Welcome to the 16th share of the Pitchfork & Crow Summer CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Cauliflower
  
• Broccoli or more Cauliflower
• Red Onion
  
• Purple Viking Potatoes
• Cucumbers – some slicers but mostly Salt & Pepper picklers
  
• Mixed Summer Squash – choose from Dark Star zucchini, yellow pattypan, and yellow straightneck summer squash
  
• Tomatillos – it’s green salsa week!
  
• Sweet Corn
  
• Cilantro
• Gypsy Queen Sweet Peppers
  
• Tomatoes – Cherries and a Slicer
• Asian Pears
  

Things are trucking along here on the farm.  This past week’s rain was a welcome sight after the long, dry summer.  It offered a reprieve from the constant irrigation, and just in time for an irrigation system fix too.  Jeff has remained the resident hole digger and irrigation repairman for the farm and he got to work this past weekend.

A system of 3 inch pvc mainline pipe is buried the length of the farm with many, many offshoots of 1 and 2 inch pipe leading to the fields for hooking up metal handline or drip irrigation.  The system was installed by a previous owner, so we’ve been discovering the extent of it over the years we’ve been on this farm.  Standing water along the field edge when the irrigation is turned off is never a good thing and often means a failure of the pvc pipe or a glued connection.  We’d noticed some unexplained water near the irrigation valve at the back of the farm and Jeff set to work digging to uncover the problem.  Turns out a large 3 inch pvc “T” had cracked slightly and needed replacing.  After some adjustments and lots of pvc glue Jeff had the fix in place and ready for irrigation in no time.  I’m definitely thankful for his help with things like this!  Now back to our regularly scheduled farming activities: harvesting, planting, weeding, irrigating.

Enjoy the vegetables!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett

.

Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Chicken with Tomatillo and Cilantro Sauce

• 1 pound tomatillos, husked
• 3 serrano chiles, stemmed
• 2 whole skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 pounds), halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, toasted 5 minutes in dry cast-iron pan over medium heat

Move broiler rack into position closest to flame. Set broiler to medium. Place tomatillos and chiles on a rimmed baking sheet; broil until soft and blackened in spots, about 5 minutes. Turn; broil other side 5 minutes. Remove from broiler and transfer to a food processor; blend. Increase broiler heat to high. Place chicken on same baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Broil chicken until browned, about 9 minutes. Turn; broil other side 9 minutes. Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat; cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add pureed tomatillos and chiles; simmer uncovered, 2 minutes. Add cilantro and 1 teaspoon salt. Gently place chicken in sauce. Simmer, covered, until meat is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and cilantro.

From Epicurious.com via SELF by Peter Hoffman, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-with-tomatillo-and-cilantro-sauce-243589

.

Curried Cauliflower and Potato Salad

• 3 cups roasted cauliflower florets
• 3 cups roasted Red Bliss potatoes
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 cup diced roasted red bell peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 small red onion, julienned
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions (white and light green parts), for garnish

Coarsely chop the cauliflower and potatoes into 1/2-inch chunks and set aside.

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds until fragrant, shaking the pan frequently, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer them to a spice grinder and pulse until ground to a fine powder, then pour them into a small dish and mix in the curry powder and cayenne.

Set aside about 1 tablespoon each of the bell peppers and cilantro for garnish and place the rest in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, yogurt, red onion, celery, lemon juice and zest, reserved spices, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir until smooth. Add the cauliflower and potatoes and mix well to coat evenly.

Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl. Garnish with the green onions and the reserved cilantro and bell peppers. Serve.

From Epicurious.com via Guy Fieri Family Food by Guy Fieri, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/curried-cauliflower-and-potato-salad

.

Grilled Polenta with Corn, Red Onion, and Cucumber Salad

• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal) or yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 4 ears corn, husked
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 1/2 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
• 1 1/4 cups chopped English hothouse cucumber
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh mint

Bring 4 cups water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan. Gradually add polenta, whisking until boiling and smooth. Reduce heat to low. Cook until very thick, whisking often, about 25 minutes (about 15 minutes for yellow cornmeal). Whisk in cheese. Spread in 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish. Cool slightly. Cover; chill at least 6 hours.

Whisk lime juice, oil and garlic in large bowl to blend. Set dressing aside.

Spray grill with oil spray; prepare barbecue (medium heat). Spray corn and onion slices with oil spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until vegetables are tender, turning often, about 8 minutes for corn and 15 minutes for onion. Cool. Cut corn kernels from cobs. Coarsely chop onion. Add corn, onion, tomatoes, cucumber and mint to dressing; toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut polenta into 4 squares. Cut each square diagonally into 2 triangles. Spray polenta with oil spray. Grill until heated through, about 5 minutes per side.

Divide salad among 4 plates. Place 2 polenta triangles alongside each salad.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/grilled-polenta-with-corn-red-onion-and-cucumber-salad-103608

.

.