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!