Week 10 - Crazy About Tomatoes

During the week, I struggle to envision my post for the weekend. Things change with such tantalizing slowness, that come Wednesday and sometimes Thursday, I can't fathom what I could possibly take a picture of, that I haven't shared in preceding weeks. This week was no exception. 

I woke at sunrise today, and a went about my usual Friday morning: Glass of water, cup of coffee, feed the cats, rush off to yoga. And as the morning progressed, a series of pictures formed in my mind's eye. It didn't take me long once I got home, to grab a handful of shots. You'll notice that there is a strong focus on our tomatoes. We're quite proud of them this year. It looks like this season will give us our most healthy and productive harvests of tomatoes that we have ever grown.

I feel like it's just as important to talk about our failures, as it is to talk about our successes. Farming is one of the most fulfilling and humbling jobs that I've ever had. It's also a risky and time-sensitive business. Month after month, you pit yourself against whatever Mother Nature decides to unleash at you. Two weeks ago, that meant an early afternoon hail storm. A year ago, we were in the throes of a drought. Throughout it all, the need to stand vigilant against the seasonal tides of bugs, nutrient deficiencies, and diseases. 

We've lost a lot this year. Bugs have twice claimed our turnips before we could harvest them. Our squash and cucumber plants have succumbed to downy mildew. We missed our window of time, and were not able to get anywhere near the number of beans planted as we were hoping, and no corn, either. Flea beatles absolutely decimated our eggplant seedlings, and left not a single one standing. Okra struggled to bounce back after transplanting, and we reluctantly pulled all of them, and re-planted the bed with something new. Our patch of potatoes has been completely engulfed by weeds. 

Such is life. Such is farming. We will keep on trying, and overcoming, and learning. And despite all of the set backs and disappointments of the year so far, we have so much to be grateful for. Our tomatoes are thriving. Ground cherries are starting to drop. Before our cucurbits succumbed to the inevitable, they produced a bounty of beautiful squash and cucumbers. We have a fall seed order on its way to us. Peppers are flourishing. Our relationships with CSA members, our community, and our chefs continue to grow stronger with each passing week.

Barry cooked up the most wonderful fried green tomatoes for me this week. They were topped with shredded mozzarella cheese, crumbled bacon, garlicky roasted red peppers from last season, and basil. We finished them off with a really simple lemon-pepper aioli. You can bet that I'm going to be having him fix these for me again before the month is out. 

 Our cucumbers are done. They were wonderful while they lasted.

 Little Gem lettuce is back in circulation. So glad to have these babies back.

 An Indigo Kumquat tomato, very nearly perfectly ripe. One or two more days of heat and sunshine should get us there.

 Our Black Vernissage are starting to blush!

 Lovely Sungold Cherries. We should have some of these in the CSA's starting next week. Sweet, and juicy, and just the right amount of tart, they are best enjoyed fresh. I'm so glad we have these back this year, and I fully intend to keep them out in the garden every year that I can.

Carbon tomatoes are coming along nicely. These will grow at least double before they start ripening.

 Atomic Grapes! Aren't they stunning? And so much bigger than I imagined they would be. These are a new variety, this year being the first which the seeds are available to purchase. While this strain is new, you can rest assured they are produced using traditional growing and breeding techniques. Nantahala Heirlooms remains committed to our use of sustainable methods, from seed to table.

 This tomato is called Costoluto Genevese. It's a beautiful, heavily ribbed paste tomato that we are trying for the first time this year. They must be good, as seeds were all sold out last season, before we even had a chance to purchase them.

 The first week of August, we should have our first offering of Ground Cherries for the market. Here are two of the very first ripe cherries we have found so far: one in the husk, and one peeled. I've been looking forward to trying them dipped in chocolate this year. 

This is the same Highlander Poblano that I took a picture of last week. So gorgeous! And it's still not full-sized.

CSA shares will receive: Little Gem Lettuce, Opal Basil, Squash, Cucumbers, Scarlet Kale, and Salad Mix.

The first recipe I'm sharing for the week is a Chicken Zucchini Fritter. These are blowing my mind right now. I've got ground chicken and ricotta on my grocery list, because I must make these... and soon! Is your kid burnt out on squash, yet? Because mine certainly is. He won't even deign to look at it anymore. This is a great way to keep getting those nutrient-packed farm-grown veggies in a new and exciting way. :)

I'm imagining these being served in several different ways. On their own, with a small side salad, and a yummy dipping sauce. Just like a regular burger, on a bun with some sweet potato fries. And the patty mixture looks just solid enough, that it would be pretty easy to gently bread these (with your standard breading procedure: seasoned flour, egg, and then bread crumbs) and fry them up, and serve them with pasta, marinara, and mozzarella for a healthier take on chicken parmesan.

Earlier in the season, I shared cinnamon and sugar radish chips with you. This week, we're talking about Sea Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips. My family tends to be pretty snacky. We love crunchy, salty, sour things the most, and these chips hit all of those notes with very little effort. The best part? This recipe only requires, "4 ingredients, just a few minutes of prep time, and 20 minutes in the oven," according to the original author.

Happy eating, everyone. Until next week!

Week 8 - 1 year!

Last Saturday, July 1st, was our 1 year anniversary with the Glorious Jackson County Farmer's Market, and we did something that we've never done before: We SOLD OUT. And I mean of everything. We have come close a few times in the last year, but last week marked a new milestone for us. I'm so grateful for our community. Jackson County might not be the most populous area in NC, but I'd venture to say that our passion for locally and sustainably produced food is hard to beat! Thank you so much for your support, and your endless curiosity! We look forward to continuing our small part in feeding the good people of WNC.

I love that gigantic pile of radishes. So colorful! This was our last harvest before our most recent planting succumbed to the heat and bugs. We'll be back in radishes in about a month.

Our signature salad mix is a collection of full-grown leaf lettuces. A mature leaf has more flavor, more texture, and better shelf life than a baby lead. It's stayed fresh for up to two weeks in our fridge.

Five days worth of  squash and cucumbers. I love all the different colors and shapes!

A cluster of indigo kumquats on the vine. We are growing this particular variety especially for one of our Chefs.

I'm happy with the trellising technique we're trying this year, so far! Tomatoes are happy, so I'm a happy mama. <3

Block C is filling in nicely. (Click on the picture to see a larger version!)

These carrots got a pretty intensive weeding a while back. They've really bounced back! I'm hoping we'll have these ready in a month.

We have soy bean pods! They're pretty small yet, but it won't be long! 

A handful of new potatoes. This particular strain has been grown by our neighbor's family for generations. I seem to be losing the battle against the forest this year. Unfortunately, our potato crop will most likely be a small one. A lot of these are destined to be seed crop for next year. 

Look what I found growing near our upper garden: Wild blackberries!

Are you starting to wonder just what the heck to do with squash and zucchini? One of my favorite preparations is to stuff it! You're really only limited by your imagination. And this is also a great way to recycle odds and ends leftovers you might have lurking in your fridge. This works for any type of summer squash you might have on hand.

With long squash, cut in half lengthwise, and with a spoon, scoop out the seeds down the center. For patty pan type squash, simply hollow out the stem side of the squash. If you have a more rounded patty pan, you might want to cut a small slice off the bottom, so that it doesn't wobble around. For a faster cooking time, after this step, you can blanch your squash in lightly salted boiling water for 5-8 minutes, depending on the size/thickness of your squash.

Now, the fun part! After seasoning the inside of the squash with salt and pepper, stuff your squash with whatever you like! I've done squash with "enchilada" filling and then served it with a really simple avocado sour cream. We recently stuffed our patty pans with pork and goat cheese, then drizzled with balsamic reduction. I bet they'd be wonderful stuffed with beef, tomatoes, and brown rice.

Happy eating! <3

Week 9 - Cucumbers = Tzatziki

Two of my favorites are well on their way - Tomatoes, and Ground Cherries. This part of the season might be the most difficult for my inner foodie. Nature has her timeline, and there's really no rushing it. But that doesn't keep me from chomping at the bit, just thinking about all the lovely things I'm going to get to cook up, and can up for winter with all of those tantalizing tomatoes out there. We've gone through the majority of what we put away last season, and I'm looking forward to seeing that empty shelf space full of more delicious, homemade goodness for my family. 

 Our Black Krims are coming along nicely!

Ground cherries are loaded up with fruit. Now, we wait. We do not have quite as many plants as we did last year, so Ground Cherry availability will be limited. We get a couple of questions about these babies every week, so expect them to sell out early when they start coming in.

The Lemon Basil patch is really taking off! This stuff is so wonderfully bright and citrusy!

Thai basil in bloom. I love the contrast between the green leaves, and the purple stems and flowers.

One of our first bell peppers of the season. This variety is called King of the North. We've grown this in previous seasons and have been very impressed.

Our Highlander Poblano pepper. Can't wait to fire roast some of these beauties later on in the season.

Our first (and, quite possibly, only! :'( Boohoo! ) watermelon of the season. I'm not entirely sure what kind this one is.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh chives. Bagel with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, and chives.

Some of our Goldmine Squash on the grill for our supper. These were seasoned very simply, by tossing them with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. And then, as it was grilling, the slices were brushed with the extra dressing that was left in the bottom of the bowl. Yum!

CSA shares will receive: Cucumbers, Chives, Salad Mix, Zephyr Squash, Zucchini Bread, and Kale.

This week, I'd like to share my personal tzatziki recipe with you. Because of the technique I use to draw the moisture out of the cucumber at the beginning, this dressing only needs about 30 minutes to sit and marinate before it's ready to go. So prep this just before you start prepping your dinner, and it'll be ready to go as soon as you're ready to eat!

Tzatziki

Makes about 1.5 cups

• Two medium cucumbers

• 1 Tbsp salt

• 1 Tbsp dried dill, or 2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill

• 1/4 c. lemon juice

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1 c. whole milk greek yogurt

• Salt to taste

• 2-3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint (optional)

Peel cucumbers, and split in half lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop out seeds. Discard. 

Grate all cucumber using the medium side of a box grater into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle grated cucumber with 1 Tbsp salt. Massage the salt into the grated cucumber. You'll feel the salt slowly dissolve, and the cucumber become soft. Work the salt into the cucumber for 3-4 minutes, until cucumber starts to turn translucent. 

Rinse the grated cucumber 3-4 times with fresh water, swirling the cucumber around in the water and carefully draining each time. Taste a piece of cucumber. It should be somewhat salty, but not unpalatable. When your cucumber is thoroughly rinsed, drain it one last time. Then, taking manageable handfuls, squeeze as much water out of the cucumber as possible and place into a clean bowl. 

Add the rest of your ingredients to the cucumber, and stir. Adjust seasonings as needed. Let rest, covered, for at least 20-30 minutes. Will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.

As always, we hope you enjoy your shares this week! Please, let us know if you have any requests for which veggies I should feature in my recipes!