In the Box

• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sweet Basil
• Carrots
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Broccoli
• Scallions
• Petite Head Lettuce
• Garlic Scapes (Last time)

Out with the peas and in with the cherry tomatoes and basil. It is a tasty trade. The cherry tomatoes are primarily the orange Sungold variety. I call them farm candy as they are such sweet, tasty treats. You also got a few pink grape tomatoes and maybe some black cherry tomatoes.

Now we pick the cherry tomatoes slightly under ripe. I know this disappoints some people because they want us to pick them fully ripe. But by picking them a little under ripe we get to eat the tomatoes without some critter taking a bite out of them first. This means letting the tomatoes sit on your counter until they are fully orange, pink, or purple. Then you can fully enjoy these little bites of heaven.

Picking basil is a favorite task of mine. The scent is so wonderful and it stays on my hands for a long time. I also adore its flavor on many dishes. I love to grill zucchini and patty pans with basil. I cut up the squash, drizzle olive oil over it, chop basil and grill the whole mix. It’s absolutely delicious. The recipe for patty pans listed below is also a great and very simple recipe.

The carrots came out of the greenhouse. Carrots are a difficult crop to go here because of all the weed pressure. Carrots take so long to germinate that the weeds are often too large to remove for the carrots to grow. So I tried planting some in the greenhouse where there is a little better weed control. It seems to have worked. I don’t know if our field carrots will get weeded in time. So enjoy these now.

The Care and Keeping of Basil and Tomatoes

Basil and tomatoes are two special crops. Tomatoes should never and I repeat never go into the refrigerator unless they are cut. It will destroy their flavor. Leave your tomatoes out on the counter and use a whole tomato at a time so there are no leftovers to go into the fridge.
Basil is very picky. It should not get wet or it will turn black. It’s okay to wash it right before you use it, but unless it is sandy, I wouldn’t bother to wash it. I have had good success keeping basil in a glass of water on my kitchen counter. Most refrigerators are too cold for basil. If you aren’t going to use it right away, you can put it in a towel in a bag in the fridge.

This Week’s Recipes

Yellow Squash with Fresh Basil and Toasted Pecans
(Source unknown)

Note: This recipe works well with a combination of zucchini and patty pans.

• ¼ cup chopped pecans
• 1 lb. patty pans or zucchini cut into ½ inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

Toast pecans in dry skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 6 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant, shaking pan often. Set aside to cool. Fill large pot with 1 inch water. Set steamer basket in pot, cover and bring water to a boil. Place squash in basket. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and steam 4 to 6 minutes, or until squash is tender. Transfer squash to large bowl. Toss with olive oil, basil and pecans. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Yellow Squash with Fresh Basil and Toasted Pecans
(Source unknown)

Note: This recipe works well with a combination of zucchini and patty pans.

• 1 15-ounce can of white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
• ¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley

Dressing ingredients:

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed or
• 3 garlic scapes chopped
• 1 3-inch sprig rosemary
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• ¼ cup of lemon juice

Start by making the dressing. Put the garlic and rosemary in olive oil in a small saucepan. Heat on medium until the rosemary begins to sizzle. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 20 minutes, allowing the rosemary and garlic to infuse in the oil. Remove rosemary sprig from the oil, discard. Remove the garlic from the oil, reserving the oil. Add the garlic, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. In a medium bowl, gently fold the garlic mixture in with the beans until they are well coated. Let sit for a few minutes. Gently mix in the reserved olive oil, tomatoes, and parsley.

News from the Farm

Riley is better. She is tearing around the farm every morning. In the afternoon, she is the smart one sitting in the shade or getting in her wading pool. The rest of us are out working in this very hot, muggy weather. We are busy with weeding, trellising tomatoes, taking down pea trellis and all the various July tasks. We could use some rain. The irrigation is running 24/7, but rain would be better. Have a good week!

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IN THE BOX

In the Box

• Salad Mix
• Baby Red Choy
• Cilantro
• French Breakfast Radishes
• Scallions
• Braising Mix

There are a few new items in this week’s box. Cilantro is a wonderful herb used in a lot of Mexican and Asian dishes. It has a distinct flavor. I do find that folks either really love or really dislike cilantro. I fall in the camp that really loves cilantro. I love the fresh, citrus-like flavor and will eat it by the handful. Cilantro does not handle heat well. So chop it and add it to a hot dish right before or after you turn off the heat.

The other new item in your boxes is the baby red choy. Choy (also called choi, bok choy or pac choi) has been cultivated in China since the fifth century. It arrived in Europe in the eighteenth century and from there choi came to this continent. Today it is cultivated on every continent except Antarctica.

Choi comes in many sizes and shades of red and green. The leaves are very tender and can be cooked like spinach. The stems are crisp and can be used like celery or asparagus. I usually cook them together.

The choi in your boxes has been a little stressed by the weather recently. (Who hasn’t?). It began to bolt. Bolting is the growth stage where the plant shoots upward and begins to form buds or seed stalks. I found, much to my surprise, that the buds are delicious. They have a broccoli-like flavor. Rather than leave them in the field, I decided to harvest the plants with the buds and let you try them.

On another note, those of you who have members last year may have noticed that not everything in last week’s box was bagged in plastic. I am attempting to cut down on the farm’s use of plastic bags. So, for items that are bunched, they will be packed in the box without being bagged. I’d like some feedback on this. If you think the quality of the produce is suffering, let me know and we will bag them.

Some Words on Recipes

I always welcome recipe submissions. If I can use them, I definitely will.

I try to choose recipes that are easy and use lots of the items in your box. I don’t promote any type of diet except for one that includes lots of veggies. If a recipe includes meat, I try to list meat substitutes for our vegetarian or vegan members. I personally eat a little meat, lots of vegetables, and whole grains and pasta. These days I’ve set aside my inner cheese head and eat very little dairy products. Of course, I do have my weaknesses - chocolate and coffee being the chief ones.

This Week’s Recipe

Stir-Fried Choi with Mushrooms and Cashews over Rice Noodles
(from Farmer John’s Cookbook)

Note: Rice noodles can be found in the Asian food section of a grocery store. Rice vinegar can be found there as well. You can substitute wheat noodles and apple cider vinegar.

• ¼ cup coarsely chopped, unsalted cashews
• 8 ounces dry rice noodles
• 6 tablespoons peanut oil or mild flavored vegetable oil, divided
• 3-4 baby choi, stems cut diagonally into ¼-inch pieces, leaves sliced into ½-inch strips
• 8 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced, OR 8 dried shitake mushrooms rehydrated in hot water for 20 minutes, strained and sliced, water reserved
• 3 scallions, sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup water (if you are using dried shitakes, use ¼ cup of the soaking water instead)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• sugar (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the cashews in a heavy dry skillet over high heat until they begin to brown slightly. Transfer the nuts to a dish to cool. Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile, heat a wok or large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the peanut oil and let heat for 30 seconds. Add the sliced choi stems and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, scallions, and choi leaves. Add the water (or shitake soaking liquid). Cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 12 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Add a little sugar to taste, if desired. Pour this mixture over the vegetables in the wok and toss until well combined. Drain the noodles and add them to the wok along with the sauce. Toss to combine. Serve warm or chill for 1 to 2 hours. Garnish with the cashews and cilantro just before serving.

News from the Farm

We have had four rain free days. The mud is starting to dry up and the puddles in the low spots are receding. I’ve also stopped spending quality time with the sump pump I bought last week though my basement is still wet.

The farm has survived this flood for several reasons. One, the sandy soil drains better than a heavy soil. This is a great advantage in a flood and a great disadvantage in a drought. Two, the farm is not located on the banks of a river. And three, the land slopes gently down to 2 wetlands that help drain the farm. There are no bowls to form ponds on the farm.

After seeing all the devastation on area farms, I feel fortunate that the damage here is minimal. Some plants are unhappy about having wet feet for so long. But others are starting to recover and look good. The wet weather can lead to disease issues, so I will be monitoring those. Also, we have some plants - eggplant, peppers, basil, parsley, melons, pumpkins, gourds and lots of lettuce - that have been sitting around waiting their turn to be transplanted. I hope to get most of them in this week. But the harvest of some of these crops will be delayed.

We do have more crops coming on. The peas are flowering so we will have peas soon. Head lettuce is starting to mature and I’ve seen flowers on the zucchini and cucumbers. Soon the bounty will be overflowing.

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In the Box

• Salad Mix
• Braising Greens
• Arugula
• Scallions
• French Breakfast Radishes

When you open this box, green will be the color you see. Green lettuce, arugula, scallions are the main components of our harvest during this early part of the season. Radishes add a bright red splash of color to your boxes.

Greens and radishes are the first things that can be planted directly into the ground in the spring. By the time greens can be planted, I have already spent several months tending little plants - first in my kitchen and then in the greenhouse. But the first time I put seeds into the ground is a magical time. I push an Earthway seeder down the rows. It whirs and clicks as the seeds drop into the soil. The rows are 200 feet long. I get to the end, turn around and push the seeder back to the other end. Change the seed and do it again. For many plantings, I walk almost 2 miles pushing the seeder.

This is the time of year to eat greens. After a long winter, greens are very refreshing and cleansing. Your body and soul will enjoy the light energy of greens. This week’s box has several different types of greens. The salad mix is a blend of different lettuces. This is best eaten raw.

The braising greens are a blend of greens. There is Red Russian kale (pale green leaves with purple stems), Tat Soi (pronounced ‘tot soy’ that looks like spinach), red mustard (a red and green leaf), mizuna (a skinny, serrated leaf in either purple or green), and a few other greens. The braising greens can be eaten raw or cooked, but most folks will prefer them cooked. Look at the recipe in the recipe section.

Arugula is a green that has a little spicy and nutty flavor. I like to mix it in with lettuce for a great tasting salad. You can also try it in a sandwich in place of lettuce. It can also be cooked along with the braising greens.

We wash all of our greens at least twice before we pack them into your boxes. But you should always wash them again when you get them home. It helps to rehydrate the greens. And it is just good food safety practices to wash all your produce when you bring it home.

The radishes are very mild. I know that radishes do not top everyone’s favorite food list. But these are very different from the red ones that have been in the grocery store for months. Try them. I guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised.

This Week’s Recipe

Simple Cooked Greens
(A Luna Circle Farm original)

3 tablespoons sesame oil
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional)
3-4 cups greens, chopped
salt to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, onion and sesame seeds. Sauté for a minute or so. Rinse the greens and add them still wet to the pan. Cover the pan so the greens can sauté and steam at the same time. Stir occasionally. Sauté just long enough to wilt the greens - 3 to 5 minutes. Add some salt or a little balsamic vinegar to taste.

Leaps of Faith

Farming is an act of faith. Planting a seed is an act of faith. You put a tiny black speck into soil and trust that this will become an oregano plant. Or that the white oblong seed will become a head of lettuce. Or the black triangular seed will become an onion. It takes an extra leap of faith to plant a round tomato seed while a blizzard is raging outside. To be able to imagine that the little seed will grow into a 4 foot tall plant growing amazing fruit is an act of faith especially when one can’t even see the greenhouse because of the heavy snowfall.

And through all of it one needs faith that the sun will shine, the rains will fall, the workers will come, the members will sign up and the bugs will not.

This spring has been one of those seasons that challenge my faith. Of course, the winter tested all of us. I wasn’t sure the snow would ever melt. But it did and I began to feel the thaw inside. But the challenges continued. The spring has been cold. Our last frost on the 27th of May was the latest I have known in my 19 years of farming. And it was dry. We were irrigating and covering plants to protect them from frost. I also made the decision to hold off on transplanting some sensitive crops until the soil warmed up. It was a good strategy until it began to rain.

And it has rained and rained. We got 9 inches of rain over the weekend alone. And that fell on already saturated soil as it rained a lot last week. Luna Circle has sandy soil and is relatively flat. To have standing water on sandy soil is amazing. We don’t have a lake in the fields like some folks do. Mostly we have some big puddles in low spots. But this is also the time of year when the soil is freshly tilled. So we have lots and lots of mud. Some of the mud has shifted and buried some crops, but most everything will be ok if we can dry out a little.

My harvest crew was just amazing today. First it was a struggle to just get to the farm as roads are under water from 3 directions. Then we had to harvest in very muddy conditions. I didn’t hear a single complaint all day. The scallions in your box came from a patch that was far out in the field and all the ground around them was freshly tilled last week. We were all slipping down 12 inches into the mud. It grabs your feet and shoes and is almost impossible to walk through. I almost lost my boots several times. I am grateful for the crew’s willingness to wade through all the mess.

And I will continue to have faith. Faith, that the peppers, melons, herbs and so much more will finally make their way into the fields. Faith, that some balance will be achieved between the rain and the dry. Faith that the sun will shine again. Faith in the plants to survive the onslaught of water. And I am grateful that despite the high winds this weekend, the greenhouses are still standing and the critters and I are safe and sound.

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In the Box

• All Blue Potatoes
• Red Cabbage
• Carnival Squash
• Marjoram
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Pea Shoots
• Spaghetti Squash
• Salad Mix
• Broccoli (West Side & UW East Clinic)

This week’s box has some new colorful foods. The potatoes are called All Blue, but I think they should be called All Purple. They are a lovely purple color inside and out. And, unlike some vegetables, the color remains even after the potatoes are cooked. They make a lovely purple splash on the plate when they are mashed. Or try the potatoes roasted. Cut them into similar sized pieces. Boil for a few minutes. Then drain the potatoes. Coat them in olive oil and put them in a baking dish. Add some minced garlic. Chop up some marjoram and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Red cabbage is making its only appearance in your boxes for this season. Once again, I think it should be called purple cabbage. You can eat red cabbage raw in salads or cole slaw. Or try it cooked. Most of the recipes that I have seen use apples with the cabbage. See the recipes below for a tasty recipe.

Marjoram is the herb of the week. A little goes a long way. Marjoram is sometimes known as wild oregano, so you can use it in any recipe that uses oregano. Try it with the roasted potatoes.

Salad Mix is back in your boxes after a break for the hot weather. It is really delicious. Add the pea shoots for a great salad.

This is the last week for cherry tomatoes, so enjoy them. Since the days are getting shorter, the plants are not producing as much as they were. Cherish every one…

Carnival squash is a beautiful cream color with green stripes and orange patches. It is a cross between acorn and delicata squash. So it is sweeter than an acorn squash, but keeps better than a delicata. You can simply cut them in half and bake them facedown on a cookie sheet. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of the squash. Plan on at least 20-40 minutes. You can microwave squash as well. In this case you leave the squash whole. Poke the squash with a fork and microwave for 5-10 minutes. I’ve never actually tried this so be careful. I would cook it for a few minutes at a time until it is done.

Last CSA Pickup

The final CSA pickup will be October 16th. There will be 2 more boxes after this one. Please round up all the extra boxes that you have and return them soon.

This Week’s Recipes

Apple and Wine-Braised Red Cabbage
Stuffed Carnival Squash

News from the Farm

It was a stressful week on the farm. On Tuesday, I noticed that the cooler had flipped its breaker and was off. I flipped it back on, but it didn’t cool down. By Tuesday afternoon, I called in a professional. The long and short of it was that the compressor was shot. I ended up replacing all of the refrigeration equipment. It was a very expensive week.

But, I shouldn’t really complain. Sure I didn’t want the expense right now. (Who would?) But, when I bought this refrigeration equipment, the seller told me he would give me a great price because he didn’t know how long the equipment would last. Well, that was 17 years ago. I have paid for maintenance and repairs, but this is the first big expense in a long time.

It was a little challenging to get through the week without refrigeration. I bought lots of ice and kept things cold the old fashioned way. On Fridays, the refrigeration specialists showed up, ripped out the old equipment and installed the new. It was just in time to get everything chilled before the farmers market. Now we have a great system in place that is chilling the veggies down properly. I guess it all worked out ok in the long run.

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In the Box

• Carola Potatoes (Yellow)
• Red Peppers
• Sungold Tomatoes
• Pea Shoots
• Yellow Onions
• French Breakfast Radishes
• Tomatillos
• Cilantro
• Hot Peppers
• Butternut Squash
• Braising Greens

We are starting to come full cycle in the season. We began with greens and radishes and now that the days are shorter and cooler, these crops are back.

We also have a new crop for you. Pea shoots are small pea plants. They taste like snow peas, especially the blossoms. The pea shoots are what I like to call a serendipity crop. After the peas were done in July, I tilled under the plants. But, due to the rain in August, I didn’t get back to till them again. Well, these pea shoots sprouted up from the peas that we had not picked. So they are a great treat. Try them raw in salads, or use in a stir-fry with the braising greens. They are also fantastic in a quiche with goat cheese. See the recipes.

Carola potatoes are new to your boxes. These are a great yellow-fleshed potato. If you like Yukon Gold potatoes, you will love these. Try them mashed, fried or baked. You should cut off any green parts of the potato before cooking. The green comes when the potatoes are exposed to the sun. So store your potatoes in a brown paper sack in a cool spot out of the sun. Do not store them in the refrigerator.

Butternut squash is the squash of the week. These are one of my favorites and they are so versatile. You can bake them and eat them as is. Or they make great curry dishes and soups. They also make great pumpkin pie. In fact, most canned pumpkin pie is actually butternut squash.

The butternuts have some cosmetic problems. They have lots of brown marks on their skin. As far as I can tell, this problem is only skin deep. You should try to eat these in the next 2 weeks or so just to be sure.

The red pepper plants did a good job of protecting their fruits from last week’s frost even though the plants themselves were damaged. So that means we were able to harvest peppers for another week. I don’t know if we will have them for another week or not.

The hot pepper plants did not fare as well. This week you have a Serrano (hot, small and green or red), a Garden Salsa (hot, green and 3-5 inches long) and a Poblano. Poblano peppers are green or red. They look like a small pointy bell pepper. They are mild to medium hot.

This Week’s Recipes

• New Mexican Green Chile Sans Chiles
• Greens and Goat Cheese Quiche

Last CSA Pickup

Our last CSA boxes will be delivered on October 16th. So there are 3 boxes after this one. Please gather up all the empty boxes you may have and return them soon.

Riley Writes

Thanks to all my fans that have been emailing me. Mom has been a page hog lately. But now it is my turn.

I love this time of year. It’s a little cooler so I can run and run. Then I can collapse in the sun and take a nap. Plus some of the leaves have started falling off the trees and I can chase them all over until they make me dizzy.

Also, the veggies are so good this time of year. I love broccoli and follow Mom through the patch begging for broccoli stems. I like the stems only, not the buds. If Mom is not looking I sometimes steal a HEAD OF BROCCOLI OUT OF A BUCKET.

Today I was stealing potatoes. They look like balls so I was taking them to play fetch with them. Potatoes make better balls than tomatoes. I bite on the tomatoes and they squirt all over my mouth.

I like squash a lot as well. I stole several of them and they are scattered around the yard. I like to eat squash. I will sit and hold one in my paws and eat right into the skin and through the squash. Yummy!

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In the Box

• Red Potatoes
• Green and Red Curly Kale
• Acorn Squash
• Cinnamon Basil
• Italian Red Garlic
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Head Lettuce
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sweet Peppers
• Roma Tomatoes
• Hot Peppers
• Cucumber

When the season began this year I had many goals. Some were for the farm and some were for me personally. One of the personal ones was that I wanted to try to reduce the stress caused by all the seasonal ups and downs. I jokingly referred to it as ‘Zen and the Art of Farming’. I wanted to keep my inner peace despite what the weather, bugs, diseases, wind, employees, customers and markets could throw at me.

Well, I’m not sure that I have succeeded at that goal. Or else, the weather picked up the challenge and decided to push me to my limits. This has been a year of weather extremes. It’s too dry and then too wet. First it’s hot then it’s too cold. Several farmers that I know have decided to throw in the towel after this season.

I am not quitting, but it was very challenging to get hit with the earliest frost I’ve seen in my 18 years of farming. Our average first frost is October 1st. Last Saturday I left for farmers market before dawn. I knew we had frost, but did not see the extent of the damage until returning home Saturday evening. We lost all the tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and patty pans. Peppers, tomatillos, sweet potatoes and basil were partially killed by the frost. We had tried on Friday to cover all the vulnerable crops, but the wind was so strong that the covers blew off.

Some years I am ready for the frost, but not this year. I would have liked to have a couple more weeks of the summer crops. I’m trying to put a positive spin on all of this. I’m trying to see it as an opportunity to get all the fall clean up done earlier than normal.

So, an early frost obviously has an impact on the items in your boxes. This will be the last week for tomatoes, cucumbers, basil and probably peppers. Cherry tomatoes are in the greenhouse, so the frost did not hit them.

But there is some good news as well. The fall crops are looking good. We dug the first potatoes last week. You have a small taste this week. There will be more in the weeks to come.

Kale actually tastes sweeter after a frost. The kale recipe listed below is a great way for non-kale fans to eat and enjoy kale.

Head lettuce is back in your boxes. The deer have been enjoying the lettuce, so I harvested the heads at the baby lettuce stage. You got a couple of small heads this week.

Cinnamon basil was the one basil that survived the frost. It has a sweet spicy scent. I did make some pesto with it on Sunday. It tasted great, but was definitely different from sweet basil pesto.

Something I’ve learned from some of the local restaurants is to mix pesto with mayonnaise and use in sandwiches. Try making a cheese, pesto mayo, and apple slices in a sandwich. I think the cinnamon basil pesto would be great in this context.

This Week’s Recipes

• Corn and Kale Skillet Cake
• Thai Chicken with Basil
• Easy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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In the Box

• Broccoli
• Haricot Vert
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sweet Peppers
• Delicata Squash
• Parsley
• Roma Tomatoes
• Hot Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Lemon Balm
• Cutting Celery

As we head into mid-September, the summer veggies are waning while the fall vegetables are coming in strong. This will be the end of the green beans and the beginning of the fall broccoli. Tomatoes are still being harvested, but the quantities are getting smaller.

Red peppers are the exception. We are having a bumper crop this week. Remember that peppers are very easy to store for the winter. (Refer to last week’s newsletter for details). Roasted peppers are very easy to make and freeze. They are very expensive to buy, so take advantage of our surplus and roast some of your own.

Monday morning (our CSA harvest day) dawned cold and drizzly. One of the advantages of the rain is it keeps down the mosquitoes. But the down side of a rainy Monday is that we cannot harvest basil, as it will turn black. So we cut some different herbs for your boxes. Parsley is a familiar herb. Lemon balm has been in your boxes once before this season. You can use it to make iced or hot tea. Or you can chop it up and add it to fish, chicken, or roasted vegetable dishes about 1-2 minutes before the dish is done.

The other herb in your boxes is called cutting celery. It looks just like Italian parsley, but smells like celery. True celery is a very hard crop to grow in our climate. Every time I’ve tried the result has been very strong flavored celery. So I’m trying the cutting celery. Just chop it up (including the leaves) and use it wherever you would use celery. I’ve used it in soups, egg salad, tuna salad and pasta salads.

You also got several delicata squash in your box. We are having some problems with our winter squash. You may remember my writing about the squash maturing earlier than normal. We had to harvest it much earlier than we expected. Well, it has been out in too much sun and rain. We did try to erect a tarp about 4 feet above the squash to cast some shade. It has helped some, but the delicata is still showing some stress.

So we gave you lots of delicata squash this week. They may have a few spots on them, but I thought it was better to give them to you now instead of composting them. They are a very tasty squash and should be cooked right away. Just cut them in half, lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and any spots. You can bake or steam them until they are tender. You can freeze any excess for use at a later date. By the way, the skins are edible as well. If you don’t want to eat them, try giving them to your dogs or cats. Mine love delicata squash.

The rest of the squash seem to be doing better. There will be more of them in the weeks to come. It does look like I need to build some more vegetable storage space as we are currently using all we have. One more thing to add to the list…

This Week’s Recipes

• Sungold Sauce with Bow Ties
• Mexican Pepper Casserole

News from the Farm

This last week I have discovered that a farmer’s sanity is directly proportional to the number of mosquitoes buzzing around her head. We all looked like colorful bank robbers out in the fields. We had to be covered everywhere except our eyes. Wind, rain, or midday sun helped as did bug spray.

About 25 folks braved the mosquitoes to come to the farm party on Saturday. We had a great potluck with dishes falling into 2 food groups - tomatoes and chocolate. All of it was delicious. Thanks for coming.

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In the Box

• Sweet Basil
• Sunshine Squash
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Sweet Peppers
• Haricot Vert
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Scallions
• Hot Peppers
• Roma Tomatoes
• Zucchini & Patty Pans

We finally had a Monday without rain so we were able to pick basil. If we pick it when it is raining, it turns black. So make pesto or bruschetta. I also included a great basil and patty pan recipe in this newsletter. (By the way, this may be the last of the zucchini and patty pans as they are fading quickly).

Sunshine squash is the orange winter squash. This is in the same family as buttercup and red kuri squash. It is great to cut open, scoop out the seeds and bake. It is also great in many squash dishes. Try the coconut curry squash recipe listed below. One note: some of the squash have some skin damage. This is caused by little beetle bites. It is only skin deep so don’t worry about it. Also, if you are not ready to eat winter squash yet, don’t worry. It will keep for a long time.

Peppers have taken off. Remember if your big red peppers are not fully red, put them on the counter for a day or two. They will turn a deep red.

Tomatoes are continuing to produce, though they have a few more cracks due to the heavy rains. The cherry tomatoes in the greenhouse have finally started to produce like I expect. I think it was just too hot in the greenhouse for a while and they didn’t produce.
I hope you all enjoyed the green beans last week. Here they are again as each planting produces for about 2 weeks.

This Week’s Recipes

• Patty Pan Squash with Fresh Basil and Toasted Pecans
• Coconut Curry Squash

Storage Tips for Peppers

Peppers are very easy to put aside for the winter. Remove the seeds and stems. Slice or chop, place in freezer bags and place in the freezer.You can roast the peppers before freezing. Place the peppers on a grill or under a broiler. Let the skins blacken. Turn the peppers so all sides blacken. Remove from heat and place in a paper sack for 15 minutes. This will allow the peppers to steam for a little while and allow the skin to soften. Remove all the skin. Place in freezer bags. Roasted peppers are one of my favorite foods. They liven up many winter sandwiches, homemade pizza and pasta dishes.

Volunteer Opportunities

Labor Day means we lose many of our summer workers as they head back to high school and college. We are very shorthanded, especially the week of September 10th. If you have some free time and would like to work some, please give me a call at 920-992-6413. We have harvesting work every weekday morning and every weekday afternoon except Tuesdays. A morning on the farm is worth 2 mornings at the gym…

Fall Farm Party

This Saturday, the 8th is the annual Fall Farm Party. We will get started around 4pm and go as long as folks are here. Last year, folks stayed until around 11pm.

The party is potluck. The farm will provide all the plates, utensils, cups, etc. We will have coffee, lemonade, and iced herbal teas. We will also have marshmallows for the campfire. Please bring a dish to share. Feel free to bring alcohol if you want. Also please bring a folding chair. We do have some, but not enough for everyone.

I would also suggest that you bring bug spray. Since all the rain, the mosquitoes have been out in flocks. Bug repellent will be necessary.

I hope all of you can come.

Directions to the Farm

From Madison: Take Stoughton Rd/Highway 51 north. About 15 miles north of Madison, turn right on Highway 60. Go east 5 miles. Look for County Highway C, but don’t turn on it. Take the 2nd left after Highway C onto Old F Rd. Take Old F to the end. Turn right and then an immediate left back onto Old F. Take the 1st right onto Moore Rd. Go 1½ miles and turn left onto Severson Rd. The farm is the first place on the left.

From Portage: Go east on Highway 16 to Otsego. Turn south on Otsego Rd. Take the 2nd right onto Breen Rd. Go one mile and turn left on Severson Rd. I’m the 3rd place on the right.

From Columbus: Same directions as Portage but go west on 16 to Otsego.

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In the Box

• Haricot Vert
• Fennel
• Sweet Dumpling Squash
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Sweet Peppers
• Roma Tomatoes
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Hot Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Melon

The green beans are finally here. It’s the end of summer, but better late than never. They are called Haricot Vert because they are a French style of beans. They are long and slender and have great flavor.

A couple of new things are in your boxes this week. Fennel is the white bulb with the ferny leaves. It has a subtle licorice flavor. You can use the bulb raw in salads. Try it in place of celery. It can also be cooked. It is a great addition to vegetarian spaghetti sauce. Try the leaves in salads or in place of dill in potato dishes. You can dry the leaves to use at a latter date. To dry the leaves, place them in a brown paper bag and place on the dash of your car on a sunny day.

Sweet dumpling squash is also new this week. These are the round, cream colored striped squash. This is a type of winter squash. I like to cut them in half, scoop out the seeds and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees until a fork goes through the skin easily. Some folks like to bake squash with a little sugar. Try the sweet dumplings without any sugar. They are naturally very sweet. While it is baking, rinse off the seeds, place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt, garlic salt, or tamari (soy sauce). Roast until they just start to turn dark. They make a delicious snack.

The red peppers have started to come in. Some of them need to ripen a little. Just place them on your kitchen counter for a day or two. The peppers will turn a deep, cherry red. They are delicious to eat raw, cooked or roasted.

You also got a couple of specialty peppers. One is a brown pepper called Chocolate. Or you got a small red pepper called Lipstick. Or perhaps you got a round red pepper called Alma Paprika. Or you got a long skinny red pepper that looks like it should be a hot pepper. It is a wonderful sweet pepper called Jimmy Nardello. All of these peppers are sweet and very tasty.

For hot peppers this week you got a Serrano (small, green and hot), a Hungarian Hot Wax (yellow and medium hot) and 2 green chiles (large, green and mildly hot).

Melons are coming to an end, so enjoy these while you can. If you got a watermelon, the striped ones have yellow flesh. The dark ones are red fleshed.

This Week’s Recipes

• Zucchini, Fennel & Andouille Pie
• Fennel, Bean and Pasta Salad

News From the Farm

We went from drought to flood in a couple of weeks. We received over 10 inches of rain in the last week. Even though we have sandy soil, there are limits to the amount of water the soil will absorb. Fortunately, all of our standing water is in the low spots on the farm. We had some puddles out in the field, but no real problems.

Our tomatoes, cucumbers and melons are very unhappy with all the rain, however. The tomatoes have split open and their skins are peeling back. So I think that our tomato harvest will not be very large in the next few weeks. Plus, we have had to harvest a lot of crops while the plants are wet. This makes some of them unhappy as we spread the plant diseases while we move through the plants.

But despite all the issues on our farm, I really can’t complain. There is not a river running through our farm or produce floating on a new lake. Many farms were seriously hurt by all the rain and lost thousands of dollars of income. Most farmers learn to live with the obstacles that the weather puts in our paths, but this was overwhelming for many. I wish them well as they clean up and try to recover.

Fall Farm Party

Our annual fall picnic is coming up soon. Come to the farm on Saturday, September 8th. We will start at 4 and go as long as folks want to stay. We will have a farm tour, potluck dinner, and a fire with marshmallows to toast.

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