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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In the Box

• Red & Yellow Onions
• Kale
• Thyme
• Sweet Peppers
• Spaghetti Squash
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Hot Peppers
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Sungold Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Roma Tomatoes
• Cantaloupe (Dayton St & West Side sites)

This box showcases the wonderful heirloom tomatoes that we have this week. Enjoy them. With all the rain this week, the tomatoes may not be so plentiful next week. The roma tomatoes are usually used for cooking, but I find them good to slice up and eat. Below I have listed some methods that you can use to preserve your tomatoes to eat during the tomato off-season.

Kale is making its first appearance of the season. Kale is a delicious green that has great nutritional qualities. It is high in vitamins A, B, and C and it has lots of calcium. Kale also has the highest protein content of any vegetable. I like to sauté it with onion and garlic in sesame oil.

Thyme is the aromatic herb in your boxes. If you have never had fresh thyme, you are in for a treat. I always thought thyme was a boring herb. But I always had the dried, out of an old bottle type. Fresh is delicious. Try mixing olive oil, thyme, zucchini and patty pans and either grill or sauté them. Thyme is also great in tomato dishes or on fried potatoes. You can dry or freeze the extra for future use.

This Week’s Recipes

• Sausage and Kale Soup
• Late Summer Bruschetta

Food Preservation Tips

We will all miss tomatoes in the winter. Here are some simple preservation ideas so you can enjoy them during the winter:

1. Freeze tomatoes without cooking them. Simply cut off the splits and put the whole tomato into a freezer bag. Place in the freezer. Remove in January and add to pasta dishes.
2. Dry tomatoes. Spray baking sheets with a baking spray. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. (Romas work best for this). Place tomatoes skin side down on the baking sheets. Roast at 200 degrees until tomatoes are almost dry. (This will take 6 to 8 hours. I like to do this overnight). Then put the almost dry tomatoes into freezer bags and place in the freezer.
3. Make spaghetti sauce. Sauté onions, pepper, basil and thyme. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until it thickens. Put into freezer bags or jars and freeze.

Fall Farm Party

Our annual fall picnic is coming up soon. Come to the farm on Saturday, September 8th. We will start at 4pm and go as long as folks want to stay. We will have a farm tour, potluck dinner, and a fire with marshmallows to toast. Plus, there may be some fun and games. Please join us.

News from the Farm

Those of you who are still doing rain dances can stop now. We have had more than enough rain - at least for this week. Monday morning the rain gauge was overflowing at 6 inches. So I’m not sure how much rain we’ve actually had. Big thanks go out to my crew who slogged through the rain on Monday harvesting veggies for your boxes. We also worked last Wednesday in a cold drizzle to get the squash harvest in.

The sandy soil on the farm does absorb lots of water. But at this point the soil is very saturated. We do have standing water in a few places around the farm, but so far, not in the fields.

Too much rain can be a problem for some of our plants. Tomatoes and peppers tend to split even more than normally. Heavy rain can also knock off blossoms, which means that future fruit does not grow.

But the biggest problem is that so much moisture brings in diseases that shorten the life span of the plants. Some of these diseases come because there is not enough airflow and the plants don’t dry out. Some problems come because the roots are too waterlogged. I hope that none of these things become problems.

I hope you all are safe (and dry) in this wet weather. Let’s hope for some balance in the wind and weather. Have a good week.

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In the Box

• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Sweet Corn
• Cucumber
• Sweet Basil
• Hot Peppers
• Sweet Peppers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Garlic
• Watermelon (Farm site)
• Cantaloupe (UW East Clinic)
• Eggplant (UW East Clinic)

It is amazing how much difference some rain has made on the farm. We have had over 2 inches in the last 10 days. Things are looking green again. The pepper plants no longer look like they are shriveled up. The down side is that I need to mow my lawn again. I haven’t had to do that in over a month.

The sweet corn came from a nearby farmer, Tim Zander. It is certified organic. Tim told me that he has had some damage due to the heavy rains. Some of the kernels split with the excess moisture. So he threw in an extra ear to compensate for the damage.

Melons are finally ready to harvest. I had enough for 2 sites this week. The rest of you will get melons next week. My picking crew always has to sample the melons. The cantaloupes are some of the best I’ve ever had. (I’m much more of a watermelon fan). But eat them soon. They won’t hold for long.

Heirloom Tomatoes are taking off. Everyone got 4 pounds in their box this week. Some of them are cracked around the stem. We follow the one cut rule for grading tomatoes. If one cut will remove the damage, we let it go. Sometimes a bad tomato slips through. I apologize if one ends up in your bag.

This Week’s Recipes

• Corn and Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing
• Ramatuelle Pasta Sauce

News from the Farm

I realized that I have not always done a good job of communicating some of the problems on the farm this season. I think I wanted to avoid whining every week about the weather. So now I am going to catch you all up on the problems of this season.

The biggest issue is no surprise to anyone. It has been hot and dry. For a while we were holding our own with the heat because we were getting enough rain. But once the rain stopped, the plants began to suffer.

Now, I do have irrigation on the farm. During July, it takes a week and a half to get through the whole farm with the water running 24/7. (And you should see the resulting electric bill!) Even with all of this there is not enough water for everything. So this year, I had to make some choices and I stopped watering some crops that did not germinate well. So most of our crops that are transplanted (tomatoes, peppers, squash, broccoli, lettuce, etc.) have done ok. But the directly seeded crops have not. We won’t have any carrots and beets this year. We lost several plantings of chard, salad mix and green beans. I did manage to save one of the bean plantings. Our final planting of green beans will have a decent harvest.

Another problem we have had to deal with is sunshine. We have had a lot of cloudless, sunny days. Believe it or not, some plants suffer from sunburn. (In the plant world, they call it sunscald). Peppers and tomatoes are very susceptible. The sunscald starts out as tan spots that quickly turn black and look horrible. This week I picked 6 5-gallon buckets of peppers. Two of the buckets were too damaged to be put into your boxes. So the intensity of the sun has cut down on our harvest.

Then there are the things I can’t explain. I have the same amount of cherry tomatoes that I planted last year. But I’m getting half the harvest. I doubled the size of the cucumber patch, but I’m still not getting enough. It’s a mystery.

There is some good news. Potatoes are coming. The last five years have seen our potato harvest shrink, as the beetles have gotten stronger. So this year I tried a new strategy. Instead of planting potatoes early in the spring, I waited until the end of June. That way the beetles’ life cycle was over. We have some nice plants growing in the field. The harvest is a few weeks away. I never know how good the harvest will be until we dig it up, but the plants are there and are not beetle chewed.

We should have a good harvest of sweet potatoes. Winter squash looks great. Tomatoes are producing well. Each year is unique. Some crops do well some years and not in other years. It is the ebb and flow of the seasons. Let us hope the rain continues and the crops do well.

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In the Box

• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Tomatillos
• Green Peppers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Scallions
• Hot Peppers
• Parsley
• Garlic
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Eggplant (East & West sites)

Heirloom Tomatoes are here. While they are not always pretty they sure are tasty. Heirloom tomatoes come in many colors and shapes. This week we had lots of red, purple, a few orange, yellow and striped tomatoes.

It can be tricky to tell when heirloom tomatoes are ready to eat. Tomatoes should be a little soft when they are ready to eat. If they give a little when you squeeze them, they are ready to eat.

Remember to never put whole tomatoes into the refrigerator. The cold lessens their great flavor. Leave them in a cool spot in your kitchen. But keep an eye on them and use them as soon as they are ready.

Tomatillos and all the other ingredients for green salsa (except cilantro) are in your boxes this week. Look back on the newsletter from 2 weeks ago for a recipe. Tomatillos are also great to sauté with onions, peppers, eggs and cheese. Then wrap in a tortilla for a great breakfast.

This week’s cherry tomatoes consist mostly of sungolds. But everyone got a few of the pink grape tomatoes or black cherry tomatoes (purple and green cherry tomatoes). We should have more of these as the summer progresses.

The hot peppers in your box include a green chile. It is a large, dark green pepper with a mild flavor. You also got either a Hungarian Wax (yellow, medium hot) or a Serrano (small, dark green and hot).

This Week’s Recipes

• Bread Salad with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Feta Cheese
• Tabouli

Upcoming Farm Events

Saturday, September 8, 2007: Fall Farm Picnic

Join us for food, farm tour and farm Olympics. We will start at 4pm and go until everyone is tired. We will have a potluck dinner, a campfire with marshmallows and lots of fun. I hope you all can join us.

Riley Writes

Saturday was just the best day! Usually Saturdays are very boring for me. We get up when it is still dark and load up the truck. Then I have to sit on the porch and watch Mom leave for market. She is gone for hours and hours.

But this week she came back early. And some other people came as well. Everyone was there to help build the greenhouse. But it was raining. We decided to build anyways. But we built stuff on the ground so no one had to climb wet ladders. That was better for me because then I could run around and give everyone kisses. I’m sure I helped a lot. Plus I had a couple of children to run around the farm with me. I got so tired.

Everyone worked really hard. We got almost half of the bows built for the second greenhouse. The rain got in the way a little, but it has been so dry that who could complain about rain? Before we finished, we stood up all the bows that we built. It looks so good.

And when we were done, we went into a wonderful meal that Linda put together for all of us. I provided the entertainment showing everyone how I could sit, shake and roll over. The whole day was really fun… I can’t wait to do it again.

It’s good that we finally got some rain. Plus it was nice that it was overcast on Sunday and Monday. The plants get more use of the rain when it is overcast. Have a good week.

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In the Box

• Sungold Tomatoes
• Spaghetti Squash
• Walla Walla Onions
• Cucumber
• Lemon Basil
• Green Peppers
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Radicchio
• Hot Peppers
• Anise Hyssop or Lemon Balm

Sungolds are back. They took a week off when the weather got very nice and cool. Those 50 degree nights made for nice sleeping, but tomatoes won’t ripen when it is that cool. I hope we will now have a great supply of these little sugary treats.

Cucumbers finally began producing enough to put them in your boxes. They are very delicious.

Radicchio is also in your boxes. This looks like lettuce, but is not. It is actually a little bitter when eaten raw. I do like it cooked. The recipe in this newsletter is quite good.

You each got either anise hyssop or lemon balm. Anise hyssop has purple flowers and a licorice flavor. Lemon balm has a strong lemon scent. Both herbs make great iced tea and I’ve included a recipe in this newsletter. Lemon balm is also good chopped and added to salads or cooked with fish. Anise hyssop can be used in desserts - especially cake frosting.

You got a small bunch of lemon basil. I like to sauté this up with Walla Walla onions, zucchini, patty pans, and peppers. Then I mix the veggies with hot pasta (or spaghetti squash) and add some good cheese. With a side salad, you have a great dinner.

And finally, you got your first spaghetti squash this week. Now spaghetti squash is not a true winter squash. It is in between the summer and winter squashes. However, I was truly surprised to watch them progress and realize that we need to harvest them. Usually, we harvest spaghetti squash at the end of August or beginning of September. It was odd to pick them before we picked any melons (which I hope to pick soon). I don’t know if the early harvest is due to the warm advanced growing season or the black plastic we planted the squash into. Probably both.

They are a delicious squash. Cut them in half or quarters and scoop out the insides. You can steam or bake them until a fork goes through the skin easily. Then scoop the flesh out of the skin. It is in strands like spaghetti (thus the name). You can eat it with tomato sauce, pesto or try the casserole recipe in this newsletter.

By the way, the heirloom tomatoes are starting to ripen. They will be in your boxes soon along with red peppers and more cucumbers.

This Week’s Recipes

• Radicchio Supreme
• Spaghetti Squash Casserole
• Herbal Iced Tea

Greenhouse Raising Party

This Saturday, August 4th is our greenhouse raising party. We will start at 2 pm and work until 7. Then we will have food and relaxation.

We have the bows up for one greenhouse. We need to put up the purlins and the baseboards. Also we could build and raise bows for the second greenhouse.

We need folks of all skill levels to help with the building project. If you want to do something else, you can help with the dinner preparations. Or I can find something to be weeded. It is also possible to just sit in the shade and cheer us on.

I need folks to RSVP so we can prepare the proper amount of food. If you can, bring a folding lawn chair for dinner.

Also if you have a cordless drill, ratcheting wrenches and a deep socket set, they would be helpful in the building process. 6 foot or 8 foot ladders would be nice as well.

So I hope you can join us. Children are welcome. (Riley will keep them all busy!). Please RSVP.

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In the Box

• Walla Walla Onions
• Sweet Basil
• Tomatillos
• Hot Peppers
• Garlic
• Green Pepper
• Head Lettuce
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Braising Greens
• Eggplant (Farm site only)

Last week we harvested all the garlic. We pull it out of the ground, spray it to remove loose skins, bunch it and hang it to cure. The wash shed has lots of bundles of garlic hanging. It is quite lovely.

All garlic is harvested about this time of year. The flavor is very strong when it is fresh and fades as garlic is stored. I love garlic, so this is my favorite time for garlic.

Walla Walla onions are in your boxes for the first time. These are wonderfully sweet onions. You can eat them cooked or raw. The greens are also edible. The last week I have been eating a lot of dishes that start out by sautéing garlic, onions, and zucchini. Then I figure out what else is going in the dish.

Also in your boxes this week are all the ingredients for salsa verde (green salsa). Tomatillos are the round green fruits with the husks. They are distant cousins of tomatoes. And they make an excellent salsa.

Tucked into the bag of tomatillos is a little cilantro. Plus you have the garlic, onions and hot peppers. For hot peppers you have a Hungarian Wax (medium) and a Serrano (hot). Use the one that fits your heat preference. But be sure to add it a little at a time.

If you’d like to try something a little different, try roasting the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and pepper. Simply put a little oil on a cooking sheet and place the veggies on it. Roast at 200 degrees until everything is soft. Then blend together. It is a different and delicious dish.

Sweet basil is also in your boxes. Use basil in pasta, rice and chicken dishes. The best way to store basil is to give the stems a fresh cut and then put them in a cup of water. Leave the cup on the counter until you are ready to use it. Most refrigerators are too cold for basil. That is why it often turns black in the fridge. It will also turn black if it gets wet. So don’t wash it until just before you are ready to use it. In fact, I don’t usually wash it at all unless it is sandy. And until it rains, we don’t have to worry about it being sandy.

Eggplants are starting to mature. We don’t have a lot of plants however. So I will be giving eggplant to one pick up site at a time. There are 2 varieties. One is the long Asian type. The other is the traditional egg shape with purple and white stripes.

This Week’s Recipes

• Salsa Verde
• Super Stuffed Tortillas

Riley Writes

It is so dry. I need some mud puddles to splash in. And I really need to do some digging, but the ground is so hard. Mom wants to plow up some of the field, but it would be helpful if it would rain first…

We keep weeding, but there is still so much to do. My job is to go around and give everyone kisses while they are down at my level. Mostly I like to surprise them when they aren’t looking so that they squeal with surprise.

The garlic harvest was fun. But I don’t get to eat any garlic or onions. Mom says they aren’t good for dogs and cats. So I don’t get to taste the food she makes with them. It smells so good. It’s not fair!!!

Greenhouse Raising Party

We will have our fun with big metal pieces on August 4th. We will start at 2 and work until 7. Then we will have a big taco/burrito dinner. No experience is necessary. We will have jobs for all skill levels. You can also help with the food. Or if you really want, there are always weeds to pull. It is also possible to just come to the farm and play with Riley. More details will be in next week’s newsletter. Please RSVP so I can plan the food. I hope you all can make it.

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In the Box

• Sungold Tomatoes
• Green Pepper
• Cilantro
• Hot Peppers
• Arugula
• Zucchini & Patty Pan
• Snow Peas
• Head Lettuce

Sungolds are here! For those of you who have never had sungolds, you are in for a treat. I call them ‘farm candy’ as they are very sweet. You want to wait until they are orange to eat them at their maximum sweetness level.

All of our tomatoes are picked a little under ripe. That way the little chipmunks and slugs will not take a bite out of every fruit. So you need to let the tomatoes ripen a day or so before eating. Leave them on the kitchen counter to ripen. NEVER, EVER PUT TOMATOES IN THE FRIDGE. Cold temperatures reduce the tomato flavor.

Peppers are starting up. I don’t think I’ve ever picked peppers this early. Everyone got 1 green pepper and 2 hot peppers. The long, yellow pepper is called Hungarian Wax. They are also known as Hot Bananas. It is a medium hot pepper. The short, green pepper is a Serrano. This is hotter than a jalapeno, but with a nice sweet flavor to go with the heat.
For those of you who don’t cook with hot peppers, here are a few tips:

1. Wear gloves to prepare peppers.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth when cutting up peppers.
3. The seeds are hotter than the flesh. Removing the seeds will reduce the heat of the pepper.

This really is the last week for the snow peas. We harvested them today for the final time. Then we took down all the trellis and rolled up all the irrigation lines. Tomorrow I will take the mower through and chop up all the vegetation. It has been a terrific pea season. I’m sorry to see it end.

This Week’s Recipes

• Cilantro Pesto
• Oven-Fried Zucchini Spears

Upcoming Farm Events

Saturday, August 4th - Farm Workday - No building skills are necessary. There is plenty of work for every skill level. We will start at 2 pm and go until 7. If anyone is interested in helping set up the food, please let me know.

Saturday, September 8th - Fall Farm Picnic - Join us for food, farm tour and farm Olympics. We will start at4. We will have a potluck dinner, a campfire with marshmallows and lots of fun.

News from the Farm

The best news is that I took a whole weekend away from the farm. The Dane County Farmer’s Market rules require an owner to be present at every market. Since I am the sole owner of Luna Circle Farm, I have to be at every market. Last year, the market rules changed to allow us to take one day off per year. So since last weekend was the art fair market, I arranged for someone else to do market and I took off.

Now, I always have great friends who help me at market. But I must say that Peg and Susanna did a great job this weekend. Peg stayed on the farm on Friday night, loaded up in the wee hours of the morning and drove into town. They did all the selling, packed up and brought it all back to the farm. I just want to say a big thank you to them.

So what did I do on my first weekend off since my brother’s wedding in 1996? I drove to Minneapolis to stay with a friend. We got up early on Saturday and went to farmer’s market. It was actually fun to be on the other side of the table for a change. It was a nice break to get away for a while. I came back ready to tackle the work ahead.

In other news from the farm, we have been very busy with the pea harvest. Last week we finished getting all the tomatoes pruned and trellised. I think we are going to have a great tomato season, though it is a few weeks away.

We have lots of weeding to do. I’m hoping we are going to get a lot of weeds pulled this week. Some crops have been lost to the weeds, but I’m hoping we will still rescue some. Wish us good pulling speed.

Have a good week.

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