- Zucchini
- Basil
- Herb( parsley or thyme)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Tomatoes for slicing including heirlooms
- Hot peppers
- Red sweet peppers
- Lettuce or radicchio
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Green onions
- Cucumbers
- celery
- Fruit: plums, pears , grapes and apples ( choose 10 pieces)
This week brought more devastating news from Afghanistan . Seeing and hearing of human suffering it’s very difficult, making one’s problems feel small. A small glimmer of hope came in the news that some refugees will be settled here in the Portland metro area. Here is one way you can consider helping: https://refugeecarecollective.org/give/
We have spent energy at my clinic shifting gears once more to focus on protecting the community and reestablishing urgent care because of the surge in Covid 19. We are debating providing access to monoclonal antibody therapy for those newly infected with Covid and shifting precious resources to that service while maintaining open vaccine clinics and testing. Primary care once again pushed to the back burner. People with chronic conditions still need care, mental health needs attention and there seems to be no way to do it all.
Covid restrictions have once again been imposed, indoor and outdoor masking requirements reimposed. I was never in favor of lifting indoor masking requirements as more than half the population is not vaccinated. Please stay safe. Please do not come to the farm if you are not feeling well. We are able to bag your produce and have it ready for contactless pick up.
It has been a week of catch-up weeding and making preparations for fall crop planting. We uncovered our experimental beds. Prior to our vacation I transplanted and then seeded three adjacent beds. The Napa Cabbage seems to have done much better being covered and giving it a chance to grow past the devastation at the flea beetle. The beets did not fare much better than in prior attempts; germination seems good but plants died off. I tried to make a bed of arugula by broadcasting seed but this has not been as successful. There seem to be more weeds than arugula in that bed. Much of the lettuce and radicchio that I seeded, transplanted and weeded appears to have been shocked by the hot weather and has gone to seed. This is very disappointing as I have tried to get ahead to have an abundance for the fall. We will give what we can today. Remember, to take the bitter out of radicchio, eat inner leaves and soak in ice water for 15 – 30 minutes.
The amazing bounty of last week has seemed to shift with the cooler nights.This period for plants, it is so hard to know how to grow with mixed messages and wide fluctuations in temperatures and unusual bursts of heat. The beans are taking a rest, they may be back at the end of next month, some vigorous vines are in flower again, others just seem done. Eggplants are poking along, I think the flea beetle pressure has gotten to them and they can not set more flowers. The tomatoes like the heat but not the 45 degree nights and they seem confused. Many of you got melons last week. We will try and supply enough for everyone else this week. We planted half a green house of melons and had an amazing first harvest. Some of the flavor is not as sweet as we had hoped, even with heat and water they are somewhat simple. Is it time to throw in the towel on Pacific Northwest melon growing? I am not sure.
I Imagine that many of you were involved in some way in Hood to Coast. I have never participated but this year I was asked to volunteer to help with the team from On. Diego works for this athletic shoe company and they were in need of volunteers. Kody agreed to help and Luna and I succumbed to pressure. We started our shift at 9:45 PM and ended at 2 AM and instead of having an hour drive home it took us three hours with the traffic from the foot race and having to go one way on a two-way highway up in the hills. When we finally popped out at Astoria we were out of gas. I am sure these misadventures are nothing in comparison to those who actually ran the race. I am not sure the complementary pair of On running shoes is worth the lost time farming as I was at half energy yesterday after my 2 hours of sleep for the “night”.
We have are gathering ourselves for harvest this morning, here are some recipes to try this week:
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/cucumber-tomato-salad/
This recipe for celery soup seems like a great way to use this slightly water deprived celery and will be a quick addition to this week’s dinner menu: https://food52.com/recipes/26523-jane-grigson-s-celery-soup