Welcome to the 11th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2021 Summer CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Lettuce Mix
• Broccoli
• Basil – Don’t forget that basil doesn’t appreciate cold temps and it is best stored on the counter in a glass of water, just like fresh flowers.
• Mixed Beans – A mix of flat-podded yellow ‘Capitano’ and purple striped ‘Dragon Tongue’ beans. Both can be prepared like regular snap beans, but note that the purple stripes will turn green when cooked.
• Cucumbers – We’ve got lots of green slicer cucumbers and some lemons for you to choose from.
• Zucchini – We’ve got dark green, light green, and yellow zucchini this week.
• Sweet Corn – This week’s corn is called ‘Sweetness’.
• Yellow Onions
• Early Red Italian Garlic
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Mixed Sweet Peppers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Slicer Tomatoes
• Tirreno Tuscan Melons – Our favorite cantaloupe-esque melon!

Here in the PNW it can feel like we wait all year for summer to arrive. The dark, rainy days of winter are only a memory as we finally bask in the warm sun and get our fill of the summer fruits rolling in from the fields. However, even as we’re facing another heatwave, we know the moment is fleeting and we better soak it in before it’s gone. Autumn is just around the corner and it won’t be sunny forever.

This past week was another nose-to-the-grindstone sort of work week. Thanks to a lull in the transplanting on deck we were able to team up and focus on knocking out a thorough weeding of the weediest spot on the farm: the leeks! It had been on the To Do list for ages and we finally found the time and momentum to tackle the problem area. We’ve still got to get back to the neighboring celeriac, but gosh darn it, those leeks are cleaned up!

We also managed to seed the last of the chicories, beans, chard, and cabbage of the this growing season. We hoed the fall/winter carrots. We mowed and prepped ground and planted a bonus round of basil that was started back when it seemed like the basil wasn’t doing so well. We moved flats around and moved irrigation pipe around and moved crops around. It was a steady week of steady work.

More of the same in the week ahead. This week we’ll be transplanting our big chicory planting for winter salads! Hopefully one or both of us might make it back to the celeriac weeding project. It looks like I’ll be tackling a little seed threshing as we hunker down through the upcoming heatwave. And the big onion harvest is looming on the horizon. But because it’s August, there will also be plenty of melon breaks too.

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

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Zucchini-Basil Soup

• 2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cups water, divided
• 1/3 cup packed basil leaves

Julienne skin (only) from half of zucchini with slicer; toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and drain in a sieve until wilted, at least 20 minutes. Coarsely chop remaining zucchini.

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 3- to 4-quarts heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup with basil in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids).

Bring remaining cup water to a boil in a small saucepan and blanch julienned zucchini 1 minute. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl (use liquid to thin soup if necessary).

Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls with julienned zucchini mounded on top.

From Epicurious.com via Gourmet by Shelley Wiseman, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/zucchini-basil-soup-242831

Green Beans and Zucchini with Sauce Verte

• Sauce verte:
  • 1/3 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
  • 1 green onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons (packed) fresh Italian parsley
  • 2 tablespoons drained capers
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Vegetables:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound green beans, stem end trimmed
  • 12 ounces zucchini, halved lengthwise, each half cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-wide strips
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley leaves (for garnish)

For sauce verte:

Blend first 7 ingredients in processor until finely chopped. With machine running, gradually add olive oil. Process until coarse puree forms. Season sauce verte to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

For vegetables:

Heat oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables; stir until coated. Sprinkle with salt and 3 tablespoons water. Cover; cook vegetables until almost crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Uncover; cook until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes longer. Stir in enough sauce verte to coat vegetables generously. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Garnish with parsley and serve.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit by Jeanne Kelley, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/green-beans-and-zucchini-with-sauce-verte-359389

Vegetable and Tofu Red Curry

• 1 cup jasmine rice
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 1 medium onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 large garlic clove, chopped
• 2 teaspoons bottled Asian red-curry paste such as Thai Kitchen brand
• 1 (14-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (1-lb) package frozen mixed vegetables such as broccoli, corn, and red peppers
• 1 (14- to 16-oz) block firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

Rinse rice briefly in a sieve and drain, shaking sieve to remove excess water. Bring rice and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan over high heat, then cover pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook rice over low heat until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook onion in oil in a wide 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate, then add garlic and curry paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in coconut milk, salt, and remaining 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Stir in vegetables and return to a boil. Cover pot, then reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes. Gently stir in tofu and simmer curry, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove pot from heat and stir in fish sauce and salt to taste. Serve curry with rice.

From Epicurious.com via Gourmet, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/vegetable-and-tofu-red-curry-234255