of butter. I season the onions when sautéing and then add a few cracks of white pepper when I add the squash and then finish with smoked salt if I have it. You can eat this with a fork right out of the pan (which I have done many times) or out of the pan with some crackers (I usually eat with carrs) or you can take a nice crusty loaf and toast it and top with goat cheese or even better Meredith’s Dairy Australia Feta (the BEST cheese, creamy goat stores in olive oil with black pepper and thyme they have at wegmans) and a layer of the ‘jam’ either room temp or out of the fridge. Making this in big batches helps because it goes fast. Tastes equally great cold. A great Summer appetizer, meal or snack!

I used the tomatillos with some littleneck clams I got when I took a trip to the shore last Thursday. This was an impromptu dish that really blew our minds! I sliced four cloves of garlic, a small yellow onion, a serrano, the tomatillos (which I quartered) and some scallions and cooked in butter. After those sweat out I added about a cup of a high quality white wine I had in the fridge from a few days ago and let that cook off. I added some smoked paprika, cilantro, basil and a few cracks of white pepper then in go the clams. Cover it and let simmer for about 15 or until the clams have opened up. Top with a handful of fresh herbs and a big squeeze of lime and serve with warm crusty bread to soak up all that sauce, eat a salad for good measure. It was my first time using tomatillos for something other than salsa verde and now I’m hooked! The ideal companion for those perfect little clams."

Thank you again to both Ashmali and Kate and for all you other cooks out there, please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net so you can share with fellow members!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/New-Methods-2498/

July 26, 2020
**Workshop** Now What… Did you do with your share?
by Gia Yaccarino

Wow – This has been one crazy year – both for the world and at the farm! I think we all have settled into our “farm routine” for this growing season – but it is a vastly different routine from previous years! At least for me. And as I take a step back to consider the differences, I of course think of the things I am missing at the farm.

Sorrel! I miss the Sorrel! I love that “lemon lettuce”!

I also miss the “community” part of the CSA – the talking in the pick-up room as we patiently wait to weigh out our share. Passing the time while doing the U-Pick by talking to other members. And the potlucks - YUM! (We have some excellent cooks at the farm!!!) I miss you guys – the other farm members that I felt a camaraderie with as we all attempted to find creative ways to use our plentiful shares of produce. I understand – with the current state of things, people are giving each other space – lots of space – thank you. But, still- I miss the community!

So let’s have a workshop!

If you have been a member, prior to this year, you probably remember that I usually run a “Now What” workshop at the start of the season. This year, I want to add a twist – since we are already 10 weeks into the season, I also want my fellow members to contribute what they have done with their shares. Successes, Disasters (we learn from our mistakes!), Misadventures! Are you stuck in a rut and do the same thing with certain vegetable?

I will also be talking about using a dehydrator, since that always seems to be a popular topic!

Please bring a notepad and pen or pencil to take notes!

Please Join me Sunday, August 16 ^th from 1-3 at the Pavilion.

Rain Date or (OMG it is sweltering date 95 degrees+) Sunday August 23 ^rd.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshop-Now-What-Did-you-do-with-your-share-2499/

July 19, 2020
Hefty
by Farmer Dana

Harvest #10 (Week B) should include cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, sweet peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, scallions, garlic, watermelon, hot peppers, okra, Italian dandelion, and basil. Some items will be a choice. U-Pick should include cherry tomatoes, snap beans, tomatillos, husk cherries, flowers, and herbs.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Hefty-2489/

July 19, 2020
Workshifts for Week of 7/20/20
by Farmer Derek

This week we'll probably embark on the onion harvest as well as pull weeds. If you signed up for a share with work discount, please consider joining us soon.

Per the PA Dept. of Health, masks and social distancing are required.

Workshifts scheduled for this week:

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-for-Week-of-72020-2490/

July 19, 2020
Challenging Heat
by Farmer Derek

The hottest spell of the season has descended upon the area. The worst of it looks to be short-lived, that is if you count upper 80s or low 90s as relief. All will be well and we'll persevere through it as long as rain is provided with the transition from super heat to regular heat. This kind of weather tests our resolve and patience. It's quite easy to worry about all the crops and be in a constant state of panic. It's probably the most difficult time of the year for us regardless of the heat. Harvests are getting heavier which basically means we're moving more weight around from the fields to the barn to the shares. Our minds and bodies feel a subtle fatigue from the constant daily work that began many months ago. We're concerned that newly transplanted crops might not survive until the next rainfall. Watermelons are starting to ripen but will there be enough for all members? Will wild critters find them before we do? What's the best way to harvest and cure onions for longterm storage? Are our coolers working properly? Will lettuces head up and hold up until the next harvest or will they bolt faster than we can keep up? Besides the crops we must pay attention to ourselves during this extreme weather. Even harvesting a few hundred pounds of tomatoes at 10am on Sunday morning with Farmer Dana to reduce Monday's harvest to-do list results in a thoroughly sweat drenched state that fails to evaporate and cool thanks to the humidity and lack of wind. After watering the flats in the hoop house and greenhouse a seat in front of a fan with shades drawn and doors shut cools me down just enough. Give me a bite of watermelon and I'm all good.

Either way, overall, it's an exciting time on the farm. Summer crops are thriving and long-season crops begin to beckon: watermelon now, cantaloupe soon, onions now, potatoes soon. We strive to keep up and ensure proper harvest and stowing. As we harvest our footprint slowly reduces and we have less farm space to actively manage. Very soon we'll begin sowing cover crops and putting fields to sleep for the winter. Each week that passes more plants go in the ground and less plants still need to be planted, less land needs to be prepared. For now, though, we'll focus on getting through Monday's harvest and distribution, on what could be the hottest day of the year. Stay cool!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Challenging-Heat-2491/

July 19, 2020
Bring Your Muscles!
By Linda Dansbury

Once again, this week brings with it several new items. The harvest is really diverse - and heavy, so plan for it by bringing a larger, or second container for your haul - watermelon, cucs, squash and more are heavy once you load them all up.

Tomatillos - one of the staples of the farm each summer. They are a very interesting veggie and you can do quite a bit with them. They look like green tomatoes and in fact, are in the same family. Tomatillos are a good source of Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Niacin, Potassium and Manganese. Tomatillos store well in the fridge - 2-3 weeks - store in an open plastic or paper bag and keep the husk on until ready to use. When ready to use, remove the husk and rinse in cool water to remove the stickiness. This veggie can be eaten raw added to salads, or made into a fresh salsa. They are also delicious cooked into salsas or stews. Two of my favorites are Slow Cooker Chicken or Pork with Chile Verde and Chicken Stew with Tomatillo Sauce. The first recipe uses a slow cooker and the second one is easily adapted to the pressure cooker, so neither one heats up the kitchen. I typically use 2 or even 3 weeks worth of tomatillos and make the sauce for the Chicken Stew and freeze it in 2 cup batches which is what the recipe uses - it comes together for an easy meal over rice or on tortillas.

The best, most ripe tomatillos are those in which their husks have become dry and papery and they often just fall on the ground. Walk the beds and look for spots where a few have fallen on the ground - right now, that is mostly in the center of the plant and near the ground. This method will provide your share in just a few minutes.

Tomatoes - ok, so everyone knows about tomatoes, but there has been a debate about whether or not to refrigerate them. I researched this a couple of years ago, and the scientific community said to store at room temperature until they are at their optimum ripeness, or are starting to soften/have soft spots - then place them loosely in the fridge. A cold perfectly ripe tomato is better cold than one that has been left at room temperature to start to become over-ripe.

Husk Cherries, aka Ground Cherries - these interesting little fruits are also in the same family as tomatoes and tomatillos. Like tomatillos, they have a papery husk on them which dries up when ripe. They are called ground cherries, because the little fruits fall to the ground when ripe, making it really easy to harvest them. Just scoop them off the ground. Ground cherries can be stored on the kitchen counter almost indefinitely, making it a great addition when your fridge is overloaded! They are very nutritious and are similar to tomatillos in the vitamins and minerals they provide. There are several recipes on this site, both sweet and savory. My favorite is the Fresh Ground Cherry Salsa - it requires a lot of chopping, but the taste makes it worth it! We don't have a specific category on the recipe site for ground cherries, so search on Summer Miscellaneous and you will find the recipes.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Bring-Your-Muscles-2492/

July 19, 2020
Veggie Meals
By Linda Dansbury

In the heat of the summer, we often find ourselves grazing on easy-to-make veggie centric meals. Instead of having a large main dish, we will have a few smaller dishes that are simple to prepare and often don't involve much cooking. I usually do things that require roasting in the oven on a weekend morning when the weather is not that hot. Here are a few things we did with our harvest - please share how you are enjoying your harvest by emailing me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and use Anchor Run in your subject line.

Eggplant, peppers, scallions, zucchini, basil - grilled all the veggies and when they came off the grill we drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper, basil and sprinkled some crumbled local feta cheese - a great summer meal. Had a salad on the side.

Zucchini - found a new, really simple recipe - the hardest part of it is cutting them up; you could use your zoodle maker too. It is called Quick Zucchini Saute.

Tomato, basil, (garlic) - summer tomatoes are so delicious and the season always seems too short, so nearly every evening we trade off between making bruschetta and a Caprese Salad, which is just a fancy way of saying tomatoes with mozzarella cheese. The key to both of these is a good quality olive oil and creamy mozzarella cheese. I also use a locally made bread for the bruschetta.

Cucumber, scallion - made an Indian street food dish called Spiced Cucumber Sticks. Simple, once you have the Chaat spice - available at Middle Eastern markets and on Amazon - it is simple to make. It calls for red onion, which would add a nice color balance, but I used scallions since it is what we have.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Veggie-Meals-2493/

July 12, 2020
Many New Veggies this Week!
By Linda Dansbury

Eggplant was a pleasant surprise in last week's share - FYI, Derek and Dana generally let me know what the harvest will be either Saturday or Sunday morning. They take a weekly walk on Sunday morning, taking notes on how each crop is doing to help for future planning. Part of the walk is to determine what crops are ready for harvest. I had already finished my part of the newsletter last Sunday when they realized the eggplants were ready in enough quantity to add to the shares - one of the many fun things about the farm. Eggplants are botanically a fruit and are in the same family as tomatoes. They contain several key vitamins, minerals and fiber plus have significant antioxidant properties. Eggplant is far more delicate than you might realize. It doesn't do well in extreme temperatures, including both the heat and cold. Keep your eggplant out of direct sunlight and in a relatively cool spot, such as in a kitchen cupboard or pantry. Refrigerators are too cold and often cause eggplants to spoil prematurely. On the other hand, many kitchens get too hot during the summer months. If your kitchen is warm, try storing your eggplant in the coolest place in your home - possibly the basement. Two things cause eggplant to spoil quickly - moisture and ethylene gas. To store eggplant, wrap individually in paper towels, a paper bag or a perforated plastic bag. If your kitchen is cool, you can keep it on the counter. If you feel like you must refrigerate it, make room in your crisper drawer, or place on a shelf. Wherever you store, keep eggplant away from fruits and veggies that produce ethylene gas, including bananas, tomatoes, peaches and plums. Eggplants are at their best when enjoyed within 5-7 days. Check out this site for a lot of eggplant recipes, many of which have been submitted by fellow members. A couple of my favorites are Eggplant and Green Beans in a Spicy Garlic Sauce and Eggplant Salad.

Cabbage is making its farm debut for this year. The variety we will be receiving is call Farao, which is a tight heading variety. The flavor of Farao cabbage plants is mild and peppery. The leaves are thin and tender. This is a great cabbage for stir fries but will also hold up to pickling, sauerkraut, and roasting as well. You can also eat it raw and fresh if you would like. It's great in cole slaw, especially with farm carrots. Cabbage is very nutritious - Half a cup of cooked cabbage has about a third the vitamin C you need for the day. It also gives you doses of fiber, folate, potassium, magnesium, vitamins A and K, and more! To store cabbage, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap if it's been cut already, or put it in a resealable plastic bag if it's still whole. Then, store the cabbage in the crisper drawer in your fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Farm carrots are so sweet and delicious that I don't think I need to say much about them. Placed in an open or perforated plastic bag n the crisper drawer of your fridge, they will keep for up to a month - although I am sure they won't be around nearly that long! Since it is summertime, most of my carrots will be eaten raw with other farm veggies, possibly dipped in Baba Ganoush or Eggplant Dip.

Celery was the other surprise last week - Yay! Celery is very low in calories and a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Potassium and Manganese. Plastic bags trap in the ethylene it produces, which hastens spoiling. For the best results, keep celery heads whole, wrap them up tightly in aluminum foil, and then keep them in the refrigerator crisper drawer as usual. When stored this way, celery stalks can maintain their freshness anywhere from two to four weeks.

The 2020 garlic harvest started today, so we will be receiving fresh, aka, uncured garlic for the next few weeks. Note the wonderful aroma as you near the barn this week. There are differing opinions on storing fresh garlic. Some say store in the fridge, while others say leave on kitchen counter in a paper bag. I have always kept it in the fridge, which didn't really make sense to me because the garlic is hanging in the barn in the heat to cure. I think this year I will keep on the kitchen counter, saving me from having to root around the fridge looking for the garlic bulb!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Many-New-Veggies-this-Week-2484/

July 12, 2020
Mostly Salads
By Linda Dansbury

Last week, I posted an abundant amount of information about what I had done with my harvest. I made so much that we were eating all the salads for several days. I don't know about you, but when I find a recipe we like, especially a new one, I keep making it. Along those lines, I made the Vietnamese Cucumber Salad again last night. And plan to make the Refreshing Summer Squash Salad today. Salads are a great way to incorporate the delicious, nutritious herbs we are receiving. Since I had so many large salads, I don't have new things to share this week, but would love for you to share with your fellow members how you are enjoying your harvest so email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. And, please put Anchor Run in the subject line so I can find your message.

Squash, thyme - found a new zucchini bread recipe, which I am posting this week called Lemon Zucchini Bread with Thyme and Olive oil. Not very sweet, and it incorporates a lot of zucchini, so even the pickiest eaters will eat their veggies.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Mostly-Salads-2485/

July 12, 2020
An Early Summertime Share
By Farmer Dana

Harvest #9 (Week A) should include cabbage, carrots, eggplant, lettuce, scallions, fresh garlic, zucchini, cucumbers, basil, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, parsley, and cilantro. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include snap beans, cherry/grape tomatoes, flowers, and herbs.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/An-Early-Summertime-Share-2486/

July 12, 2020
Workshifts for Week of 7/13/20
by Farmer Derek

If you signed up for a share with work discount, please consider joining us soon.

Per the PA Dept. of Health, masks and social distancing are required.

Workshifts scheduled for this week:

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-for-Week-of-71320-2487/

July 12, 2020
Whirlwind of a Week
by Farmer Derek

What a whirlwind of a week. Looming planting and harvesting tasks, out of control pest pressure, daily thunderstorms, high heat and humidity, more work to do than we have time for. A week filled with the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The good: Ample rain was received and the ponds have filled back up. The waterway improvements worked as planned. Thanks to some great help from CSA members, all of the 2020 garlic has been retrieved, tied, and hung to cure and seventy percent of the carrots were harvested (over 2,000 pounds). The rest of the 2021 strawberry plants arrived and were planted. The 2nd planting of tomatoes, which is inside the hoop tunnel, have been pruned and trellised (for now). The house vacuum seems to have saved our flats of fall broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and rutabaga from the dastardly flea beetle. Hours of sucking then putting the flats inside the greenhouse stemmed the tide. Lesson learned/remembered: don't give the flea beetles a mid-season snack after the spring brassicas have been mowed and don't leave the flats of fall brassicas in the hoop house unprotected after they've germinated under the shade cloth.

The bad: The heat, humidity, and daily rain showers have made cultivating and weeding a tough task to keep up with. We were faced with constantly too moist soil conditions to reshape and/or hill beds and kill weeds. A tropical storm dumped heavy rain which carried some soil downhill and out of the fields.

The ugly: We've lost the summer celery battle to a soil borne disease that causes the interior of the plant to rot and the leaves to curl rendering it unharvestable. We managed to only save approximately 40% of the crop. We'll either have to identify a variety that isn't susceptible to this issue or forego (spring/summer) celery in the future (we still have the fall planting to transplant and harvest). I was just thinking about how much I enjoyed it in my breakfast smoothie. Italian dandelion, which we used to perceive as immune from any kind of growing hardship, is now acquiring some kind of leaf tip blemish.

But more good: Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, okra are starting up; cucumbers and zucchini continue their prolific ways; watermelons should be ready soon; flowers are looking spectacular; ample sunshine will hopefully dry things out a bit so we can plant all those beetle beaten brassicas. Onward!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Whirlwind-of-a-Week-2488/

July 5, 2020
Commence the Cukes!
by Farmer Dana

Harvest #8 (Week B) should include beets, zucchini, cucumbers, basil, lettuce, scallions, Swiss chard, Italian dandelion, parsley, dill, cilantro, fennel, eggplant, and celery. Some items will be a choice and may not be available during all pick up times. U-pick should include green/string/snap beans, flowers, and herbs.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Commence-the-Cukes-2478/

July 5, 2020
Workshifts for Week of 7/6/20
by Farmer Derek

Long and hot days are here, and with high summer, big harvests commence. If the weather allows, this week we'll embark on the harvesting of carrots and garlic. Shifts will be scheduled earlier in the mornings to beat the heat. These harvesting events are kid friendly but please don't sign them up on the website (if they work with you their hours can count).

If you signed up for a share with work discount, please consider joining us soon.

Per the PA Dept. of Health, masks and social distancing are required.

Workshifts scheduled for this week:

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Workshifts-for-Week-of-7620-2479/

July 5, 2020
That Summer Feeling For Sure
by Farmer Derek

You know it's July when the 10-day forecast shows temperatures reaching 90 degrees daily. And it's early July when the spring-sown carrots and fall-planted garlic need to be harvested. And there's a chance of a thunderstorm every day. And when the sun wakes you up at 5:30am on a day when you don't need/don't want to set the alarm. But at least those afternoon moisture events bring clouds and cooling rainfall. Another 1/2-inch of nice rain was received this past Friday evening following the planting of 4,000 of the 7,000 strawberry plants (3,000 were damaged/destroyed/lost by FedEx but will be re-sent this week). We've been lucky so far this season with just about enough rain with no major deluges. We're much happier when things are on the dry side though our nerves do fray when it doesn't rain at all and temperatures soar. At least with this heat wave there's a chance of daily rain though that could mean you receive 3" and I receive .25". It'll be a challenge working in the heat but we must.

Besides planting 4/7ths of our 2021 strawberries last week we were of course busy doing many other things. Another round of cilantro, dill, and lettuces went in. Cherry tomatoes were pruned and trellised. Pea trellising was removed. Beet roots and cabbages were harvested. Crops were cultivated and weeded. Aisles were push mowed. Thousands of seeds were sown into trays (fall kale, chard, beets, fennel, lettuce, basil). Unused fields were flail mowed and chisel plowed. Raised beds were fertilized and reshaped for the 4,000 feet of fall broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Each pass with the shaper takes place after a rain event and removes germinating weeds and lowers the weed seed bank. Rain also stimulates microbial action in the soil and helps break down organic matter making for some nicer planting conditions. In a perfect world I'll chisel plow once, primary shape twice, and finish shape twice, with a rain event between each action. I typically begin preparing ground a month in advance. We've now opened up ground for our entire 2020 planting footprint. Areas I just chisel plowed will be planted in August and September.

Upcoming this week will be planting the rest of the strawberries as well as lettuces. Aforementioned broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower may also go in. Speaking of those, they were attacked by flea beetles in our hoop house. What was a few beetles became an onslaught of perhaps the entire spring colony. Today I went out with our vacuum and spent an hour sucking thousands of them off the plants and from the roof. I'm curious to see if it will be effective but I do believe I put a serious dent in their population. I'm pretty sure vacuuming is an organic approved pest control. I will save our fall brassicas!

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/That-Summer-Feeling-For-Sure-2480/

July 5, 2020
Cooling Veggie Salads
By Linda Dansbury

This time of year, I take a lot of the produce we receive and turn it into salads - squash/zucchini, cucumbers, beets, even green beans make delicious salads. July 4th weekend is generally quite hot and humid, so to have some type of grilled meat (last night was ribs) accompanied by room temp or chilled veggie salad, is so satisfying. I often make the salads early in the day on weekends - when I make several of the salads, we end up having them to eat for several days, so weeknight dinners are very simple.

Here is some of what we enjoyed this week, and if you have something to share, I would love to hear from you - please email me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and please put Anchor Run in the subject line to make sure I see your message.

Squash, mint - made a new dish called Refreshing Summer Squash Salad - I am adding this as a new recipe this week. This dish is so fast, simple to make that it will now be one of my go to dishes. Simply "zoodles" with lemon, mint, olive oil, salt, pepper and feta. The recipe also calls for proscuitto - we have bacon, but I didn't feel like cooking it, so we just used a little locally made feta on top and it was delicious - we didn't miss the pork addition at all and we are pork lovers. Had it with seared scallops and leftover salad with ribs the next day.

Cucumbers, mint, cilantro, garlic, scallions - another new dish! Vietnamese Cucumber Salad. The mix of flavors in this is so good! It calls for a hot pepper, but since they are not yet in season, I added a bit of Sambal Oelek to add some heat

Green beans, scallions, garlic scape, basil, parsley, oregano - made my version of a green bean salad. I cook the beans until tender - I cook them a bit longer than if we were eating them plain. Stop the cooking by plunging in an ice water bath, and drain well. Place in large bowl, chop everything else up and add. I also like to add a can of chick peas, both for the great taste and the color contrast. Make a simple red wine vinaigrette, stir well and let sit for a few hours to allow flavors to blend in - it is actually better the 2nd and 3rd day, and will last at least a week in the fridge. I sometimes top with some crumbled feta cheese and once we have cherry tomatoes, I cut them in half and add - these add beautiful color and taste.

Beets, scallions, tarragon and/or parsley - made a beet salad. Roasted beets in oven as described in previous newsletter - 425 degrees in a covered pot, such as a la Crueset. Roasting took about 1.5 hours for the large beets. Peeled when cool enough to handle. Made a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, olive oil, a bit of Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, scallions (I also use shallots I grow if there aren't scallions), fresh or dried tarragon. Pour over beets and again, allow to sit for awhile so flavors go through. Serve with mixed greens, a bit of goat cheese and some type of candied nuts if you like.

Fennel, parsley - used our fennel in the broth for making steamed clams - we sliced it real thin with a mandoline so it would get "melty" soft in the broth. Topped the clams with a lot of chopped up parsley.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Cooling-Veggie-Salads-2481/

July 5, 2020
Colorful Foods
By Linda Dansbury

I received a wonderful email from fellow member Kim Sorensen. As many of you know, I do prepare a lot of Southeast Asian dishes. The colors and flavors of the veggies shine through in this genre of cooking and Kim and her mom demonstrate it with her email.

"My mother and I have been exploring Korean cuisine as a means to enjoy the harvest. In the attached photo you'll see, from left to right: grilled tofu with bibimbap sauce and thai basil; snap beans and snow peas sauteed with lots of garlic; a simple cucumber salad with rice vinegar and tajin; zucchini sauteed with gochujang and garlic with Vietnamese coriander sprinkled on top; and finally a kimchi pancake with garlic scapes and green onions."

Thank you so much for taking the time Kim and if other members want to share their dishes, please send an email to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net and put Anchor Run in the subject line.

Link: https://www.anchorrunfarm.com/blog/Colorful-Foods-2483/