Harvest #11 (Week A) should include watermelon, beets, cucumbers, carrots, garlic, zucchini, green peppers, hot peppers, okra, shishito peppers, swiss chard, lettuce, herbs, eggplant, italian dandelion, tomatoes, onions, and scallions. Some items will be a choice. U-pick should include a handful of herbs, husk cherries, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, blackberries, beans, and flowers. Soon green beans will transition to everyone's favorite, edamame! Also, tomatoes appear to be peaking so be prepared to carry a lot of weight. We had 1,500lbs harvested for this past Thursday's and Saturday's distribution. Will Monday's haul surpass that?

Some much needed rain finally fell on the farm this past week (understatement). Since the 75% chance and up events have all missed us over the past month I figured we would receive some showers during a 30% chance event instead. The rain fell overnight so we weren't able to frolic and celebrate under the drops themselves but the soothing sounds made it through the open windows as a welcome midnight lullaby. This was an adequate drink for most of the crops and will give us brief relief from running irrigation daily. With how dry it's been, plus the incoming heat, we'll probably have to cycle irrigation through the fields again this coming week. But oh so thankful we are for the nice precipitation.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we transplanted a big round of late summer and early fall crops including kale, rutabaga, lettuce, cilantro, dill, celery, fennel, basil, beets, and chard. Even with the aid of the waterwheel transplanter these baby plants faced a challenging battle for moisture acquisition and retention with the parched soil. Next up for them and us is the task of weed management. One of the blessings of the extreme dry weather was less weed pressure due to fewer weed seeds actually germinating in the soil near the crops. Irrigation initiates some of the process but it seems to be more beneficial to our transplants, growing quickly and outcompeting their unwanted guests. We'll still need to get in there with our hands and hoes but we at least have a head start.

Last week we wrapped up the 2022 onion harvest with the help of CSA members. Approximately 3,000lbs of red and yellow onions are now being safely stored in our temperature and moisture controlled room. Considering the weed pressure we dealt with in late May and early June, this crop looks great. I think we've finally established our onion growing, harvesting, curing, and storage system and have two varieties that perform very well for us. I mostly love being able to bypass the standard curing process most farmers take where they pull all of the plants and lay them out somewhere under cover to dry out. For us, trimming off the tops, placing the onions in bins, and stacking in our low moisture cool room does the trick. It saves us a lot of time and hassle and seems to work just fine. I don't know about you, but I've been loving eating the red onions (and garlic!) raw as an addition to whatever else I'm eating. My body must need something they're providing, so I'm obliging. I don't think Dana minds.

If we get some good workshift attendance this week our plan is to begin harvesting potatoes. The potato digger will sift the potatoes out of the soil. We'll collect them and place them in bins.

These are family friendly shifts but please don't sign your kids up online (we need to make sure we have enough adults). If your kids work they will receive credit.

This week's workshift schedule:

Bring gloves, water, a hat, sturdy shoes, and a pad for kneeling (if necessary for you)!

We meet under the large red maple at the end of the barn by the pick up room.

Workshift Guidelines - Workshift Sign Up Instructions

I'm sure most of you have missed (we have too!) the awesome and applicable recipe suggestions from long-time CSA member Linda Dansbury, who is taking a break this year, and we have done a poor job keeping up with that most important section of the newsletter. But here are a few tips on how to use/preserve/enjoy this week's harvest contents:

Fresh salsa - puree, or simply chop, tomatoes, onion, hot pepper, garlic, and cilantro. Toss together with salt and pepper to taste. Perfect hot weather snack.

We like to slice them and enjoy with simple cheese omelettes for easy weeknight dinners. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with parsley.

If you're unable to get to them fast enough you can always freeze them whole to use later in the year/over the winter. You could core them first, but I don't process them in any way. They're perfect to use in sauces or any cooked tomato dishes, and the skins come off super easily (if you're into that).

If you're using the grill, just slice length-wise and throw a few on the grate. Even if you're not eating them that night you can chop and incorporate into mixed salads throughout the week.

This is a good recipe (zucchini butter spaghetti) from Smitten Kitchen (which is a good resource for other seasonal cooking ideas) that uses a pound and a half of zucchini.

Make a batch or two of zucchini bread to eat fresh and freeze for later.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum)

In the US, we refer to Coriander as the seeds from the Cilantro plant. Be on the lookout: When a recipe calls for a “bunch of coriander”, it is most likely referring to the leaves AKA- Cilantro. The seeds are usually roasted or toasted and then often ground prior to use in recipes.

Coriander seeds are used in pickling, soups, stews, curry and many Indian recipes.

You can dry and save the fresh seeds by cutting off the seed heads when the plant begins to turn brown. Place the seed heads in a paper bag. Hang the bag until the plant dries and the seeds fall off. Store the seeds in a sealed container.

Try coriander seed tea – 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds in 1 cup of boiling water. Let steep for 15 minutes, then compost the seeds.

Safe for cats: Yes

Safe for dogs: Yes

U-Pick Time Saver: I taught a seasoned farmer a new trick! I was fortunate enough to do some of my u-pick this past week with Dana. She noticed that as I was picking the green beans, I was also breaking off the top of the bean before adding them to my quart container. That way all I need to do when I get home is rinse them and they are ready -whether eaten raw or cooked up. It also leaves the organic matter of the tops in the fields – something D&D love!