IN THE BOX

• Eggplant
• Heirloom Tomatoes
• Basil
• Sweet Pepper
• Fancy French Green Beans
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Broccoli
• Tomatillos
• Cilantro
• Hot Peppers
• Scallions
• Cucumbers
• Zucchini & Patty Pans
• Purple Cauliflower (UW East)
• Cantaloupe (Dayton St.)

This morning there was a chill in the air. It feels that fall is just around the corner. But when you look inside your box, you will see summer looking back at you. We are overwhelmed with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and patty pans. So eat lots of gazpacho, salsa, pesto and tabouli while it’s summer. Soon enough it will be time for winter squash and root crops.

These will be the last beans of the season. But the other summer crops will continue for a while yet. We also got one more harvest from our spring broccoli. Now I’m ready to mow the broccoli down and plant some more salad mix.

We did harvest the spaghetti squash at the end of last week. This week I hope to get a good start on the acorn, delicata, and red kuri squash. We also need to get the onions harvested in the next week.

THIS WEEK’S RECIPES

Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake
(From Asparagus to Zucchini 3rd Edition)

¾ cup oil
1¼ cups sugar
2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini or patty pans
½ cup sour milk or buttermilk
3 tablespoons cocoa or carob powder
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon each cinnamon and cloves
2½ cups flour
Small bag of chocolate or carob chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees; grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. Mix all ingredients and bake 30-35 minutes. Makes 16 servings.

Panzanella
(From Asparagus to Zucchini 3rd Edition)

Croutons:
1 loaf French bread, torn into bite-size chunks
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

Salad:
3 lbs heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn by hand
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

To make croutons: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss bread chunks with olive oil; season with salt. Spread on baking sheet; bake until golden, 10-15 minutes. Let cool.

To make salad: Place tomatoes and their juices in large bowl. Toss with remaining vegetables and cooled croutons. In true Italian fashion, season salad with salt and pepper to taste, then add balsamic vinegar and your best olive oil. Serve immediately or let sit 10-15 minutes to allow bread to absorb oil and tomato juices. This is best when made with a colorful array of heirloom tomatoes. Makes 6 large or up to 12 side salad servings.

Tzatziki Cucumbers
(From Asparagus to Zucchini 1st Edition)

1 medium cucumber, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 ounces yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or ¼ teaspoon dried

Combine ingredients, chill, and serve. Makes 2-3 servings.

News from the Farm

We are so busy on the farm. There are huge quantities of food being harvested daily. It is hard to keep up with it all. There are some tasks that are falling by the wayside. There are sections that need to be mowed down, tilled and planted to either new vegetables or to a fall cover crop. These are crops that are planted to keep the soil covered over the winter. In the spring they are plowed under to add nutrients to the soil.

But it is such a busy time that I haven’t been able to get to some of those jobs. Fortunately, there is still plenty of time.

Late August and September are always busy on the farm. We have lots of summer crops coming in. The fall crops are just beginning. And when school starts I lose part of my harvest crew. So it is a busy, crazy time. Hopefully, we will get it all done in a timely fashion and still get some sleep too.

On another note, it is time for some rain dances and prayers. It is pretty dry out here. Rain would be helpful.

Fall Farm Party

Our fall farm party is rapidly approaching. It is Saturday, September 13th. We will start at 4 pm. There will be a potluck dinner, field tour and some fun and games. Come to the farm to meet Riley and your fellow CSA members.