It’s July and so it’s hot. The tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and okra are ripening with joy and we are sweating.
It’s fine. It comes with the territory. But we will also be glad when we’re on the other side of the season’s heat, and the nightshades will still be ripening just fine. 
This Saturday statistically marks the beginning of the slide away from the hottest part of the summer. One month after the Summer Solstice is most likely to be the hottest time, so the next couple of days temps are not surprising.
But then next Wednesday there’s a high of only 87 and so we’ll be dancing in the fields of vegetables. Feel free to swing by to catch sight of the scene. Pick up some delicious vegetables and bread while you’re here. But that is 6 days away, so be sure to swing by the farmers’ market on Saturday and get some of the great sustenance that we grow and bake.
And…it’s time to CAN! Tomatoes are in real abundance now, so take advantage of bulk prices on this goodness. We canned 30 quarts last weekend, using our slicing tomatoes. We don’t peel or remove seeds. We figure we eat them raw with seeds and skins and therefore we always use all of the tomato except the core.
We can a simple crushed tomatoes recipe. Then when we use them during the off season we choose what to turn the tomatoes into: spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, salsa, tomato soup, etc. We add only lemon juice and sea salt. Here’s Ball’s Crushed Tomatoes recipe. It advises 2 and 3/4 pounds of tomatoes per finished quart jar.
We use air conditioning, turn on some fans, put on some good music, and make canning as much fun as possible. We love, love, love having preserved food to enjoy during the cooler months.
So – stop by the market booths for 20 pounds or more.
Saturday’s/Monday’s Farm Share will most likely include:
Lettuce, Tomatoes (a mix of reds and heirlooms), Onions, Garlic, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Shishito Peppers (frying peppers…see below), and Sweet Peppers (orange and red)
Vegetable Notes & Recipe Suggestions…also cataloged on our Recipe Page and see our Pinterest Page
Shishito Peppers – these are likely new for new members. They are quite unremarkable if eaten raw. They are meant to be cooked whole. Saute in a pan or cook on a grill until they darken/soften/blister with salt and oil. They should not be spicy. We haven’t encountered a spicy one, but some people say they They are flavorful! Eat them whole, biting all the way up to the stem. Enjoy them as a side dish or as a topping on something, like a hot dog or tofu. See Epicurious’ Sauteed Shishito recipe. Each pick up location will be getting a turn with these over the next few weeks. Here’s a Collection of Shishito recipes.
Sweet Orange Peppers – Make this Pepper-Tomato-Herb Salad
Lettuce – We love using our big, crunchy lettuce leaves as lettuce wraps. Fill the leaf with Egg Salad, Salmon Salad, Tofu Salad, Tunafish, Hummus, etc. Add diced tomatoes and or cucumbers. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and other seasonings as you prefer (our family is currently devouring Sandwich Sprinkle and Sate by Penzey’s).
Onions, Tomatoes & Squash – Tomato Salad with Corn, Summer Squash, and Roasted Onions makes the most of these summertime favorites.
Summer Squash – Another plug here for Grilled Squash and also the Summer Squash with Lime Cilantro Pasta (shared earlier this season resulting in lots of enjoyment). We also really enjoyed this Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo but added lots of vegetables including Summer Squash and Sweet Peppers diced into very small pieces so our kids (who are griping about squash right now) didn’t even notice they were there!
Cucumbers – Cucumber Mint Soup
This week’s harvest (and baking) includes:
Arugula, Basil, Cilantro, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Lettuce, Microgreens, Okra (just a few), Onions, Parsley, Shishito Peppers, Sweet Orange Peppers, Salad Mix, Spearmint, Summer Squash, Tomatoes (slicers and cherries – available in bulk!)…and our Organic Hearth Baked Bread (Baguettes, Tomato Basil, Whole Rye, Seed, & Raisin loaves for this weekend)
{Our farmstand is open Friday with most of the above items…see here for updated inventory}
2017 Market Share CSA Members: Reserve your selection online to pick up Saturday, July 22nd at our farm, at the Brandermill Green Market, or at the Farmers Market @ St. Stephens.
Anything remaining after CSA shares are distributed and our farm stand is shopped… we’ll bring to the Brandermill Green Market or the Farmer’s Market @ St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in the West End of Richmond. Keep an eye on what we have available via the online farmers’ markets: FallLineFarms.com and Local Roots Food Coop.
Enjoy ~
Janet, Dan, & the whole Broadfork crew
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