Welcome to the 12th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2023 Summer CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Lettuce Mix – A mix of three lettuces.
• Red Cabbage – Slawgust August continues!
• Broccoli
• Basil – Basil pesto freezes well, and if frozen in small quantities it’s easy to use. We also like having dried basil around to throw into sauces and curry. Reminder: basil doesn’t like cold temperatures so we suggest skipping the fridge and keeping it in a glass of water on the countertop.
• Bunching Onions
• Beets
• Sweet Corn – We’ve moved on to the second variety of the second succession and unfortunately we’re still seeing a handful of corn earworms, though not nearly as many as in the first round. They are sneaky though, so be warned that you may see a worm or two in your corn again this week.
• Mixed Cucumbers – Including green and yellow slicers and lemon cucumbers.
• Mixed Zucchini & Summer Squash – Choose from green, yellow, and light green Mexican zucchinis, and a few yellow straightneck summer squash.
• Mixed Sweet Peppers – Mixed Bell and elongated/pointy Italian Frying Peppers, different shapes but similar in taste and use. Some with more color than others (these varieties ripen to red and yellow) but all sweet with no heat.
• Shishitos Peppers – Known as a roulette pepper, 1 in 10 might be hot. They’re great with eggs, or anything else really, but traditionally blistered in hot oil and eaten with a little salt.
• Mixed Cherry Tomatoes & Slicer Tomatoes
• Mixed Melons – Including Tirreno Tuscan cantaloupes, Honey Orange honeydews, and Lambkin Piel del sapo melons.

Hello, and welcome to the middle of the August 2023 heatwave! Hopefully everyone is keeping as cool as possible during the heat of the day. Luckily the temperature does come down overnight, and oddly enough we’ve been thankful for the smoke drift that has helped to keep the daily highs a little lower the past couple of days. The predicted 110 degrees yesterday only turned out to be about 101. We’ll take it!

Please note: Both the Salem pick-up on Tuesday and the on-farm pick-up on Wednesday will be going ahead as regularly scheduled. Please be safe in the heat and smoke and let us know if you can’t make it to your pick-up. We’re happy to arrange a time later in the week for you to stop by the farm for your share.

Unfortunately the work of the farm doesn’t let up just because the weather has shifted into heat mode. We’ve been working away to get this week’s share harvested the past couple of days, but have been moving at a slower pace. More water breaks and a break in the early evening during the hottest part of the day has been in order. So far the weather hasn’t noticeably effected any crops, though it’s made the routine irrigation schedule that much more important. And perhaps the weeds have gotten taller?

In case you’re interested, here are a few resources that I’ve found useful for monitoring wildfire smoke and keeping an eye on the closest fires:

• National Fire and Smoke Map
• Zoom Earth satellite imagery
• ODF South Cascade Facebook page with Wiley Creek Fire updates
• Linn County Wildfire Map

We’re looking forward to the end of the week when the temperatures are predicted to moderate back into the 80s. We’ll be ready to get back to transplanting, cultivating, weeding, and of course more harvesting. Hopefully at a faster speed.

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:

California Chicken Tacos with Corn and Red Cabbage Slaw

• Chicken:
• 1 5-pound roasting chicken
• 3 limes
• 1 pinch salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

• Other Fillings:
• 3 to 4 ears of fresh corn, husks attached
• ¹/₂ medium-sized red cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 bunch green onions, finely sliced
• 6 ounces queso fresca, crumbled
• 12 flour tortillas, warmed
• 1 dollop sour cream (optional)
• 1 handful Cilantro (optional)

Place chicken in roasting pan, or prepare for grilling as you normally would. Generously salt the cavity. Zest the limes, then cut them in half. Gently loosen the skin of the chicken: Start at the neck, work back towards the breast, and then finish at the legs. Push the lime zest under the skin, spreading evenly. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken and place the squeezed limes in its cavity. Dust chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Place it in a 325° F oven for 1 hour 45 minutes, or grill as you normally would a whole chicken.

Gently remove the cornsilk from the corn so that the cob can still rest in it’s husk. Fill a large bowl or Ziplock bag with icy water and soak the corn for 15 to 20 minutes. Place corn in its husk on a medium-hot grill and cook for 25 minutes, turning as the husks char. Remove from grill and let cool, then remove kernels.

Place cabbage in a bowl with the corn kernels, sliced green onions, and crumbled queso fresca. Squeeze the juice of the three limes over the mixture. Set aside.

When chicken is finished cooking, let it cool and then remove meat, discarding the skin and bones. Serve the chicken pieces on a platter next to the corn, cabbage slaw, and warm tortillas.

To assemble: Place the chicken on a tortilla, add slaw, sour cream, and cilantro (if desired), and roll into a taco or burrito.

From Food52.com by Linda Burkhart, https://food52.com/recipes/28505-california-chicken-tacos-with-corn-and-red-cabbage-slaw

Cantaloupe & Cucumber Salad with Basil & Feta

• ¹/₂ of a medium cantaloupe, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1 cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch chunks (any variety will do, but I prefer a hothouse — seedless, with a thinner skin — for this salad)
• 6 large basil leaves, chiffonaded (see note)
• 3 ounces feta, crumbled
• 3 tablespoons shelled raw sunflower seeds
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Flaky sea salt
• Ground pepper

To toast the sunflower seeds, place in a dry pan over medium heat. Toast 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until lightly browned and fragrant.

In a bowl, combine the cantaloupe, cucumber, feta, and half the basil. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Serve the salad topped with the toasted sunflower seeds, flaky salt, and more pepper.

From Food52.com by Kendra Vaculin, https://food52.com/recipes/30433-cantaloupe-cucumber-salad-with-basil-feta

Pineapple Beet Ambrosia

3 cups cubed (1/2-inch) pineapple
1 cup cubed (1/2-inch) roasted beets
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons raw sugar
³/₄ cup heavy cream
¹/₃ cup sour cream
Pinch cayenne

In a large bowl, mix together the pineapple, beets, coconut, ginger, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Chill for 1 to 4 hours. In a small bowl, whip the cream and remaining sugar to soft peaks. Fold in the sour cream. Season the pineapple mixture to taste with a few small pinches cayenne, and spoon mixture into a bowl. Serve the fruit salad, topped with a generous helping of whipped cream, to mix in as it’s eaten.

From Food52.com by Amanda Hesser, https://food52.com/recipes/28870-pineapple-beet-ambrosia