Welcome to the 14th week of the Pitchfork & Crow CSA!
Here’s what’s in the share:
- Purple & Green Beans! – a mix of purple pole beans and more french filet green beans this week
- Basil
- Carrots
- Bunched Onions
- Salad Mix
- Summer Squash
- Broccoli
- Poblano Peppers – These peppers shouldn’t be spicy, though we hear they can have a bite sometimes. Click here for the classic stuffed poblano recipe, check below for another poblano recipe.
- Tomatoes
- Chard
- Cantaloupe – Our first year to successfully grow melons! Note that many of these are very ripe and want to be eaten up soon.
This week marks the halfway point in the CSA season! It’s hard to believe we’ve gotten 14 weeks into the season. We’re looking forward to the next 14 weeks and into the winter season CSA beyond. We hope you’re enjoying your share!
As promised, we made a little progress on the weeding backlog out in the fields this week. We successfully liberated three beds of cabbage and three beds of Brussels sprouts! We also spent some time hoeing in our overwintering crops this weekend, to avoid losing them to a mass of weeds too. Hurrah for weeding!
This certainly feels like the time of year we’re able to slip into maintenance mode. Of course farm maintenance includes more than just catching up on some weeding. With the majority of the planting behind us, it’s also time to think more about equipment maintenance.
Our main ground work tractor, a 1978 2wd 60hp beast actually named the Field Boss, has been leaking various fluids this season. Jeff’s taken a couple of hydraulic cylinders to a local shop for repair in the past few months, but his most recent attempt at getting the steering cylinder repaired has become a bit of a fiasco. Turns out the Field Boss has a unique steering cylinder that people in the know have never seen before. Who knew? It looks like we’ll soon be shipping the thing off to Ohio to a guy who repairs them. The Field Boss has been a good tractor, but this scenario makes us wonder if we shouldn’t have invested in something a little less rare.
In the midst of researching tractor solutions, making task lists, and tackling those tasks, we’ve been enjoying the fruits of the season. The later-ripening varieties of plums are coming along soon. We appear to have successfully grown both cantaloupe (more this week!) and watermelon (up next week)! Whoa! And the pears are ready to pick. Our fruit cooler is soon going to be packed tight!
Finally, with the big planting pushes behind us we decided it was time to take a day trip to the coast. Yes, we left the farm for a full day! It was restful and fun and above all, we were glad to get back to work the next day.
Enjoy the vegetables!
Your farmers,
Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler
PS: Reminder – The next CSA Farm visit and potluck is coming up on Sunday, August 25th. Details can be found here: https://pitchforkandcrow.com/community-supported-agriculture/csa-potluck-august-25th/. Let us know if you have any questions.
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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:
Keilbasa with Onions and Poblano
- 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices (bunching onions!)
- 2 poblano chiles or green bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch strips
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds kielbasa sausages, cut on a diagonal into 4-inch pieces, halved lengthwise
- Mustard, sauerkraut, and crusty bread
Place a 16×12″ sheet of heavy-duty foil on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss onion and chiles with oil in a large bowl; season generously with salt and pepper. Mound vegetables in center of prepared baking sheet; top with sausages. Place another large sheet of foil over. Fold and crimp all edges tightly to form a sealed packet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before continuing.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Alternatively, build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Bake or transfer packet to grill and cook until onions and peppers are softened (open the packet carefully to check; steam will escape), about 25 minutes.
If using an oven, turn on broiler. Carefully cut open packet. Arrange sausages on top if necessary. Broil until sausages are browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. If grilling, remove sausages from packet and grill until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve with mustard, sauerkraut, and bread alongside.
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Mozzarella and Basil
- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 lb mixed heirloom tomatoes, quartered if small or cut into 1/4-inch-wide wedges if larger
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes
- 1 lb very small mozzarella balls (1/4 inch; sometimes called perlini) or 1 lb lightly salted mozzarella, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups loosely packed small basil leaves or torn large leaves
Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, sugar, and pepper in a large bowl. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly until dressing is emulsified. Add tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil and toss well. Season with salt and pepper.
Cooks’ notes: •Salad, without vinaigrette, can be assembled 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature. Salad can be dressed 1 hour ahead and kept at room temperature, covered.
•Vinaigrette keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week.
Striped Omelet
- 3 medium red bell peppers (try poblanos here)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 lb red or green Swiss chard, center ribs and stems discarded
- 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
- 13 large eggs
- 3/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream
- 6 oz coarsely grated white sharp Cheddar (1 1/2 cups)
- Special equipment: a nonstick 12- by 4- by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan (8-cup capacity) or 9- by 2-inch round cake pan
Roast and sauté peppers:
Roast bell peppers on racks of gas burners over high heat, turning with tongs, until skins are charred, 6 to 8 minutes. (Alternatively, broil peppers on rack of a broiler pan about 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, 15 to 25 minutes.) Transfer to a bowl and let stand, tightly covered, until cool. Peel peppers, discarding stems and seeds, and finely chop.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté peppers, stirring frequently, until tender and excess liquid is evaporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in basil and salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl and cool.
Cook chard:
Cook chard leaves in a 4- to 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Squeeze handfuls of chard to remove excess moisture, then finely chop.
Cook shallot in remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in cleaned skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chard and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture looks dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and cool.
Prepare egg mixtures and bake omelet:
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Break 4 eggs into each of 2 bowls, then add 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste to each and whisk to combine eggs in each bowl. Whisk 3 tablespoons crème fraîche into 1 bowl of eggs until smooth, then stir in bell pepper mixture. Whisk 1/4 cup crème fraîche into other bowl of eggs until smooth, then stir in chard mixture.
Pour bell pepper eggs into oiled loaf pan and bake in a hot water bath in middle of oven until firm to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes (about 13 minutes if using round cake pan).
Pour chard eggs into loaf pan and continue to bake until layer is firm, 18 to 20 minutes more (about 13 minutes if using round cake pan).
While chard layer bakes, break remaining 5 eggs into a bowl, then add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste and whisk to combine. Whisk in Cheddar and remaining 1/4 cup crème fraîche, then pour cheese eggs into loaf pan and bake until layer is lightly browned and slightly puffed, about 20 minutes (about 16 minutes if using round cake pan). Transfer loaf pan to a rack and cool omelet 5 minutes.
Invert a long platter over loaf pan and invert omelet onto platter. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Cooks’ notes: ·Bell peppers can be roasted and peeled (but not sautéed) 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. ·Bell pepper, chard, and cheese egg mixtures can be prepared (but not baked) 1 day ahead and chilled separately, covered. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
Cantaloupe Sorbet
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded cantaloupe (about 1/2 cantaloupe)
Combine sugar and water in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to boil. Transfer to 11x7x2-inch glass dish and chill until cold, about 2 hours.
Puree cantaloupe in blender until smooth. Add to sugar syrup in dish and stir until well blended. Freeze until almost firm, stirring occasionally, at least 3 hours or overnight.
Transfer cantaloupe mixture to large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until fluffy. Return to freezer and freeze until firm (do not stir), at least 3 hours or overnight. (Sorbet can be prepared 3 days ahead.) Cover and keep frozen.
From Epicurious.com, via Bon Appetit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cantaloupe-Sorbet-4119