THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
Galia Melons, Assorted Eggplant, Early Tomatoes, Metechi Hardneck Garlic, Red Russian Kale, Cabbage, Fennel, White Satin Carrots, Summer Squash & Zucchini, Poblano Peppers, Lemon Cucumbers, Striped Armenian Cucumbers, Fresh Torpedo Onions, Purple Box Choi, Salad Mix (Arugula, Lettuce + Mustard Greens), Cherokee Summer Crisp Lettuce and Baby Iceberg Lettuce
Early AM harvest to beat the heat
U-PICK
Check the u-pick board for updated weekly limits
Wild Blackberries See Week ‘s newsletter for harvest locations
Husk Cherries: Located just above the gnome homes in the garden. See Week 9’s newsletter for harvest tips
Amethyst Green Beans
Albion Strawberries
Pickling Cucumbers: 5 gallon per share season limit. See Week 8’s newsletter for picking instructions and a pickle recipe
Cherry Tomatoes: See below for tips
Frying Peppers: Shishito, Padrón / See Week 5’s Newsletter for harvest tips
Jalapeños: Located below the Padróns
Yellow Thai Hot Peppers: Located next to the Jalapeños
Herbs: Rosemary, Thyme, Dill, Tulsi Basil, New Italian Basil, Thai Basil, Purple Basil, Oregano, Marjoram, Tarragon, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Vietnamese Coriander, Culinary Lavender, Culinary Sage, French Sorrel, Lemon Verbena, Lemon Balm, Perilla & Purple Shiso, Chamomile, Green Coriander, Mints, Anise Hyssop
HARVEST NOTES
Yellow Thai Hot Peppers: Our Yellow Thai Peppers are ready for some harvesting. These are HOT and flavorful with a hint of citrus. Pick the yellow ones (low on the plant) and let the green ones remain to ripen. Kate, our resident Thai cooking master, gave us this amazing special sauce recipe using these peppers — see below.
Fresh Torpedo Onions: These onions are mild and delicate. Use like a normal onion or try slicing very thin and using raw.
Green Coriander: When Cilantro goes to flower it starts making seed — the green seed pods are Green Coriander. Green Coriander is used in a bunch of different cuisines. Try a taste, and try using some in the Thai Special Sauce recipe below!
WEE’S THAI PEPPER SPECIAL SAUCE
Ingredients:
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 TBS minced ginger
1 Yellow Thai Pepper*
1/2 cup cilantro (roughly chopped , stem and all — we are between Cilantro successions, try using the Green Coriander in the garden or the Vietnamese Cilantro)
5 TBS fish sauce (or soy sauce if vegetarian)
6-7 TBS lemon juice
1-2 TBS brown sugar (optional)
Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Put in a jar and store in the fridge. Great as a dipping sauce, marinade, or add oil to make dressing for a salad or slaw!
* I used one whole large pepper with the seeds and ended up with a medium-hot spice level but you could remove the seeds if you want it to be more mild or add more peppers for more spice!
LOOKING FOR VIVIAN HOWER
Congratulations to Vivian Hower the winner of our Flower Share raffle drawing! If Vivian was a guest of yours at the farm, please have her get in touch with us to claim her prize — we do not have her contact info.
Thanks to everyone who participated in the raffle — we were able to raise $440 in support of Kiley’s farm capital fundraiser. If you missed the raffle but would like to support the creation of a Black led, regenerative farm, you can donate directly to Kiley’s GoFundMe campaign by clicking here.
2020 CHERRY TOMATOES
The first tomatoes in our u-pick cherry tomato path are just starting to ripen. This week’s slow trickle will become a deluge of sun sweetness in just a couple of weeks.
Here is a brief synopsis of the six varieties of cherry tomato we planted this year.
Top row, left to right: Pink Princess, Copper Beauty, Sungold // Bottom row, L to R: Supersweet 100, Pink Bumblebee, Green Zebra
Note: Like the sugar snap peas, the first ripe ones will be found very low on the plants, near the ground, and they will ripen higher and higher up as the season progresses.
Supersweet 100: A classic red cherry tomato for a shock of red sweet tang in your salad. Ripest when deep scarlet red. The secret to Supersweet’s is to leave them out on the counter for a day or two after you pick them — they sweeten up off the vine.
Copper Beauty: We fell in love with this one last year. A gorgeous, oblong variety. Mellow, very low acid, sugar sweet. Ripe when auburn red, with copper gold streaks. These are slower to ripen, lots of green fruit now, just a few are ready.
Pink Princess: Developed by an oxen-driving, seed-saving wizard in Massachusetts, this gem is becoming a GVCFarm favorite. These seeds are very hard to find so we only have a few plants this year. Mellow, slightly grapfruited flavored, quirky sizes and egg shapes, in a firm, matte, soft pink skin. Ripe when pink.
Sungold: The sun... captured. An unbeatable classic. Ripe when deep orange. Candy sweet, super productive, it's not really summer until you've had a handful of Sungolds.
Pink Bumblebee: This beauty is one we’re trialing this year. They are ripe when pink with golden stripes. Let us know how you like them!
Green Zebra: We usually grow these in our field tomatoes that we harvest but they put out so many small ones we thought we’d put them in the cherry tomatoes this year. Skip the big ones, we’ll pick them for you. A perennial favorite, this beautiful, striped green tomato is ripe when it’s usual light green tinge shifts to yellow, stripes turn dark green, and is slightly soft to the touch. For people who like a tangy tomato this is a favorite.
ADD-ONS
Revolution Bread: Fresh bread is back this week!
Moonfruit Mushrooms: Limited quantities of shiitakes available this week. First come first serve out of the fridge next to the bread. Cash only.
Bramble Tail Homestead Creamery: Stocked with pastured eggs, Bramble Tail frozen yogurt, 100% grass-fed beef, Green Star chicken, Oz Family Farm heritage rabbit and more. Become a member of the weekly dairy herdshare by emailing Aubrie at brambletailhomestead@gmail.com.
The Marketplace: Stocked with Froyo, coffee, soaps, honey, Moonfruit Mushroom dressing and seasoning, beverages, and much much more. Across from the Bramble Tail Creamery.
VOLUNTEER WEDNESDAYS
Need some farm therapy? Come out for our weekly volunteer morning. Find us in the garden or fields from 9am - 11am on Wednesday mornings and we’ll find a nice, socially distant thing for you to do to beautify the farm and garden. All ages and abilities welcome!
FARMER’S LOG
The Peace of Wild Things
by Wendell Berry
When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
See you in the fields,
David and Kayta
