Harvest Week 6 - Soil Surfing

Are you a new member who hasn’t attended an orientation yet? Please email us to schedule an individual orientation during a CSA pickup.

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

Arugula, Green Little Gem Lettuces, Cherokee Lettuce, Assorted Zucchini & Summer Squash, Persian Cucumbers, Bulk Pickling Cucumbers, Carrots, Purple Daikon, first taste of Eggplant, Baby Celery, Assorted Mini Cabbage Cabbage, Fennel, Floriani Red Flint Polenta, Garlic

U-PICK

Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.

  • Albion Strawberries: 3 pints per share

  • 🌟 Frying Peppers: See last week’s Harvest Notes for more info on frying peppers!

    • Padrons: 2 pints per share

    • Shishitos: 2 pints per share

  • Herbs & Edible Flowers: Lemon Bergamot, Dill, Cilantro, Purple Basil, Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, Italian Basil, Tulsi, Parsley, Chamomile, Calendula, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, French & Culinary Lavender, Sorrel, & Assorted Mints

  • Flowers!

HARVEST NOTES

  • Floriani Red Flint Polenta: This beautiful yellow cornmeal with red flecks is freshly ground from the bright red, pointy flint corn that we grew on the farm last year. It’s an Italian heirloom that was especially bred for polenta, with a high protein content, and a deliciously coarse texture. For simple, incredible polenta, boil 4 cups water, milk or stock, then whisk in 1 cup of cornmeal. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the the liquid has been absorbed and the polenta has a deliciously creamy texture. Finish with salt, olive oil, butter, garlic (let it cook for a few minutes in the polenta), and/or cheese. Polenta is delicious topped with roasted vegetables (fennel, eggplant, squash & zucchini) and an egg. For incredible leftovers, pour polenta into a glass dish to set, then slice and pan-fry.

  • Mini Cabbage: Over our years of farming, we’ve fallen in love with cabbage in all its humble glory — it’s sweet, crisp crunch, that can be transformed into a savory, melt-in-your-mouth caramelization, how long it stores, and the generosity of how much food is in one small head. If you’re needing some inspiration we highly recommend the Vietnamese cabbage and chicken salad with herbs from a past newsletter. It’s the perfect summer recipe (even without chicken!) and we find ourselves making it over and over. Or, check out the recipe below for Chopped Green Goddess Salad, featuring cabbage and cucumbers.

A strange visitor — a red-shouldered ctenucha — in the cilantro.

chopped green goddess salad

By Yumna Jawad

We’ve been told by the youths that this salad is so good that it went viral on the TikTok. It’s quick to make and fun to eat (you scoop it onto tortilla chips!), with a savory, herby dressing.


INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SALAD:

  • ½ head of Green cabbage, chopped

  • 3 Persian cucumbers, chopped

  • 1 bundle of green onions, chopped

  • Tortilla chips for serving


FOR THE DRESSING:

  • 1 cup baby spinach

  • 1 cup fresh basil

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 small shallot

  • 2 lemons juiced

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • ¼ cup cashews

  • ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese

  • 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon salt


PREPARATION

  1. Place the chopped cabbage, cucumbers, and green onions in a large bowl.

  2. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until bright green and creamy.

  3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to combine.

  4. Enjoy with tortilla chips, if desired.

FARMER’S LOG

SOIL SURFING

Farming is a bit like surfing ocean waves.

At Salmon Creek, the waves we see crashing on shore are the end result of collected energies and pulsings of the sea.

So is a harvest — with each crop like a brief little ride we get on the lifecycle of a plant and each harvest week like a little food surf sesh — the coordinated chaos of so many plant lifecycles crashing onto the harvest table.

Take cucumbers as an example. In the beginning of June, our first cucumber succession of the year started to come on like little ripples on the shore. As the plants in that succession grew and matured, the wave rose, we started offer more and more cucumbers on the harvest table. Then different energies entered. The first arrival of the pickling cucumbers, another energy, reached ashore just as the earliest slicing cucumbers rose to their highest peak. Now, the slicing cucumber wave has subsided to the ocean floor, the pickling cucumbers are reaching their full height, and the Persians are approaching, with a glimpse of a little lemon cucumber wave gathering itself in the distance.

Melon swells incoming

Or take arugula. This year we’re seeding 1,295 linear ft of arugula seeds, about thirty days before we want to harvest it. Those seedings gain energy as the plants grow; the row cover heaves up like a wave; and when it starts to crest we cut the white caps for harvest. Arugula is a zippy little wave. It grows so fast, in fact, that it will be a slightly different size on different pickup days of the same week. Some days you’ll have noticed smaller delicate leaves — the little foams as the waves starts to crest — and on some days you’ll get the heavier white water as the wave crashes.

Kayta is like that surfer friend you know who’s always checking the apps. That’s one of her jobs on the farm.

Every Wednesday morning you’ll see her out there, hands in pockets, dawn patrolling and staring at the swells. What’s she seeing? What tides are coming and what’s going out? What swells are in the forecast?

Farming is not like surfing in the sense that we farmers have set these energies in motion. (For you farm nerds out there, we have written in detail about the choreography of succession planting that goes into getting the harvests we want each week.)

But sometimes it’s nice to just zone out and watch the waves roll in.

See you in the fields,
David

THE BASICS

Check out our Brief Membership Guide: A quick-reference on the essentials of being a member.

Harvest pick-up times:

  • Friday harvest pick-ups run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

  • Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.

2026 CSA program dates: This year’s harvest season will run from Friday, June 12th through Tuesday, December 8th this year.

Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Slow on Cooper Rd. Please drive slowly on Cooper Road — 20 mph. It's a neighborhood with lots of kids and animals who generously share the road with us.

 
 

Harvest Week 5 - The Season of Flowers

Are you a new member who hasn’t attended an orientation yet? Please email us to schedule an individual orientation during a CSA pickup.

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

Arugula, Mustard Mix, Mei Qing Bok Choi, Kolibri Little Gem Lettuce, Green Butter Lettuce, Assorted Zucchini & Summer Squash, Assorted Radicchio, Slicing Cucumbers, Bulk Pickling Cucumbers, Baby Leeks, Carrots, Pink Beauty Radishes, Fennel, Tiara Mini Cabbage

U-PICK

Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.

  • Albion Strawberries: 2 pints per share this week

  • 🌟 Frying Peppers: See Harvest Notes!

    • Padrons: 2 pints per share

    • Shishitos: 1/2 pint per share

  • Herbs & Edible Flowers: Dill, Cilantro, Purple Basil, Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, Italian Basil, Tulsi, Parsley, Chamomile, Calendula, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, French & Culinary Lavender, Sorrel, & Assorted Mints

  • Flowers!

HARVEST NOTES

  • Bulk Pickling Cucumbers! Now that they’re really starting to produce in earnest, we’ll be offering pickling cucumbers in bulk for members who want to make a big batch of pickles. This year there is a 2 gallon season limit. Season limits are how much a share can take home over the course of the season. If you are alternating weeks, please coordinate with your share partners about how much each group is taking to make sure you take only 2 gallons total. While we hope to be able to offer pickling cucumbers for 2-3 more weeks, we recommend taking your share as soon as you’re able to ensure you don’t miss out! Check out this past newsletter primer for tips on pickling.

  • Shishito Frying Peppers: These Japanese frying peppers are long and wrinkled with thin, delicate walls. Best picked between 2-4” long, they are seldom spicy (until the end of the year). Delicious sautéed hot with oil until wilted and browned, sometimes with a dash of lemon or smoked paprika, and always with a liberal sprinkle of salt. A plate of just-off-the-stove frying peppers is an irresistible appetizer or snack. Shishitos also make incredible tempura.

  • Padrón Frying Peppers: The famous Spanish heirloom, named after their town of origin. Padróns are served sautéed in olive oil with a little sea salt, and eaten as tapas in Spain. Harvested between 1” and 1.5" long, about 1 out of 10 fruits will be hot, above 1.5” will be spicy. While Padróns and Shishitos are both excellent prepared in the same way — sautéed in a hot pan — we recommend cooking them separately to achieve the perfect level of caramelization on each type.

  • A Note about Sugar Snap Peas: Returning members may have wondered where our usual pea u-pick crops have been this spring. Peas are one of the more challenging (and beloved) crops that we grow each year, and we have struggled with intense disease pressure over the last few years. Sadly, this year, some changes that we made to the crop plan combined with the late, wet spring to mean that we won’t have harvestable peas for you. We are taking notes and will try to bring them back for 2027.

Have you been making tea from the garden yet? Next time you’re on the farm, grab a couple handfuls to use fresh or dry for tea. Pictured here are Peppermint, Spearmint, Moroccan Mint, Chamomile, Calendula, Lemon Balm and Tulsi.

SUMMER VEGETABLE GALETTE

By Melissa Clark
Servings: Yield: 8 servings

While some of the vegetables featured in this recipe will be coming to us later in the summer, Melissa Clark says that this galette is great with any combination of cooked vegetables (even leftovers!). Just aim to have about 3 cups worth. This week we’ll be making this with a diversity of summer squash and zucchini, caramelized fennel and leeks, but it also seems amazing with roasted cabbage, fennel, leeks and mushrooms, and any cooking greens like kale or spinach that you might still have hanging out in your fridge.


INGREDIENTS


FOR THE DOUGH

  • ⅔ cup/80 grams all-purpose flour

  • ⅔ cup/90 grams rye flour or whole-wheat flour

  • 1 teaspoon/5 grams sugar

  • ½ teaspoon/3 grams fine sea salt

  • 1 large egg

  • Heavy cream, as needed

  • 1 stick/113 grams unsalted butter, cut into big pieces

  • 2 teaspoons/10 milliliters lemon juice

  • ½ teaspoon/4 grams grated lemon zest (optional)


FOR THE FILLING

  • 2 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), trimmed and thinly sliced

  • 2 medium zucchini (about ¾ pound), trimmed and thinly sliced

  • 1 pound plum tomatoes, cored and thinly sliced

  • Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

  • Kosher salt, as needed

  • Black pepper, as needed

  • 2 hot chile peppers, such as cherry peppers, seeded and minced

  • 3 ounces goat cheese, softened

  • 1 small garlic clove, grated or pressed

  • 1 teaspoon thyme leaves


PREPARATION

  1. In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, or in a large bowl, pulse or mix together the flours, sugar, and salt. In a measuring cup, lightly beat the egg, then add just enough cream to get to ⅓ cup. Lightly whisk the egg and cream together.

  2. Add butter to flour mixture and pulse or use a pastry cutter or your fingers to break up the butter. If using a food processor, do not over-process; you need chickpea-size chunks of butter. Drizzle the egg mixture (up to ¼ cup) over the dough and pulse or stir until it just starts to come together but is still mostly large crumbs. Mix in lemon juice and zest if using.

  3. Put the dough on lightly floured counter and knead to make one uniform piece. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days.

  4. When you are ready to make the tart, roll out dough to a 12-inch round (it can be ragged). Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper and chill while preparing the filling.

  5. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread out eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes in one layer on three separate sheet pans or cookie sheets. Drizzle generously with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables, tossing zucchini and eggplant occasionally, 35 to 40 minutes. Eggplant and tomatoes will be golden at the edges; zucchini will be tender. Don’t let the vegetables get too dark because they will continue to brown in the tart. Transfer vegetables to a bowl (you want to have about 3 cups of them) and toss with chile peppers.

  6. Decrease oven temperature to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, garlic and thyme leaves. Spread mixture in a thin layer over crust, leaving a 1 ½-inch border all around. Arrange vegetables evenly over goat cheese. Fold up edges of crust, pleating to hold it in (sloppy is fine). Brush pastry generously with leftover egg and cream mixture.

  7. Transfer galette to oven and bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before slicing.

FARMER’S LOG

THE SEASON OF FLOWERS

A couple weeks ago we wrote about the Season of Power; that time of year on the farm when the alchemy of water and solstice light erupts in unfathomable foliar growth.

We’re now entering a fleeting and breathtaking time — the Season of Flowers.

In the second week of July, every nook and cranny on the farm seems to be in bloom.

The garden, obviously, is on full display — less like a fireworks show and more like a fireworks factory caught on fire. The boxes of Black Eyed Susan’s just ignited.

And flowers are everywhere in the fields. The lush foliage of the frying & hot peppers beds and the cherry tomatoes are suddenly all decorated with white and yellow stars. In Farfield, the Masquerade potatoes are waving their royal purple and deep yellow flowers triumphantly in the breeze. (We suggest a visit to our main-crop of potatoes across the bridge soon — it’s about to be in full bloom.)

In Creekfield, the winter squash are just starting to sound their big fuzzy trumpets while the melons to the North are an ocean of tiny yellow fluffs.

Flowering buckwheat cover crop with tasseling sweet corn in the background

Our first batch of sweet corn, in Centerfield, was a vision this evening — every plant stretching out it’s tassel hat; each tassel a branching cluster of thousands of male florets; each floret, two anthers that will shed untold pollen onto the silks and ovaries below.

Let the dance begin.

Life can be full of pain and distraction. But the season of flowers, reminds us of joy.

Even the roadways are blooming in white clover.

We hope you can take a quiet moment these next couple weeks — listening to the bees in the borage; breathing in deep the smell of a field of potato flowers; arranging flowers — to soak in the jubilance of the Season of Flowers.

See you in the fields,
David

THE BASICS

Check out our new Brief Membership Guide: A quick-reference on the essentials of being a member.

Harvest pick-up times:

  • Friday harvest pick-ups run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

  • Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.

2026 CSA program dates: This year’s harvest season will run from Friday, June 12th through Tuesday, December 8th this year.

Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Slow on Cooper Rd. Please drive slowly on Cooper Road — 20 mph. It's a neighborhood with lots of kids and animals who generously share the road with us.

 
 

Harvest Week 4 - Spacewalks

Are you a new member who hasn’t attended an orientation yet? Please email us to schedule an individual orientation during a CSA pickup.

THIS WEEK’S HARVEST

Arugula, Mustard Mix, Mei Qing Bok Choi, Dino Kale, Assorted Zucchini & Summer Squash, Assorted Little Gem Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Frisée & Bel Fiore Radicchio, Slicing Cucumbers, Pickling Cucumbers, Scallions, Carrots, Purple Daikon, Tiara Mini Cabbage

U-PICK

Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.

  • Albion Strawberries: 3 pints per share this week

  • Herbs & Edible Flowers: Dill, Cilantro, Purple Basil, Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, Italian Basil, Tulsi, Parsley, Chamomile, Calendula, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, French & Culinary Lavender, Sorrel, & Assorted Mints

  • Flowers!

HARVEST NOTES

  • Bel Fiore Radicchio: Bel Fiore (beautiful flower in Italian) is among the mildest of radicchios. Its cream-colored leaves, with pink and green specks, add a delicate bitterness and real beauty to fresh salads. You can eat it raw in salads, or roast with olive oil and garlic until wilted and crispy.

  • Purple Daikon Radish: Incredibly gorgeous and mild. Purple daikon can be delicious quick-pickled, or eaten as you would any radish (although they benefit from being lightly peeled first to remove the bitter outer layer of skin). Also eat on top of salads or rice bowls. For a bit of vegetable magic, toss purple daikon slices with something acidic like lemon juice or rice vinegar, and watch their color change to neon pink!

  • Pickling Cucumbers: While we will have Pickling Cucumbers available in bulk a little later in the season for pickling projects, this week they’ll be offered as part of the regular share to supplement our early-season slicing cucumbers. We find that they’re excellent for fresh eating in addition to pickling! Just peel and enjoy.

BEST VEGETABLE LASAGNA

from Cookie + Kate

When we first tried this recipe a few years ago, it opened our eyes to how to make a deliciously satisfying and savory lasagna that’s absolutely packed with vegetables. We recommend using it as a jumping off point — the chopped and caramelized mixed vegetables are a revelation, but why stop there? At this time of the season, it’s wonderful to alternate the noodle layers with layers of lightly sautéed zucchini and summer squash, and the lasagna can really hold as much spinach or kale (cooked with garlic and salt) as you can make. The recipe gives instructions for making a pasta sauce from scratch, but feel free to use store-bought sauce to speed things up (at least until tomato season arrives!).

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 medium zucchini, chopped

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 5 to 6 ounces baby spinach or kale

  • 1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes

  • ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 2 cups (16 ounces) cottage cheese, divided

  • ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 9 no-boil lasagna noodles or cooked lasagna noodles

  • 8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Pulse the mixture until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.

Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl.

Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!

Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.

Top with 3 more noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.

Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (you may have a little sauce leftover) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.

Wrap a sheet of parchment paper or foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 15 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.

Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.

SONOMA MOUNTAIN BAKERY IS BACK THIS SATURDAY!

Lee has assembled a team to help bake his amazing croissants while he recovers from surgery.

MUSIC CLASSES FOR CHILDREN - ON THE FARM!

Do you have a child 0-6 years old? Interested in musical enrichment on the farm?

Come join Hanna and Marina on Monday, Thursday, or Friday mornings at the farm for Music Together! You will sing, dance, play and watch the plants grow throughout the 6 weeks of music making!  Older siblings also love to join in! Register for class that starts this week!  Click here to learn more.

Alice on a spacewalk

FARMER’S LOG

SPACEWALKS

It’s a special time in the garden right now.

The first few weeks of flowers were the lift off phase — the launch pad, the rockets pushing, gaining speed, and hurtling towards space. We have now cleared the stratosphere.

It is quiet now. We float in a galaxy of glittering stars. Many flower beds are going supernova… the full mass of their energy erupting in a blinding display of blooms; This week it’s the trailing amaranth, delicate nicotiana, snapdragons, giant & gem marigolds, and strawflower…

A gem marigold supernova

And many new star clusters are flickering into existence this week. The zinnias — enticing in their endless variety and intricacy — are opening more every day; the celosia is pluming, cresting and crashing like waves; and the rudbeckia are just getting ready to go up like 4th of July fireworks, crisp golden sprays.

Bees and other pollen seekers fly around like space craft fly around all day and land on soft little moons to sleep each night. Come in early in the morning or late in the evening to catch them in their little beds, or close your eyes in the warm sun, and listen to their hum.

We hope you enjoy your spacewalks.

Don’t forget a handful of dill when you return to your ship.

See you in the fields,
David and Kayta

THE BASICS

Check out our new Brief Membership Guide: A quick-reference on the essentials of being a member.

Harvest pick-up times:

  • Friday harvest pick-ups run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

  • Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm

  • Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm

U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.

2026 CSA program dates: This year’s harvest season will run from Friday, June 12th through Tuesday, December 8th this year.

Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.

Slow on Cooper Rd. Please drive slowly on Cooper Road — 20 mph. It's a neighborhood with lots of kids and animals who generously share the road with us.