- Lettuce
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Kale
- Basil
- Tomatoes
- Cherry tomatoes
- Potatoes
- Onion
- Hot peppers
- Sweet peppers
- Green beans
- Fruit
- Stuffing peppers
The rain of last weekend and yesterday has transformed the farm. The kale that was pinched and gray looking is rich and dark green. The broccoli looks like it has a new lease on life and the radicchio is flourishing. The tomatoes are not totally happy with dew and rain drops splitting their skins but they are hanging in there.. We will harvest some greens for you today before the flea beetles burst into action at the end of this week with temps in the 90s. The battle against weather, pests and weeds continues as your farmers try to make this crazy 24 year experiment work. We count on subscribers to help bring in the harvest.
Amidst the wedding activities last week I put out lace wings and mite predators. Juve trapped ground squirrels and we battled gophers. Today I ordered the assassin bug to help on the pest front. You would think with 3 cats, 6 dogs and all this work our rodents would be eliminated. Not the case.
This week we feature peppers. The sweet peppers are starting to color up. The long skinny pepper is “Carmen” , my personal favorite. She is sweet and tangy and makes for great eating. The stuffing peppers are mostly “Baron” , a really nice ancho pepper with a bit of fire to make those rellenos interesting.The Jalapenos are massive and getting some fire. Being members of a CSA means that you will get vegetables at the height of their season. You are getting to taste varieties you never would find at the grocery store. We will continue to bring you the best nature has to provide.
On the horizon is radicchio, broccoli,cauliflower, fennel, winter squash and more. The daikon is sizing up which means fall is just around the corner. If you cannot bear the thought of your subscription ending in just 8 weeks then join our winter CSA. You will get 8 weeks of delicious frost kissed sweet vegetables that will nourish your family through the long bleak winter months. We have spots left – email us to save your spot and send a deposit of $100. The total for winter is $320 and it is full share every other week (approximately).
Mark your calendars for the Harvest Festival October 13, from 2-6 pm. Invite family and friends and potential members to this fun filled afternoon of music, pizza, farm tours and more.
Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake
Yield:4 servings
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil (such as grapeseed)
- 2 poblano chiles or green bell peppers, seeds and stem removed, coarsely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- 2(15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed
- 1(16-ounce) jar salsa verde, or 1¾ cups homemade salsa verde
- ¼cup packed cilantro leaves, stems reserved and finely chopped
- 1½cups/6 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese
- Lime wedges, for serving
PREPARATION
- Step 1
Arrange a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat the broiler to high. (If you don’t have a broiler, see Tip.)
- Step 2
In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the poblanos and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the beans, salsa verde and cilantro stems, and simmer until thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 4
Turn off the heat, sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top, then broil until melted and browned in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve right away topped with cilantro leaves and a squeeze of lime.
TIP
- You can also melt the cheese on the stovetop. Set the heat under the skillet to low, cover the skillet, and cook until the cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes.
STOVETOP CORN with POBLANOS
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small red onion, diced, about ½ cup
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced, about ¾ cup
- Salt
- pepper
- Cayenne or finely minced red jalapeño, optional
- Kernels from 6 ears corn, about 3 cups
- 2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch strips
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- ½cup crème fraîche
- 1 or 2 limes, cut in half
PREPARATION
- Step 1
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add a pinch of cayenne or a little minced jalapeño, if using.
- Step 2
Add the corn kernels and poblano strips, season again and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is cooked and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the scallions, then the crème fraîche and allow it to heat through. Taste for seasoning, and give the corn a good squeeze of lime.
GREEN BEAN AND CHERRY TOMATO SALAD
INGREDIENTS
Yield:6 servings
- Salt and black pepper
- ½pound small green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes of various colors (about 10 ounces), halved
- ¼cup pitted Niçoise olives, roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
- 2 anchovy filets, roughly chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, grated
- A handful of arugula or small lettuce leaves
- PREPARATION
- Step 1
- Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil, add green beans and cook for 2 minutes.
- Step 2
- Drain, spread beans on a kitchen towel and cool to room temperature.
- Step 3
- Put beans and cherry tomatoes in a low bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Step 4
- In a small bowl, combine olives, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, capers, anchovy, and garlic. Whisk together and pour over beans and tomatoes. Toss to coat. Check seasoning and adjust. Leave at room temperature.
- Step 5
- Just before serving, garnish bean-tomato mixture with arugula or salad greens.
INGREDIENTS
CRISPY GREEN BEANS AND POTATO SABZI
Yield:2 main-dish or 4 side-dish servings
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil
- 1 medium russet potato, diced into ½-inch pieces
- ½teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)
- 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and halved
- ½tablespoon ground coriander
- ½tablespoon ground cumin
- ¼teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1(½-inch) piece ginger, minced
- 1½tablespoons unsweetened almond butter
- Lime juice, to taste
- Chaat masala (optional), for garnish
- Rice or roti (optional), for serving
- Step 1
In a large (lidded) nonstick skillet over high heat, warm the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the potato and half the salt and let cook, undisturbed, until the cubes develop a golden-brown crust on the bottoms, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Lower the heat to medium, give the potatoes a toss and add the green beans, the remaining salt and ¼ cup of water. Cover and let cook for about 3 more minutes, until the beans are starting to soften but still a little crunchy, and the potatoes have a little firmness but can be pierced with a fork.
- Step 3
Add the coriander, cumin, pepper, garlic and ginger. Toss to coat the potatoes and green beans, then let cook until you can smell the strong fragrance of the spices, ginger and garlic, about another minute.
- Step 4
Turn the heat down to low, stir in the almond butter, and as it melts, toss it with the vegetables to coat. Cook the sabzi for another minute or two, just to let the almond butter dry out a little and form a crust on the vegetables.
- Step 5
Remove the pan from heat, and sprinkle the top with lime juice and a light dusting of chaat masala, if using. Serve by itself, or with rice or roti alongside.
Green Bean Salad
Ingredients
| 280g | yellow beans, trimmed (if unavailable, double the quantity of French beans) |
| 280g | French beans, trimmed |
| 2 | red peppers, cut into 0.5cm strips |
| 3 tbsp | olive oil, plus 1 tsp for the peppers |
| 3 | garlic cloves, thinly sliced |
| 50g | capers, rinsed and patted dry |
| 1 tsp | cumin seeds |
| 2 tsp | coriander seeds |
| 4 | spring onions, thinly sliced |
| 10g | tarragon, roughly chopped |
| 20g | picked chervil leaves (or a mixture of picked dill and shredded parsley) |
| grated zest of 1 lemon | |
| salt and black pepper |
Method
Preheat the oven to 220ºC/200ºC Fan/Gas Mark 7.
Bring a large pan with plenty of water to the boil and add the yellow beans. After 1 minute add the French beans and cook for another 4 minutes, or until the beans are cooked through but still crunchy. Refresh under ice-cold water, drain, pat dry and place in a large mixing bowl.
Meanwhile, toss the peppers in 1 teaspoon of olive oil, spread on a baking tray and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from the oven and add to the bowl with the cooked beans.
Heat the 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for 20 seconds, add the capers (careful, they spit!) and fry for another 15 seconds. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and continue frying for another 15 seconds. The garlic should have turned golden by now. Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the pan immediately over the beans. Toss and add the spring onion, herbs, lemon zest, ¹⁄³ of a teaspoon of salt and black pepper. Serve, or keep refrigerated for up to a day. Just remember to bring it back to room temperature before serving.