Each season we prioritize making the time to leave the farm for a few days and visit other farms, farm stands, and farmers markets. It’s a critical element of professional development for farmers.
We enjoy anonymously visiting places. It’s enlightening to be shoppers at markets and stands and hear what the farmers and sales people tell us. It’s also invaluable to talk to the other shoppers in these spaces.
Last year while visiting the Stone Barns Center, we hung around their CSA pick up area for a time. We were looking at their vegetables and varieties and taking note of their set up and logistics, etc. While there, a CSA member picking up her share started up a conversation with us, thinking, of course, that we were potential new CSA members. She gave us a great sales pitch for their CSA and some insider perspective on what it’s like to pick up and eat food from their farm each week all season. She explained to us that the contents of the share is different each week and changes with the season. (We took this in with attentive ears. She was doing a great job educating us!) It was early September, and since their farm is in NY, that is like early August for our climate. Here was the golden moment she provided for us:
While describing the seasonality of the CSA shares, she said, with an adorable lifting of her eyebrows that we will remember for many years: “It’s a *lot* of tomatoes and peppers right now…”
But she went on: “…but of course, it’s the season for a lot of tomatoes and peppers. So that’s what we eat a bunch of right now. It’s great. You should give it a try.”
We thanked her for her time as she finished packing up her bag, and we parted ways.
So, CSA members: Know that we put ourselves out of our usual element to get a peek in on The Real Life of CSA Members. It is the Time of Lots of Tomatoes & Peppers. Thank you for eating seasonally! Enjoy it while it lasts! Our fall of abundant greens and roots will be here before you know it.
Farm Share CSA Members – Third and final payments are due Aug 1. (If you’ve paid the correct amounts all along, $225 remains due for vegetables, $53 for Bread Shares.) Not sure what you owe? You can check on your balance here. If you have already paid in full, Thank You!
Saturday’s/Monday’s Farm Share will most likely include: Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers, *Non-Spicy Jalapenos, Cucumber, Sweet Peppers, Onions, Garlic, and hopefully Basil, but a mildew disease is wreaking havoc on hundreds of our Basil plants right now. We’re going to try to eek out enough for you Farm Share members. If you see dark spots on the leaves, please know this is the culprit.
Vegetable Notes & Recipe Suggestions…also cataloged on our Recipe Page and see our Pinterest Page
Sweet Orange & Red Peppers – They make great “boats” to fill with cream or goat cheese or other filling of your choice. They are great, of course, on top of green salads or make Pepper, Tomato, Cucumber & Grilled Bread Salad to really allow all of these ingredients to shine! (That recipe also calls for Onion and Basil.)
*Non-Spicy-Jalapenos – What are these about? you may be wondering…We love the flavor of jalapenos but our jalapenos were so hot last year that we (and some of our members & customers) weren’t able to enjoy the flavor. When we found this option for seeds for non-spicy jalapenos from our trusted seed supplier last winter we were very excited. Thus, we encourage various recipes that allow the flavor to be enjoyed. Whether your style is Vegan Jalapeno Poppers v 1 or Vegan Jalapeno Poppers v 2, or Bacon Wrapped/Cheese Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers, or Sausage Stuffed Jalapenos, we hope you enjoy these. Feedback is welcome. We don’t think we can grow both spicy Jalapenos and non-spicy Jalapenos the same year (how could we be sure they didn’t get mixed up???) and we’d love to know which our members prefer that we grow next year.
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 (celery salt, lemon pepper, Old Bay Seasoning…). Lettuce is also our favorite green for Caesar Salad – add protein of your choice. We prefer homemade Caesar Dressing or homemade Vegan Caesar Dressing (and homemade croutons!).
Onions, Tomatoes & Squash – Tomato Salad with Corn, Summer Squash, and Roasted Onions makes the most of these summertime favorites.
Tomatoes – If you are getting more tomatoes than you can eat fresh right now, you can make Freezer Salsa and enjoy it later. Another great use is in Gazpacho. As the recipe says, it’s perfect for when it’s too hot to eat but you need cold, salt, and lunch all at the same time. Serve in frosty glasses.
Summer Squash – We’re continuing to encourage Grilled Squash and also the Summer Squash with Lime Cilantro Pasta (shared earlier this season resulting in lots of enjoyment). A new favorite for us is this Creamy Garlic Parmesan Orzo but we 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! You can also use Brown Rice or Quinoa in place of the Orzo in order to use whole grains.
Cucumbers – Cucumber Mint Soup is still refreshing and delicious.
This week’s harvest (and baking) includes:
Arugula, Cilantro, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Garlic, Lettuce, Microgreens, Okra, Onions, Shishito Peppers, Sweet Orange & Red 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 29th 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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