summer csa share – week 20

csa-share-week-20

Welcome to the 20th week of the Pitchfork & Crow Summer CSA! Here’s what’s in the share:

  • Salad Mix
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Eggplant
  • Green Beans – A mix of green beans, purple beans, and striped Dragon’s Tongue beans this week.
  • Lacinato Kale
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Yellow Onion
  • Cucumbers
  • Tomatoes – Pint of cherries or slicers
  • Melon

leeks-and-sunrise

We’ve settled into our favorite time of year on the farm.  Jeff and I both generally prefer the tempered fall weather to summer heat.  We welcome the return of the rain, signaling that irrigation season is finally coming to an end.  We’ve had some beautiful fall mornings recently, including mysterious fog shrouding the farm and some amazing sunrises.  Yesterday was the first harvest of the season that required raingear and it was a good reminder of what harvest days will look like in the coming months including mud, rain, and more mud.

We’ve definitely hit the seasonal shift from summer to fall in crops too.  The summer squash is on its way out and the winter squash is ready to be harvested.  We’re ready for the change and hope you are too.  Eating seasonally is all about enjoying what’s in season fully and we’ve had our fill of cucumbers and summer squash this year.  Bring on the leeks and Brussels sprouts!

corn-and-pumpkin

On a last note, many thanks to all the folks that made it out to the farm for the CSA potluck and cider pressing event on Saturday.  The weather was a little blustery but we stayed dry and it was perfect for kite flying.  The cider was pressed, the food was eaten, the kites were flown, the farm tours and hay rides were enjoyed and even a few t-shirts were screenprinted.  Our pumpkins are still green, but luckily the local pumpkin patch down the road opened that morning and we brought in some pumpkins to share.  We always love to share the farm with CSA members and hope you had as good a time as we did.

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you next week!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett

.

Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Grilled Eggplant and Greens with Spiced Yogurt

  • 2 medium Japanese eggplants or 1 globe eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced crosswise on a diagonal 1/2″-thick
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for serving
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large bunches hardy greens (such as kale or Swiss chard)
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala or curry powder
  • Lemon wedges (for serving)

Prepare grill for medium-high heat. Toss eggplant with turmeric and 2 tablespoons oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Toss greens with 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Grill eggplant, turning often, until tender and charred in spots, 5-8 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.

Grill greens, turning often, until lightly charred in spots, about 2 minutes; transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Remove thick ribs and stems from greens and discard. Tear large leaves into large pieces; transfer to bowl with eggplant, add mint and 2 tablespoons oil, and toss to combine.

Mix yogurt and garam masala in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Spoon yogurt onto a platter and top with eggplant, greens, and mint mixture. Drizzle with more oil and serve with lemon wedges.

From Epicurious from Bon Appétit by Alison Roman, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-eggplant-and-greens-with-spiced-yogurt-51239710

.

Tangy Eggplant, Long Beans, and Cherry Tomatoes with Roasted Peanuts

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (preferably naam pla)
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 pound long thin Asian eggplants (about 2)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 pound long beans or other green beans
  • 10 cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 tablespoon roasted peanuts

In a large bowl stir together fish sauce, sugar, and lime juice and let stand, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, about 10 minutes.

Preheat broiler.

Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Lightly brush a small baking pan with some oil and arrange eggplant slices in pan. Brush eggplant with remaining oil and broil 3 to 4 inches from heat, turning it once, until tender and browned, about 8 minutes total. Add eggplant to fish-sauce mixture and toss.

Have ready a bowl of ice and cold water. Cut beans into 1 1/2-inch lengths and in a saucepan cook in boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain beans and transfer to ice water to stop cooking. Drain beans well and add to eggplant mixture. Halve tomatoes and coarsely chop cilantro. Finely chop peanuts. Add tomatoes, cilantro, and some peanuts to eggplant mixture, tossing to combine. Vegetables may be prepared 2 hours ahead. Serve vegetables at room temperature sprinkled with remaining peanuts.

From Epicurious via Gourmet, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/tangy-eggplant-long-beans-and-cherry-tomatoes-with-roasted-peanuts-101787

.

Buttered Green Beans and Carrots

  • 2 pounds slender green beans, trimmed
  • 8 ounces carrots, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
  • 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer green beans to bowl of ice water. Cook carrots in same boiling water until crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Transfer carrots to ice water with beans. Drain; pat vegetables dry. (Vegetables can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap vegetables in paper towels and refrigerate.)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and toss until hot, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

From Epicurious via Bon Appétit, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/buttered-green-beans-and-carrots-4544

.

.