- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Green peppers
- Hot peppers
- Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Walla Walla sweet onions
- Eggplant
- Cabbage (while they last, end of the spring cabbage, no more until fall)
- Beets or carrots
- Tomatillos
- Green onions
- Basil
- Kale or chard
- Plums or apples
Once again the temperatures have soared to over 95. This is not good for farm crops or farmers. The effects of humans on this planet are hitting the Pacific Northwest and we are feeling it. We have lost all the lettuce expected for this week. It is too hot and too dry. Other crops are doing better, like peppers and eggplant, but honestly no crops like it when the thermometer hits the high nineties.
Juve and Vincent managed to get a lot of weeding done. The horrible Canadian thistle has been beaten back, but it is not gone, just resting! We need to get the fall broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage in the ground, but the onions have to be harvested first. We hope to get it all done before we take a short break next week.
Our hot peppers were covered in weeds and are slow to recover, so for the first year we will have sweet peppers before hot. A lot of our peppers are in the hoop house which is just scorching hot and unpleasant on these hot hot days. Shade cloth doesn’t really work on veggies as the plants just grow taller and are weaker as they reach for light.
Please do remember to show up to help out next week as we take a short break and my sister Dee heads the harvest crew. A new sign-up sheet has gone up for August – September, still many opportunities to help on the farm and appreciate how those veggies make it to your table.
We decided to order the t-shirts on our own. There will be samples in the barn and if you want to pre-order before the harvest festival that is great. In early August we will have the sign up there for you.
Dates to remember:
- Payment for the remainder of the season due August 1
- Helvetia Culture Fest August 16th
- Canning party – September 12 (just mark your calendar)
- Harvest Festival, October 18
For the month of August, the Oregon Food Bank is inviting all Oregonians to participate in their Local Food Challenge. Take the Local Food Challenge and join other farms, friends and neighbors in the quest to buy more local for the month of August. All you need to do is make a quick profile and enter what you spend on local food during August. Register now here:
Local Food Challenge: http://www.oregonfoodbank.org/LocalFoodChallenge
The profiles are quick to create, and when you log into your profile in August to record your local food purchases, make sure you include the value of this CSA by determining out how much your CSA costs per month and count it towards your goal. For example, if your CSA costs $500 for 20 weeks, your CSA costs $100/month.
Make sure to also include farmers market purchases, local foods purchased at the grocery story (the Oregon Food Bank is defining local as grown, raised or caught within 200 miles of where you live), u-pick, farm stands, and even in your own garden!
Find out more about the Local Food Challenge on their website, and get involved!
Local Food Challenge: http://www.oregonfoodbank.org/LocalFoodChallenge
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oregonfoodbankcfs
Off to harvest before it gets too hot.
Paleo Zucchini Bread (tested and approved by Sue Kass)
Preheat oven to 400. Prepare 1 dozen muffin tins or oil and line w/parchment standard loaf pan.
Blend until smooth:
1 c almond butter
2 Tbs cocoa powder
3 Tbs maple syrup
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Add in
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Mix well, then fold in
1 c. Shredded zucchini, excess moisture squeezed out.
Muffins take about 15-20 minutes, loaf 30-40.
Doubles, freezes well.
ROASTED TOMATILLO SALSA
If you’re pressed for time, you may want to try a jarred
brand of tomatillo salsa instead of making it from scratch.
We can’t attest to the quality of all of them, but we do
love Rick Bayless’s, which has a fine, robust flavor. (Look
for it in specialty foods stores and in some supermarkets.)
Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 15 min.
1 1/2 lb fresh tomatillos or 3 (11-oz) cans tomatillos
5 fresh serrano chiles
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons coarse salt
Place tomatillos (after husking them), garlic and chiles in a pan in the broiler, 2 – 3 inches from broiler. Broil until tomatillos soft (approximately 7 minutes. Remove and peal garlic, destem the chiles and place all ingredients in blender.
Makes about 3 cups.
Gourmet
Plaka Greek Salad
3 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), coarsely cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 small red onion, cut into large dice
2 red bell peppers, seeded, deribbed and coarsely cut into 1- to 1 1/2- inch pieces
1 English cucumber, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3/4 pound feta cheese
1 cup kalamata olives
1 teaspoon dried Greek oregano
Arrange the tomatoes, onion, bell peppers and cucumber on a serving plate. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.
Crumble the feta cheese over the top, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle the olives and oregano over the salad and serve immediately.
SERVES 8.