Here we are at the halfway point for CSA deliveries and the climax of the amount of produce you will be getting in your baskets. As you noticed in the early part of the CSA deliveries leafy greens reigned supreme, now the heat of summer and longer days have allowed the later maturing crops to ripen! Hello this week to eggplant, shallots, peaches and melons!
For those of you who love your lettuce it will be back as the days cool off. We have another planting of lettuce in the ground and the deer have found it. We do not have deer fencing... living on the flood plain of the river we are not willing to invest that much money into a project to have it wash away when the river decides to flood again. This means each year in the late summer when the hills dry up we have deer to contend with. By day they sleep in the shade along the river and at night while we sleep they help themsleves to their favorite things on the farm~ beans, lettuce, corn and carrots. In a few weeks you may find your carrot tops nibbled down or jagged edges on your head lettuce, the telltale sign that a deer has smapled it before you. Our dogs do their duty and bark from our fenced in yard but we do not like to let them loose to chase the marauding deer since we live right off of Highway 99 which is highly traveled at all hours. So please excuse any cosmetic flaws you may see (especially in your lettuce greens) in the next coming weeks!
We wanted to include some images from the great onion harvest of 2011! With Geronimo's help we were able to haul in the walla wallas, red torpedo, red marble, cipollini, red zepplelin, Alisa Craigs and copras. We store the onions on pallets under the shade of the fir trees. Be prepared for the large onion flood coming your way!
This year we have also experimented with growing shallots.. that delicious onion family member that tastes like onion crossed with garlic. Shallots are usually a delicacy item.. very expensive to plant from bulbs and seed. The shallots in your basket were started from seed way back on the cold day of February 2nd.. they did great and now hang in our barn drying for storage. You will see the shallots as regular visitors to your basket now too!
Please don't forget about our upcoming annual potluck at the farm happening September 18th from 2-6pm... please RSVP as soon as you can to let us know you will be attending, what you will be bringing and how many in your group.
This Week's Harvest Includes:
Potato Mix ( yukon golds, purple majesty and mountain rose) use combined for great colors!
Green Haricot Vert Beans and Yellow Wax Beans
Carrots
Strawberries (we are so impressed with these seascapes and how long they pump out these berries!)
Shallots
Tomatoes
Cherry Tomato Mix (includes sungolds, red cherry, isis candy, brown berry and lemon drop)
Cucumber
Summer Squash
Red Marble onion and Cipollini Onion
Dill (great with potatoes!)
Eggplant! (finally!)
Melons
Peaches (we are hoping enough for everyone) Please bear in mind the trees are young (only three years old) and only a few are really loaded with fruit. Also much to our dismay earwigs have come out at night and started to nibble into the ripening fruit. Next year we know now to apply tanglefoot (a sticky paste that you apply to the base of tree that prevents insects from crawling up the trunk) For this year please cut away any superficial holes you may see in these sweet, fragrant beauties!
How to Keep it and Eat it!
Eggplant~ these fruits are members of the nightshade family like their brothers tomatoes. They keep best loose in the crisper drawer of your fridge. They should be eaten within 5 days for best quality.
Baba Ganoush~ no eggplant introduction is complete without including this recipe! A wonderful dip for pita wedges or spread for sandwiches.
Ingredients
1 eggplant
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste in natural food section of grocery store)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2.Place eggplant on baking sheet, and make holes in the skin with a fork. Roast it for 30 to 40 minutes, turning occasionally, or until soft. Remove from oven, and place into a large bowl of cold water. Remove from water, and peel skin off.
3.Place eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in an electric blender, and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer eggplant mixture to a medium size mixing bowl, and slowly mix in olive oil. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.
Spicy Szechwan Eggplant
Ingredients
1 large eggplant, diced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 large green onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
1/2 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined (can substitute chicken here)
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable or sesame oil
Directions
1.Remove the eggplant stem and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, chicken stock, chili sauce, sugar, ground black pepper and oyster sauce. Stir together well and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, and set aside.
2.Coat a large, deep pan with cooking spray over high heat and allow a few minutes for it to get very hot. Saute the garlic, half of the green onions, ginger and shrimp for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until they begin to brown. Stir in the ground beef and cook for 3 more minutes, again stirring constantly, until browned.
3.Pour the eggplant into the pan and stir all together. Pour the reserved soy sauce mixture over all, cover the pan, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and let heat until thickened. Finally, stir in the rest of the green onions and the sesame oil.
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