- Arugula
- Potatoes (red fingerling or yellow baking)
- Leeks
- Beans (tongue-of-fire, romano, or french green bean)
- Rainbow Swiss Chard
- Parsley (Italian or curly)
- Red Slicing Tomatoes
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Sweet Peppers
- Jupiter Grapes (a seedless blue variety)
- Nectarines
- Blueberries
Important Dates
.
Week of October 5th/6th
Last week for Summer Vegetable Shares and Fresh Fruit Shares
Week of October 12th/13th
Start of Fall Vegetable Shares
Week of November 16th/17th
Last week for Fall Vegetable Shares
Notes from the Farm Kitchen
It's now the time of the season when leafy greens begin to show up more often in your weekly share. Like most tender greens, arugula grows best in relatively cool temperatures. I know most of you have probably eaten arugula many times, but I thought that it wouldn't hurt to give you a few ideas for new inspiration.
- Salads-- The peppery flavor of arugula contrasts nicely with the sweetness of ripe fruit. Try a combination of arugula, blueberries, sweet red peppers, feta, lemon juice and olive oil. Another delicious combination is arugula, nectarines, red wine vinegar, olive oil and goat cheese.
- Sandwiches--Use arugula on a BLT in place of the lettuce. It's much more flavorful and interesting. I also like to add arugula to a fried egg sandwich because it's a perfect foil for the richness of the egg.
- Pizza and Pasta--The key to using arugula here is to add it at the last minute. Once you've drained your pasta, toss in a couple of handfuls of chopped arugula, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with grated parmesan. To use as a pizza topping, arrange a handful of fresh arugula on top of the pizza as soon as it comes out of the oven. It's especially good with white pizzas.
Swiss chard is another leafy green that prefers the cooler temperatures that autumn brings. Here again, I think a little inspiration might be in order.
- Treat chard like spinach and add it to egg dishes such as quiche, omelets and frittatas.
- Chard is a wonderful addtion to Italian dishes such as vegetable lasagna and tomato-based pasta sauces.
- Make your favorite curry from scratch or try a store-bought one. Add chopped chard and potatoes and simmer until tender. Serve over rice.
- Combine refried beans and chard and use as a filling for a pan of enchiladas. Top with grated cheese and either red or green enchilada sauce and bake until hot and bubbly.
This week we're picking 3 different kinds of beans. You will either recieve tongue-of-fire, Romano, or French green beans. The latter two, Romano and French, should be prepared like traditional green beans and cooked until just tender. The Tongue-of-Fire, on the other hand, is a fresh shelling bean. This means that you don't eat the pod. Fresh shelling beans are basically dried beans that are harvested just before the pod turns papery and the beans inside dry out. At this stage the beans still have some moisture in them, which gives them a creamier texture and sweeter taste than dry beans. Fresh shelling beans do not have a long shelf life. Keep them in the refrigerator and try to use them in 3-4 days if possible. Unlike dry beans, they do not need to be soaked, and they only need about 30 minutes of cooking time.
Tongue-of-Fire Beans
Fresh-picked Romano beans on the left and traditional green beans on the right.
Field Report
It sure feels like fall around here all of a sudden! Sleeveless T-shirts have been exchanged for hooded sweatshirts, and yesterday more than one employee donned a hat and gloves before beginning the early-morning arugula harvest. I love this time of year because the cool Autumn weather brings with it the promise of new beginnings. Much as we love mid-summer, its intense heat and intense workload really wear us out! Autumn is a time when we begin to feel refreshed both in body and in spirit. Even the farm itself seems refreshed. Exhausted cucumber, zucchini, and sweet corn plantings have been mowed. Fields of beets, lettuce, and beans, after being picked clean, have been tilled and prepared for planting new crops. In place of the old summer crops, we have planted the vegetables that will fill your fall shares--lots of leafy greens, broccoli, radishes, carrots and so much more. It's a new beginning and there's a lot to look forward to. We're glad you're along for the journey!
Have a good week. --Peg
Catching a nap on a beautiful September afternoon--life doesn't get any better than that!
This Week's Recipes
Arugula Nectarine Salad
Warm Potato Salad Tossed with Fresh Arugula
Chard Catalan Style
Whole What Couscous with Nectarines and Pistachios
Tomato, Leek & Chard Tarts
Mac and Cheese with Swiss Chard and Leeks
Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, eggplant, beets, raspberries, apples, kale, poblano peppers, beans and more!
