Week #17; Tomato-palooza

Sweet corn survey

We tried something new with sweet corn this year.  We increased the number of plantings but made each field smaller.  Our goal was to do a better job of distributing corn to members of all share types, whether weekly or monthly members.  It worked!  You got seven weeks of sweet corn instead of five, but with about 8 ears per box instead of about 10 ears.

What do you think about the new system?  Too much corn?  Still too little?  We really want to know so we can plan for next year.  Check this week’s email for a survey link.

FYI, the bugs at the tips are a separate issue.  Most years, the earliest plantings are at least risk of insect damage, as the egg-laying moths usually haven’t arrived in Wisconsin yet.  Things were reversed this year, with bugs in the early plantings, then fewer in the later ears.  Sometimes moths get blown north earlier than expected.  That’s probably what happened.  Each corn earworm moth can lay 2000 eggs so a few moths can do a lot of damage.

Tomato-palooza

We are at peak tomato season right now.  We are determined to get tomatoes to all of you, whether in the CSA boxes or through extra purchases or via farm u-picks.

It takes this many pails and baskets of tomatoes to pack 4 lb in every box, plus fill pre-orders for members who want to preserve for winter.  From left, Matt moves pails of tomatoes, Ben washes kale, Maggie, Charlotte and Karen put tomatoes in paper bags for the CSA boxes.

First plum tomato u-pick. 

The weather was perfect and the picking was easy.  We have planned a second (and final) plum tomato u-pick.  Check your 9/6/21 email titled “Tomato upick” for details and a link to register.  Our farm events are for Tipi CSA members only.

Can you see the straw in the aisles in the photo above?  That’s the straw mulch that we laid down in June.  It’s worked pretty well for weed control but has required spot weeding and one mowing to control wheat sprouts.  If you use wheat straw, you will get wheat seeds too.  The mulch has definitely made the tomato field an easier and more pleasant place to work.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #17, September 9/10, 2021
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ moon

Kale, 1 bunch
Slicing tomatoes, ~4 lb
Globe eggplant
Red watermelon
Grape tomatoes, ~1 pint
Colored peppers, bell or frying (sweet), ~4-5
Oranos snack pepper (orange, sweet), ~2
Yellow onion, 1 – 2
Basil, 1 bunch

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, peppers, leeks and other fall veggies.

Kale (large bunch of ruffled leaves) – We finally have room in the box for greens!  Our youngest field of kale and collards has been ready to pick for a few weeks but we couldn’t fit them in the box.  Enjoy.  This young planting is in good shape, with tender leaves.

Peppers (bell &/or frying; sweet) – The orange and yellow peppers are over-achievers right now too!  This is a treat – these peppers are beautiful with thick walls, perfect for roasting.  We’re pleased with how unusually productive these peppers are this year.  It’s not typical.

Oranos snack peppers (smaller, slender, orange, sweet) – These beauties are perfect for packed lunches, in small portions but with sweet, tangy flavor.

Red watermelon – This might be the final melon of the season.

RECIPES from DEB

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Photo by Todd Porter & Diane Cu

Stovetop Mac & Cheese with Kale

Adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 6-8
Takes about 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 bunch of kale, rinsed, and large stems removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or put through a press (optional)
good pinch of kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 3/4 cups warm water
3 cups milk, warmed
1 pound macaroni or pasta of your choice
another good pinch of kosher salt
3 cups shredded cheese – again your choice – when I tested this recipe I used white cheddar, Swiss, a kind of spicey smoked cheddar with a bit of chipotle, and Parmesan
Additional salt & pepper to taste, and you can play around with the seasoning – I often put in a bit of nutmeg, and dry or prepared mustard, and some hot seasonings like cayenne would not be out of place

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and when it’s boiling, submerge the kale and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour into a colander and rinse with cold water to cool it, and then squeeze the water out of the kale by handfuls, transferring it to a cutting board, where you will chop it into bite size pieces.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the kale, and sauté, adding the salt and pepper and optional garlic, until it’s looking a softened and browned, about 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pot – could be the same one you used for the kale, and add the flour. Blend, then whisk in the warm water and the milk. Add the dry pasta and the 2nd pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover and cook for 10-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked and liquid is mostly absorbed. Uncover and add the grated cheese, kale, and any additional seasonings. Stir well and serve.
.
.

Photo by Sabra Krock for The New York Times

Pasta Melanzane

Adapted from The New York Times.
Sometimes called Pasta alla Norma; serves 4-6
Takes about 45 minutes

1 1/2 pounds eggplant
approximately 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced or put through a press
1 bell pepper, any color, sliced or chopped
1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (or a 14 oz. can)
1 pound pasta – fettucine is traditional here; spaghetti also work
1/2 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oven to 400° Slice the eggplant into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Brush with olive oil, arrange in a single layer on one or two baking sheets, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until softened and browned, about 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets.

Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil and salt it, and when it’s boiling add the pasta. Cook the pasta until tender but not mushy, and drain.

Heat about a tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the pasta and cook the garlic and peppers, until the garlic colors a little bit, and the peppers have started to soften. Add the tomatoes along with some salt and pepper; continue to cook until saucy but not too dry, stirring occasionally.

Cut the eggplant into strips and add to the peppers & tomato mixture. Add the drained pasta and toss well. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then top with the basil and grated cheese and serve.
.
.

Focaccia with Roasted Peppers

Based on Carol Field’s Focaccia from Genoa, in Focaccia, Simple Breads from the Italian Oven
10-12 servings
Takes about 45 minutes active time, plus 2 hours to overnight to rise

Sponge:
2 1/2 teaspoons (scant tablespoon, or one pack) active dry yeast
2/3 cup warm water (105° to 115° F – should feel just barely warm)
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

Dough:
all of the sponge
1/2 cup room temperature water
1/3 cup white wine – also room temp
1/3 cup olive oil
2 3/4 – 3 cups unbleached flour
2 teaspoons table salt

Topping:
About 2 tablespoons olive oil, and about 2 teaspoons flakey salt
2-3 roasted peppers, technique below

Make the sponge: Pour the water into a mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle in the yeast, then add the flour and mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. Cover the bowl and let rise for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours until bubbly and puffy.

Make the dough: Pour the water, wine, and olive oil into the bowl with the sponge. Add 2 1/2 cups of the flour, and the salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or with the flat beater of the stand mixer until you have a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl, adding the additional flour as necessary. If you are using a stand mixer, increase the speed to medium, and beat/knead for 3 minutes. If you are making the dough by hand, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking. For both methods, form the dough into a smooth ball in the bowl, cover, amd let rise for about 1 hour, until doubled. The dough can also be refrigerated at this point for several hours, and up to overnight.

Roast the peppers: there are lots of ways to do this, but the method I like best is to arrange whole peppers on a parchment- or foil-lined baking sheet, and place them under the broiler. Broil until they are well charred, turning to get all sides. Put the peppers into a heat proof bowl, and cover with a plate or lid. Let steam and cool for at least 15 minutes. Place a cutting board tipped into your sink, and lay a pepper on the board. Split it open with a paring knife, and let the (possibly very hot!) juices run into the sink. Remove the stem, veins, and seeds, and turn the pepper over and peel off the skin.

Shape the dough: Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a 10 x 15 1/2 in. baking pan and dump the risen dough out into the pan. Turn it over to coat it with oil, and start stretching & pushing the dough to the sides of the pan. Let rest for about 15 minutes – 30 if refrigerated – and then continue stretching and dimple the dough with your fingertips. Add the toppings at this point – up to another tablespoon of olive oil plus the roasted peppers and salt. Let the dough rise for about 45 minutes to an hour.

Bake the focaccia: About 30 minutes before the end of the rising time, heat the oven to 425°. When the dough is risen, place it in the oven and spray the top of the dough and bottom & sides of the oven with water from a mister. Close the oven and reduce the heat to 400°. Spray with water twice more during the first 10 minutes of baking. Bake 25 – 30 minutes total, until golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature.

The example in the picture has roasted poblano chiles and potatoes, parboiled & sliced thin, and roasted delicata squash, also thinly sliced.
.
.

Panzanella

Panzanella is a great way to eat tomatoes and use up the end of that sourdough loaf that you can’t get anyone to eat! The salad in the picture is made with grape tomatoes and cucumbers – a mix of the grape and slicing tomatoes in this week’s box will work fine, and omit the cukes if you’re out.
Makes 4-6 servings
Takes 30 minutes or less

about 4 ounces crusty bread – 4 large slices or so
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/2 pounds of tomatoes, any variety
2 tsp. Dijon or other prepared mustard
a good pinch of sugar
another one of coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
a good pinch of sugar
another one of coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 of a large red or sweet white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons capers, drained (optional)
a couple of good handfuls of herbs (basil or parsley), chopped or torn as appropriate
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350. Tear the bread into coarse chunks, crouton size, and place it in a bowl large enough for tossing. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and add the garlic, and toss. Turn the oiled bread out onto a sheet pan, and toast in the oven until golden. Let cool.

Mix the mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, and vinegar in the bottom of the bowl you’ll serve your salad in. Drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. Cut the tomatoes in half, squeeze out some of the juice and seeds, and cut them into bite size pieces. Add them to the bowl with the bread, onion, and capers, and toss well. Add the herbs and toss again. Right before serving, which should be within in an hour or two, top the salad with the crumbled feta.
.
.

Photo by Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Peperonata

From The New York Times
When we have an abundance of peppers in the summer, I love to make big batches of peperonata. It freezes well, and brings back the tastes of summer deep into the winter. This recipe calls for fennel; you can sub in a small pinch of fennel seed, and in lieu of roasting the peppers you can make this on the stove: slice the peppers and combine with the other ingredients, and sauté.
.
.

Some ideas for watermelon

Most of us are simply inclined to eat watermelon in slices, but here are a few suggestions.

You can seed the watermelon and cut it into chunks to include in fruit salads. As shown in the picture, the seeds grow in a line. If you start by cutting the melon into quarters, stem end to blossom end, you can cut along the seed line and remove most of the seeds that way. Mollie Katzen suggests using a spoon handle for this; I usually cut the melon with a bread knife, and use the tip of the knife to remove the seeds.

Deb Perelman (Smitten Kitchen) provides a method in this Mojito recipe for cubing the melon and freezing it on a tray. Transfer the melon cubes to a plastic bag or container for longer storage if not making drinks right away.

And, there’s always the ubiquitous watermelon-feta salad, made by everyone from Ottolenghi to Nigella Lawson to Smitten.
.
.

Photo by Todd Porter & Diane Cu

Lemon Zest Chicken Stir-Fry with Sweet Peppers Recipe

From Food and Wine.
This easy chicken & peppers recipe from Food & Wine sparks up a stir fry with lemon zest. Serve over white or brown rice for a quick meal.

Week #16; Ari’s last day of work.

Steve and I became empty nesters this weekend, after depositing our son Ari at Macalester College in St. Paul.  It tugs at my heartstrings as he leaves home.  Still, I am grateful that he begins college this year instead of last year.  I’m glad he was home with us through the first year of the pandemic and now we can send him off vaccinated and healthy.

As a child, Ari (right) was quite the farm kid, rolling in the mud with his friend Chance (left).  (Chance works for us now too.)

Later, he lived in our tipi for days at a time, cooking his dinner over a fire and foraging for berries and cucumbers.

As usual, Ari worked on the farm this summer.  He was on Team Melon on his last day (of course), tossing from the field to John on the wagon.  Ari has picked melons with Steve since he was little, first washing melons on the wagon, then catching once he was strong enough.

Well, we hoped his last day of work would be memorable.

Me: Did that hurt?
Ari: Nope.
Me: Did it smell bad?
Ari: No, it was just overripe.

Thanks for reading.
Beth

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #16, September 2/3, 2021
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, 8 ears
Red watermelon
Slicing tomatoes ~4 lb
Orange grape tomatoes, 1 small bag
Colored peppers (sweet), 2 or 3
Oranos snack pepper (sweet), 1
‘Expression’ onion, 1
Basil, 1 big bunch
Zucchini or yellow squash; we might have 1 for everyone.
Otherwise … some sites get 1 cucumber.  

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, peppers, kale or collards, and more.

Sweet corn – This is the final sweet corn delivery for the season.  There are some bugs at the tips but it’s not too bad.
Orange grape tomatoes (in paper bag) – Enjoy these beauties.  They are delicious.
Colored peppers (sweet) – You’ll get 2 or 3 bell or frying peppers in various colors.  We have red, yellow and orange this week.
Orano snack pepper (orange, slender, sweet) – Everyone gets one of these tasty snack peppers.  They look kind of like a small, orange frying pepper.
Basil – It’s a big bundle this week, the first cutting from this field.
Zucchini, squash and cucumbers – This is the final week for these summer crops!  It’s been a really good run with these crops this season, in terms of abundance and quality.  We’ll start winter squash in just a few weeks.

RECIPES by PHOEBE

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Summer Veggie Orecchiette

This veggie pasta has been one of our favorite dishes this summer! It’s plenty flavorful as-is, but feel free to finish your plate with a shower of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 2-3
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 medium summer squash or zucchini, diced
2 peppers, diced
1/2 onion, diced
8 ounces orecchiette pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the summer squash, peppers, and onion on the baking sheet, and toss with a generous drizzle of olive oil and pinches of salt and pepper. Spread them in an even layer and roast for 18-22 minutes, or until tender and just beginning to brown.
3. When the veggies are done roasting, heat the olive oil in a small Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to brown.
4. Stir in the sherry vinegar, herbes de Provence, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, followed by the cherry tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until most of the tomatoes begin to burst, 2-4 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables, stir, and cook for 2 more minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
5. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions, or until al dente. Drain and return to the large pot. Stir in the vegetable mixture and season to taste. Serve with fresh basil for garnish.

.
.

Black Bean Tacos with Roasted Peppers and Zucchini

These vegetarian tacos are filled with refried black beans and roasted summer veggies. To offset the beans’ creamy texture, I top them with fresh corn kernels for crunch.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Kernels from 2 ears fresh corn
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
1 medium summer squash or zucchini, thinly sliced
2 peppers, sliced into strips
1 onion, half sliced into thin wedges, half diced, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado, more for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups black beans, drained and rinsed (2 14-ounce cans)
12 small tortillas, warmed
Lime wedges, for serving
Sea salt

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the fresh corn kernels, 2 tablespoons lime juice, the lime zest, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the zucchini, peppers, and onion wedges on the baking sheet and toss with the chili powder, pinches of sea salt, and a generous drizzle of oil. Spread in an even layer and roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway, until tender and browned.
3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the 2 tablespoons oil. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans, 3/4 cup water, and a heaping 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, until the water is thick and starchy. Transfer half the beans and their cooking liquid to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Stir the blended beans back into the pot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, and season to taste.
4. Assemble the tacos by filling each tortilla with a slather of the beans, some roasted vegetables, and a scoop of the fresh corn. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

.
.

The Simplest Tomato Basil Soup

This two-step soup couldn’t be simpler to make: just roast and blend! Serve it with good crusty bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 pounds tomatoes, halved crosswise
1 onion, peeled and sliced into 8 wedges
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
1 teaspoon sea salt, more for sprinkling
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the tomatoes, cut-side-up, on one sheet and the onion wedges and garlic on the other. Drizzle everything with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the onion and garlic for 30 minutes, or until tender. Roast the tomatoes for 1 hour, until they are bubbling on top and lightly browned underneath. Allow to cool slightly.
2. In a large blender, place the roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth. Add several grinds of black pepper and the fresh basil leaves and pulse until the basil is broken down into small flecks. Season to taste and serve.

.
.

Basil Pesto

From Love & Lemons

Toss it with pasta, dollop it onto eggs, spread it onto toast, or use it on your next pizza. The options are endless!
.
.

Sweet Corn Pesto Tossed with 50/50 Pappardelle and Zucchini Noodles

From Spoon Fork Bacon

To use the produce in your box, replace the shallot with 1 tablespoon diced onion.
.
.

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

From Minimalist Baker

A big panzanella – or Italian bread salad – is one of my favorite things to make in the summer. It’s a fantastic way to use peak-season tomatoes and can be served as a hearty side dish or light main. Feel free to omit the microgreens in this recipe and add some extra basil. And if you’re not vegan, dollops of regular ricotta or torn fresh mozzarella would be a nice addition here.
.
.

Sweet Corn Gazpacho

From Love & Lemons

This unconventional gazpacho is lightly sweet, tangy, refreshing, and downright delicious. The recipe calls for yellow tomatoes and peppers, but feel free to use the red/multicolored ones in this week’s box. The soup won’t look quite the same, but it will still taste great.
.

Week #15; Tomato Care

Ripe (top) and less ripe tomatoes (bottom).

We are heading into peak tomato season.  Ripe tomatoes are delicious but highly perishable so let’s talk about how to take care of the ones you receive.

Ripeness:  Each delivery, we pack a mix of ripe and less-ripe tomatoes so you can stretch them through the week.  In the photo above, the top tomatoes are ready to eat.  The bottom tomatoes can ripen at room temperature for a few days.

Storage:  Tomatoes retain their best flavor and texture when stored at room temperature, no lower than 55 F.  I encourage you to spread your tomatoes on plates so you can watch them.  Eat first the ripest ones or any showing flaws.  
However, you should refrigerate your tomatoes if they are fully ripe and you don’t expect to eat them right away.  It is better to sacrifice a little flavor and texture than to let your tomatoes spoil.  Also, fully ripe tomatoes are less sensitive to chilling injury.

They will need washing: Expect to wash your tomatoes.  We handle the ripe tomatoes as little as possible to avoid bruising.

(Left)  The yellow arrow shows small inconsequential flaws that will grow with time.  Eat now.
(Right) The purple arrows show leaf residue bits stuck to the tomato.  Wet the tomato and the residue will come right off.

This week’s pepper ID

Left; everyone gets one bell pepper (top, blocky) and one frying pepper (bottom, slender).
Right; everyone gets one ‘purplish’ bell pepper, somewhere on this spectrum of shades.  They are absolutely gorgeous as they ripen from purple to pale purple to orange to red.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #15, August 26/27, 2021
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Sweet corn, 8 ears
Red watermelon
Plum tomatoes
Slicing tomatoes
(About 4 lb total, all in one bag)
Red peppers, ~2, bell or frying
Purplish bell pepper, 1
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, a few
Cucumber, 1 – 2
‘Expression’ onion, 1
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Jalapeno chile (hot), 1
Garlic, 1 bulb

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, peppers, and lots of summer veggies.

Peppers – The red and purple peppers are all sweet this week.

Jalapeno (small, dark green) – This is a hot chile.

RECIPES from DEB

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Zucchini & Tomato Tian with Olives

Adpated from Deborah Madison’s “The Savory Way”
Makes 4 servings
Takes about 20 minutes to assemble and 35 minutes to bake.

One nice thing about this dish is that it can be served warm or at room temperature, so on a hot summer day it can be be baked in the cooler morning for serving later. It’s also a great brunch dish, served accompanied by scrambled eggs with cheese.

about two tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced, pole to pole (1 1/2 to 2 cups slices)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme) if available or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme or herbes de Provence
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/4 pounds zucchini or summer squash sliced into thin rounds
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, sliced into rounds
4 black olives (like Kalamata) pitted and sliced into quarters

Heat the oven to 375°. Lightly oil a shallow baking dish that holds about 6 cups. Warm a scant tablespoon of the oil in a skillet and cook the onions over medium heat until they are softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to the dish, and add half the herbs. Warm another tablespoon of oil in the same skillet and cook the zucchini with a little salt, stirring frequently, until it starts to color. Add the rest of the herbs, and distribute the zucchini over the onions in the baking dish. Tuck in slices of tomato and olives, and drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top. Cook covered for about 25 minutes, then uncover for another 10 or so to evaporate the juices.
.
.

Tomato Hand Pies

Makes 4-5 large pies
Takes about about an hour not counting chilling time for the crust. Instead of a homemade crust you could make these with store bought puff pastry; instead of pleating the edges, a flop-over and crimp style is recommended – something like this.

Pie crust:
1 1/2 cups flour (unbleached white or whole wheat)
good pinch salt, unless you’re using salted butter
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, either salted or un- (1 stick, 8 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening or lard
1 tablespoon sugar
2-4 tablespoons cold water

Filling:
3-4 Roma tomatoes, or 2-3 slicing tomatoes
1/4 to 1/3 cup pesto
4-6 ounces mozzarella or Provolone, grated (a generous cup of grated cheese)
4-6 tablespoons cup grated Parmesan
egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a splash of water

Make the crust: measure the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer (my favorite method), your food processor, or a mixing bowl. Slice the butter and shortening over the top and combine with the flour mixture, using the paddle attachment of the mixer, by pulsing the processor, or using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, until you have a crumbly mixture with no butter lumps bigger than currants. With the mixer or processor running, or while stirring with fork, drizzle in the water by tablespoons, until the mixture just starts to come together in clumps. Stop before you have one big ball. Turn the crust out onto a floured surface and knead lightly to bring it together. Gather it into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap (in plastic, wax paper, one of your reusable snack/sandwich bags), and chill for about an hour, and up to 2 days.

Assembly: If the dough has been chilling, get it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before you want to roll it out, to soften just a bit.

Slice the tomatoes and arrange them on paper or dish towels to drain. Grate the cheeses.

Heat the oven to 400° and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough and cut it into 4 or 5 rough squares, each approximately 6 inches. Brush each square with some of your egg wash, and spread some pesto in the center. Arrange about 3 tablespoons of the mozzarella over the pesto, and top with as many tomato slices as will fit. Seal the pies by pleating the edges, brushing with more egg wash as necessary to make them stick. Use 2-3-inch round cookie cutter to cut a center opening. Sprinkle Parmesan over the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cheese is melted and the crust is nicely browned.
.
.

Photo by Taste of Home

Creamy Cucumber Salsa

Adapted from Taste of Home
This mildly spicy salsa has the sour cream mixed in, rather than served alongside.
Makes about 2 cups
Takes about 20 minutes

2 cups chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
1/2 cup chopped seeded tomato (cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze to remove the seeds)
1/4 cup chopped onion, purple or white
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped – leave seeds in for more heat, or omit for less
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, leaves and tender stems only
1 garlic clove, minced or put through a press
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice – or a combination
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
optional: 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt, or Old Bay
Tortilla chips for serving

Combine the cucumber, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and garlic in a medium bowl. Whisk the sour cream and lemon juice together, add the spices, and pour over the vegetables. Mix well, and serve with tortilla chips.
.
.

Calabacitas

Calabacitas translates to zucchini, but in New Mexico it’s most frequently this mixture of corn, zucchini, onions, and cheese. It’s great as a side dish, and can also be used as an enchilada filling.
Makes 6 servings
Takes about 25 minutes

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, minced or put through a press
2-3 medium zucchini squash, cubed
optional – 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced
salt & freshly ground pepper
kernels cut from 2-3 ears of corn – 2 1/3 to 3 cups
1/3 cup half and half
generous 1/2 cup Colby or cheddar cheese, shredded

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the onion, and cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, and jalapeño if using, season with salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the zucchini is starting to soften, 5-10 minutes. Add the corn, cover, and cook until the corn is softened, another 5 minutes. Stir in the half and half, top with the cheese, cover, and turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes to melt the cheese
.
.

Photo by Elise Bauer

Homemade Corn Relish

From Simply Recipes, the author recommends this relish on hot dogs, which sounds delicious to me.
.
.

Linguine with Summer Peppers & Sausage

This quick pasta from Epicurious with peppers and sausage serves two but is easily doubled!
.
.

Photo by Heidi Swanson

A Really Great Coconut Corn Salad Recipe

This corn salad from Heidi Swanson’s venerable vegetarian cooking blog, 101 Cookbooks, sounds exotic at first, but really plays up the familiar flavors of buttery corn.
.
.

Photo by Angie Mosier

Creamed Corn–Stuffed Tomatoes

by Virginia Willis, from Edible Tulsa | Edible Communities
These stuffed tomatoes can be made gluten free. The recipe is by Virginia Willis, and there’s a whole section of tomato recipes on her website, including another version of stuffed ones.
.

Week #14; Hanging in there.

Nothing on our farm is longer than a row of beans.  Really, time suspends while we slowly work our way down a row.

Folks, we are in the second half of our May – October season.  From our perspective, it’s been a very productive growing season so far.  The crops are abundant and high quality, primarily because rain has been sparse.  Wet weather encourages plant diseases, dry weather discourages them.  Irrigation consumes Steve’s time and energy in a dry season but the effort pays off.  Pay attention to how flavorful the tomatoes, peppers, corn and melons are this week.  Those crops soak up sunshine.

We are short-handed right now.  Let’s face it, I hired too many students this spring and now they’ve left us.  I have hired two new farmhands (they are both great!) but we need to find one or two more people to return to our typical size crew.  As you know from the news, this is a widespread problem.  Many, many businesses are looking for employees.

Honestly, this is a new problem for us.  I rarely have trouble finding good people to hire.  But the world is different right now.

Hats off to our hardworking crew!  Everyone has pitched in, working longer days than usual.  None of us can bear to leave beautiful crops in the field after investing the effort to grow them.  Once we’re back to a full crew, we’ll be able to relax a bit and enjoy our work more.
Thanks for reading.
Beth

Pepper ID

From top, jalapeño chile (hot), red frying pepper (sweet), and 2 red bell peppers (sweet).

Let’s review this week’s peppers.  Everyone gets about 3 red peppers, a mix of blocky bell peppers and slender frying peppers.  Expect to receive an occasional ‘suntan’ pepper – one that’s partly red and partly green.  Occasionally we pick these by accident but sometimes we need to harvest before the peppers are fully red to keep them from spoiling.  Fully ripe red peppers are fairly fragile.

Storage:  Refrigerate.

Bell versus frying peppers:  Bell peppers have thicker walls, which makes them more suitable for roasting and peeling.  Frying peppers have lower moisture, which means they will fry more readily in hot oil.  And are so fragrant while frying!

Uses:  Bell and frying peppers can be used interchangeable in raw and cooked dishes.  Both are good for stuffing.  Some people like to stuff cored peppers, some prefer to split each pepper, lay the halves flat, then fill with stuffing and bake.

Heat:  Check our newsletter each week for information about whether the peppers you receive are sweet or hot.  Bell and frying peppers are both sweet.  However, some of our hot chile peppers look deceptively like a small frying pepper.  Each week, we’ll tell you what to expect in your box.  We encourage you to keep pepper deliveries separate if you have unused peppers from a previous delivery still in your fridge, so you remain confident in your pepper identification.  Or eat them all right away!

Preservation:  Peppers are easy to freeze.  They do not require blanching.  Simply cut into pieces and freeze in a bag or container.  They will be soft when thawed but without sacrificing flavor.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #14, Aug. 19/20, 2021
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, 7 or 8 ears
Watermelon, orange or yellow
Slicing tomatoes, ~3.5 lb
Red peppers, bell or frying (sweet), ~3 depending on size
Green beans, ~2/3 lb
Cucumbers, 1
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, 2 – 2.25 lb
Expression yellow onion, 1 or 2
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Jalapeno (small, dark green, HOT) – This chile is spicy.
Garlic, 1 head

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers and more.

Sweet corn – Bugs are low this week!  Yeah!  You’ll receive a mix of large and small ears.  All are the same variety, planted on the same day.  The small ears are from a section of the field that didn’t get as much irrigation.

Watermelon – Please refrigerate this week’s melon, even before cutting.  They are ripe.  Plan to eat within one week.

Cilantro, jalapeno and garlic – We’re sending these together so you can make fresh salsa with your tomatoes!

RECIPES from PHOEBE

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

This zesty salad is a great make-ahead lunch or grilling side dish. You could even serve it as a dip with tortilla chips! It will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1 garlic clove, grated
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (1 14-oz can)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, stems minced, divided
1/4 cup diced onion
1 red bell or frying pepper
4 ears fresh corn, husked

1. At the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, and cayenne. Fold in the black beans, cilantro stems, and onion and set aside to marinate while you grill the veggies.
2. Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Place the whole pepper on the grill and grill, turning every 3-5 minutes, until char marks form on all sides. Remove the pepper from the grill, wrap it in a kitchen towel, and set it aside for at least 5 minutes to steam and soften.
3. Place the husked corn on the grill and grill, turning every 3 to 5 minutes, until all sides of the corn are cooked and light char marks form.
4. Remove the corn from the grill and slice the kernels off the cobs. Unwrap the grilled pepper and remove the stem and seeds. Dice the pepper and add it to the bowl with the black beans. Fold in the corn kernels and the cilantro leaves. Season to taste and serve.

.
.

Turmeric Black Pepper Tofu and Green Beans

I always like to try new things, so there aren’t a lot of recipes that I make again and again. One notable exception is Ali Slagle’s Turmeric-Black Pepper Chicken with Asparagus from The New York Times Cooking, which I’ve made often over the last year+. This recipe is a summery, vegetarian riff on hers, made with tofu and green beans instead of chicken and asparagus. If you’re not a tofu person, feel free to use a pound of chicken thighs instead. Refer to the original recipe for the cooking times.

Serves: 3-4
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1/3 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon coconut oil, divided
8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Sea salt
Cooked rice, for serving

1. Press the tofu: Line a large baking sheet with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel and arrange the cubed tofu in a single layer across it. Cover the tofu with another towel or paper towel, and place another baking sheet on top. Weigh down the second baking sheet with something heavy – books, a cast-iron skillet, etc. Set aside to press for at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the water, honey, black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. When the tofu has been pressed for at least 30 minutes, remove the top baking sheet and towel and add the tofu to the bowl with the turmeric mixture. Toss to coat.
4. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat and add the cashews. Cook, tossing, until the nuts are fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
5. Add 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet and raise the heat to medium. Add the green beans and cook, stirring only occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the beans are just tender and bright green. Remove from the pan and set aside.
6. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil to the skillet. Add the turmeric-coated tofu in a single layer and cook without stirring for 2 minutes. Toss and cook for another 2 minutes without stirring. Toss and cook for 2 minutes more.
7. Stir the green beans back into the pan and pour in the honey-black pepper sauce. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and stir in the rice vinegar and toasted cashews. Season to taste and serve with rice.

.
.

Marinated Tomato Salad

This fork-and-knife tomato salad is a great way to showcase summer tomatoes. If you have fresh herbs like mint, basil, or oregano on hand, they would be a delicious finishing touch.

Serves: 2-4
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 3 hours marinating

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated
2 1/2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons pine nuts
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Crusty bread, for serving

1. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, onion, herbes de Provence, salt, and several grinds of pepper.
2. Arrange the sliced tomatoes on a large platter or baking sheet and pour the dressing on top, making sure to generously dress each tomato. Loosely cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. Before serving, heat a small, dry skillet over low heat and add the pine nuts. Toast, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
4. Uncover the marinated tomatoes and transfer to a serving platter, leaving any juices behind. Top with the toasted pine nuts and feta and serve with crusty bread.

.
.

Watermelon Cucumber Salad

From Smitten Kitchen

This sweet and savory salad would be so refreshing on a hot day! Deb calls for Persian cucumbers, but you can feel free to substitute the cucumber from this week’s box. I recommend slicing it in half and scooping out the seeds before adding it to the salad.
.
.

Summer Squash Pasta with Brown Butter & Goat Cheese

From How Sweet Eats

This recipe calls for a mix of zucchini and summer squash, but you could easily use all summer squash – including pattypan squash – instead of the zucchini. Just be sure to cut all the squash to about the same size and thickness. Feel free to omit the basil.
.
.

Creamed Corn

From Spoon Fork Bacon

A classic, comforting side dish for when you have lots of summer sweet corn.

Week #13; An eventful week

Raul trains new employee Scott to harvest eggplant.

Wow, our summer crops are abundant right now.  We began green bean harvest with the expectation of 3/4 lb for each CSA box but ended up with 1.4 lb per box.  That’s double!  The tomatoes are growing strongly and we’re happy to have ripe red peppers so early.  Getting everything harvested and washed has kept us busy.

Last Thursday started with a bang.  Literally.  We heard an enormous crash just before the work day began.  A pickup truck had run off the road and broken a utility pole, cutting off power along our country road.  The driver and passenger were shaken but apparently OK.  It took all day for the utility crews to dismantle and replace the damaged pole and wires.  We’re pretty stranded without power or water.  We emptied the coolers, packed the produce into your CSA boxes, loaded them onto our trucks, and sent them off to you.  It’s what we had planned to do anyway!

We hosted two groups on Saturday.  A small farm equipment company set up a field day just as our contract labor crew packed up (in background).

Each year, we hire a contract labor crew for two or three days to weed our carrot fields.  Thirty-five to forty workers arrive and finish the job in six to eight hours.  We’ve worked with the same group for several years and realize that we would not be able to grow our winter storage crops without them.  We could manage smaller plantings ourselves but not fields large enough to supply carrots to our local customers through the winter.

Steve explains how he has set up one of our cultivation tractors.

In the afternoon, we hosted a field day for Tilmor, a small equipment company that Steve admires.  They’ve put together a nice suite of weed-control tools designed for small farms.  They demonstrated some of their equipment, then everyone looked over our cultivation equipment.  The rigs are pretty similar, but Steve had to cobble ours together over the years, cutting and welding the bars himself.  Then we all walked around the farm until thunderstorms drove us out of the fields.

We are glad for the rain we received over the past few days.  It’s been an unusually dry summer for our farm, so we’re grateful for the rain and the reprieve from irrigation.
Beth 

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #13
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ moon

Sweet corn, ~8 ears
Slicing tomatoes, ~4 lb
Red peppers, bell or frying, 2 or 3 depending on size
Green beans, 1.4 lb!
Eggplant, 1 large or 2 small
Cucumbers, ~3
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, a few
Red onion, 1 or 2
White or yellow onion, 1 or 2

Next week’s box will probably contain sweet corn, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, melons and more.

Sweet corn – This is a nice batch of corn, with very few bugs at the tips.

Red peppers – All the peppers this week are sweet, not hot.  Everyone gets red bell peppers (blocky) &/or red frying peppers (long, slender).  Both types can be eaten raw or cooked.  Frying peppers have lower moisture and (as the name implies) are well suited to frying in hot oil.  

Green beans – We guessed that we would have 3/4 lb for you this week, but our field yielded almost double!  If you have extras, blanch the beans lightly, then freeze for winter.

Cucumbers – Enjoy this batch of cukes.  We’re not sure if we’ll have this abundance again this year.  We’ve sent a lot of cucumbers this season but that’s what happens during abundance!  This particular field has been amazing but is on the verge of exhausting itself.  Our next cucumber planting will be ready soon but it’s a lot smaller.

White or Spanish onion (white or yellow, respectively) – Everyone gets one of these types.  Both are relatively mild onions, good for salads or cooking.

Red onion – We’re sending a second type of onion this week, so you have enough to use with the other produce.  These red onions will fry nicely, unlike the sweeter white or Spanish onions.

RECIPES from DEB

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log.

Roasted vegetable sauce

Here’s versatile sauce recipe that takes advantage of late summer bounty. It freezes well, and since it’s relatively fat-free, can be enriched later on with additions such as sausage or cream!
Takes just a few minutes of chopping, 1 hour to roast
Makes 3 cups to 1 quart of sauce.

You will need about 6-8 cups of assorted vegetables; here are suggestions:
5-6 tomatoes, depending on type & size, chopped (peeling and seeding optional)
1-2 onions peeled and quartered
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1-2 red bell peppers
1 carrot, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 summer squash, cut into chunks
2 tablespoons of olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper
a handful of your choice fresh herbs, rinsed and large stems removed

Heat the oven to 375°. Combine your vegetables in a baking pan – a glass 13 x 9 x 2 works well for this. Add the olive oil and salt and pepper and toss well. Roast for one hour until everything is nice and soft and starting to caramelize. Remove from the oven and cool. Scrape everything into a food processor, and pulse to puree. Add the herbs and pulse to chop them. Taste and adjust seasoning. You could also do this by transferring the roasted vegetables a deep bowl and pureeing with an immersion blender. Chop the herbs and add them.
.
.

Zucchini, or Eggplant, or Summer squash, Parmesan

One way to use your roasted vegetable sauce is in this zucchini, or eggplant, or summer squash, Parmesan!

2 pounds zucchini, eggplant, or summer squash – or some of all three!
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of ricotta cheese
1 egg
a few grates of nutmeg
grated zest of half a lemon
4-6 ounces grated mozzarella (OK to sub other cheese)
salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 cups roasted vegetable sauce
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

If using zucchini or summer squash, cut it into long planks. If using eggplant, cut into rounds, place them in a colander and sprinkle with coarse salt. Let stand for about 30 minutes, then pat dry and proceed. Heat the oven to 425°. Pour about 2 tablespoons of the oil into a rimmed baking sheet. Lay your vegetable slices on the sheet, flipping them to get them nicely coated with oil, and adding more oil as necessary. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, place in the oven, and roast until tender. Remove from the oven and cool. Turn the oven down to 375°.

Meanwhile, mix the ricotta, egg, nutmeg, lemon, and grated mozzarella – you’ll want about 2 cups of filling. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread a generous cup of sauce in a 2-qt. shallow baking dish, and arrange a layer of vegetables on top. Blob the filling in and spread it out – OK if it’s not perfect! Add another layer of vegetables, and top with a thick layer of the remaining sauce.

Bake the dish for 20-30 minutes, until firm and bubbling around the edges. Top with the grated Parmesan and bake anther 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with garlic toast!

Prepared this way the dish is gluten free, but for more traditional breaded vegetables in your Parmesan, use the method from the Love and Lemons zucchini chips from the week 6 newsletter!
.
.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

3 medium cucumbers, peeled if desired, seeded and sliced
one small red or white onion, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup onion slices)
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonaise
1 TBLS sugar
ground black or white pepper to taste

Place the cucumbers and onions in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 15 – 30 minutes. Pat dry, and transfer to a bowl. Mix the vinegar, sour cream, and sugar, and pour over the cucumbers and onions. Add the pepper, mix well, and chill.
.
.

Photo by DebsLunch

Scattered Sushi Rice Salad

From Molly Katzen.
www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=sushi_salad 
I have always been more of a fan of the sushi rice then the fish, so this Mollie Katzan recipe suits me perfectly! A fun way to serve it is to place small scoops on slices of cucumber or zucchini, and sprinkle with sesame seeds for a cool summer appetizer.
.
.

Photo by Lauren Rudersdorf

Sweet Corn Risotto with Corn Cob Both & Cherry Tomatoes

From our July 22, 2020 newsletter at www.tipiproduce.com/2020wk10/. Scroll down to get to the recipe.
While we are still in the midst of corn and tomato season, it’s a great time to bring back this recipe from Lauren, from last summer. I have to say, agreeing with Lauren, definitely one of the best things I ate last summer!
.
.

Photo by Sara Kate Gillingham

Succotash Salad

From Kitchn
www.thekitchn.com/recipe-succotash-salad-recipes-from-the-kitchn-192297
Green beans work perfectly in this recipe, and chopped tomatoes can fill in for cherry. Succotash is also good served warm and you can add bacon to make it a meal!
.
.

Photo by Nora Taylor

Roasted Eggplant Curry with Chickpeas

From Nora Cooks
www.noracooks.com/chickpea-and-eggplant-curry/ 
A simple vegan curry with eggplant, red peppers, and garbanzo beans.
.
.

By Linda Bladholm

Cucumber Raita

From Epicurious
www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/cucumber-raita-104741
You can serve the eggplant curry with cucumber raita. If we get mint in the boxes it’s great in this, but it’s just as good without!