Week #17; Summer into fall.

The recent cold, wet weather is hard on our tomatoes and other remaining summer crops.  We think you will enjoy this week’s orange grape tomatoes.  This ‘Nova’ variety is often one of our best-tasting tomatoes as the season winds down.  

The fall crops love the cooler nights and are growing strongly.  From top, cauliflower, napa cabbage and red cabbage.

We hustled last week to bring in winter squash before the rain.  It’s curing safely in our greenhouse, and should be ready to pack in the CSA boxes soon.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #17, September 10/11, 2020
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Red potatoes, 3.5 lb
Beets, 2 lb
Plum tomatoes, 4 lb
Orange grape tomatoes, 1 heaping pint, in a paper bag
Red frying peppers (sweet), ~4
Poblano chiles (mildly hot), 2
Lettuce
Leek, 1 or 2
Yellow onion, 1
Basil, 1 sprig
One or two sites get a bell or snack pepper.

Next week’s box will probably contain winter squash and other vegetables.

Red potatoes – These beauties are from Josh and Noah Engel at Driftless Organics.

Poblano chiles (triangular, shiny; green or brown; MILDLY HOT) –  Poblanos are the creme de la creme of chiles.  They have lots of great flavor in combination with manageable heat.  Roast and add to soup or casseroles.  To reduce heat, remove the seeds and midveins.  These will go nicely in a stir-fry with the bok choy and red peppers.

Beets – Storage:  Cover and refrigerate.  Beet roots will store for months.  Wash well to remove leaf fragments.  For all the cooking methods below, wash and scrub the beets but do not peel.  The skins slip off easily once the beets are cooked and cooled.
Cooking beet roots on the stovetop:  Slice or quarter, cover with water in a pot, and simmer until tender.  This will take from 25 to 45 minutes depending on how large the beet pieces are.  Drain.
Roasting beets in oven:  Wash beets, but do not peel.  On a sheet of aluminum foil, put beets (halved or quartered if large), salt, pepper and a few sprinklings of water.  Seal the foil packet, and roast at 400 oF until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Slip off skins once cool.
Microwave:  Slice beets in half and place in a large microwave-proof bowl.  Add ¾ inch water and cover with a plate.  Microwave on high until tender, about 9-20 minutes, depending on your microwave’s power.  Drain and slip off skins.
Uses:  Use cooked beets in cold salads, or dress simply with vinaigrette, onions, salt and pepper.  Beets are also good tossed with sour cream, minced onion, fresh herbs and walnuts.  

Leeks (look like big scallions) – These alliums have a milder flavor than onions.  Nonetheless, they can be used in recipes that call for onions.  To wash, split the leek lengthwise, from the green tops about halfway to the base, leaving the base intact.  Rinse well under running water, separating the layers to flush.  If necessary, split the leek further if soil has penetrated more than halfway down the leek.  Shake dry.  Leeks are generally eaten cooked.  They can be sauteed, steamed or roasted.  Intact leeks will store 2 to 3 weeks if covered loosely and refrigerated.  The outer leaves will yellow.  Just peel them off and discard.  The inner leek layers will be fine.

Yellow onion – These onions are much more pungent, and will fry better, than the sweet Walla Wallas we’ve sent this summer.  

Left; poblano chiles (mildly hot) are triangular and can be either green or chocolate brown.
Right; Frying peppers (sweet) this week are mostly red but could be yellow or tinged with green.  We will not send any fully green fryers this week, to make the poblanos easy to identify.

A few sites get an orange snack pepper.

RECIPES

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log or join our Facebook discussion group.

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 101
Salad of Beets and Pistachios with Lemon Vinaigrette
Red Potato and Sweet Pepper “Shmash”
Fresh New England Clam Chowder

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 202
Roasted Root Vegetables with Mustard Seed Vinaigrette
Beet and Leek Risotto with Blue Cheese Sauce
Beef or Bean Enchiladas with Roasted Pepper Sauce

LOCAL THYME/ Quick & Easy Meal
Taco Salad with Pinto Beans & Roasted Poblano Buttermilk Dressing

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

TOMATO BASIL SOUP WITH WHITE CHEDDAR CRISP
*This is the one recipe where it doesn’t really matter if the tomatoes you use are rock hard and not as perfectly ripe as summer tomatoes or not. However, if you happened to have the forethought to freeze or can whole tomatoes this summer, feel free to use those. In that case, pour the tomatoes with their juices in a 9 x 11 baking pan instead of a baking sheet.

Serves 8
Takes 1 hour, 20 minutes

2 tablespoons butter
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and halved* (see note)
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried sage), plus more to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
Sour cream, optional
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved, optional

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add leeks, onion, salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking until soft. Reduce to low and continue cooking slowly for additional 20 minutes while the tomatoes roast.
Drizzle oil over baking sheet. Add tomatoes, cut side down. (If you are using frozen or canned tomatoes, see directions above). It’s fine if they are crowded but make sure they are in a single layer. If they don’t all fit on one pan, then leave the rest for another use. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 40 minutes.
Add tomatoes (with juices) to stock pot along with chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes on medium low.
Meanwhile, line a clean, dry baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 8 mounds of cheese on parchment. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 18 minutes until browned and lacy-looking. Remove from heat and allow to cool before moving.
Remove soup from heat. Puree with an immersion blender (or in a food process or blender). Add basil and cream. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve warm with cheese crisp, a dollop of sour cream, halved cherry tomatoes and a sprinkle of basil.
.
????
.

ROASTED PEPPER & CHERRY TOMATO PANZANELLA
Adapted from Six Seasons

Takes 45 minutes
Serves 2-4

2 pounds red, orange or yellow sweet peppers
2 large, thick slices sourdough bread (about 4 ounces)
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 leek
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces salami, preferably a fancy artisan one with a lot of fennel seasoning
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

Preheat your broilers.
Place peppers on a baking sheet and broil them, turning occasionally, until the skins are blackened and blistered. It will take 10-12 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and cover with a towel or plate.
Turn the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Tear bread into rough bite-size pieces and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown, 10-20 minutes. Check every 5 minutes or so since every type of bread will take a different amount of time. When you check the croutons, also shake the pan to redistribute and get even browning on all sides. You want the croutons to have a crunchy exterior and soft middle.
Once the croutons are done, peel the skins off the peppers, remove the seeds, and cut into thick 1-inch slices. Place in a large bowl with leek, garlic, vinegar, red pepper flakes, cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Toss to combine. Add salami and remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil, and toss again.
Right before serving, add the croutons and mozzarella. Toss mixture once more before serving and enjoy!
.
????
.

POBLANO & POTATO BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

Serves 6-8
Takes 1 hour (most of it inactive)

1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 cups shredded potatoes
2 poblanos, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 pound breakfast sausage, browned
8 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup favorite cheese (I used a lovely dill havarti)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with olive oil.
3. Combine potatoes, peppers, onion and pork sausage in prepared casserole dish. Toss to combine.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add hot sauce, mustard powder, and salt. Pour evenly over potato mixture.
5. Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes until the eggs are set. Add cheese and cook 5 minutes longer just to melt (or lightly brown).
6. Enjoy!

Week #16, Tomato peak

We are at peak tomato harvests this week.  That’s why we can offer plum tomatoes for sale.  If we have enough next week, we’ll offer sales again.  Watch for emails from us.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #16, September 3/4, 2020
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ moon

Sweet corn, ~10 ears
Slicing tomatoes, ~3 lb
Romano beans, 1/2 lb
Collards or kale (red or green), 1 bunch
Watermelon (by site; red or yellow)
Bell peppers, 1 or 2, red or green
Anaheim chile, 1
Walla Walla onion
Garlic, 1 bulb

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, peppers, leeks, beets and more.

Sweet corn – This is another batch of very pretty corn and the last corn of the season.  I am soooo relieved that this delivery falls on our EOW/green week.  I know our green members have been waiting for another batch of sweet corn.  Our sweet corn deliveries end in a 3:2 ratio, purple:green.  That’s the best we can do.

Anaheim chile (long, slender, green or red) – These flavorful chiles have medium heat.  They look deceptively like frying peppers.  Some sites get a yellow frying pepper this week, but no one gets red or green frying peppers this delivery.  If you have frying peppers left over from last week, keep segregated from the Anaheim so you can recognize them.

Everyone gets one Anaheim.  Could be any of these colors (but not yellow).

RECIPES

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log or join our Facebook discussion group.

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 101
Chicken, Kale, and Anaheim Pepper Burrito
Tomato Watermelon Goat Cheese Salad
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 202
Watermelon Granita
Romesco Sauce
Kale, Lentil and Kielbasa Soup

LOCAL THYME/ Quick & Easy Meal
Fish Tacos with Tomato, Pepper and Hot Sauce Salsa

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

LOADED SUMMER CORNBREAD
Serves 6-8.
Takes 45 minutes.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 tablespoons melted butter, divided
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
2 cups fresh (or frozen) cooked corn
1/2 large Walla Walla onion, diced
1 large anaheim pepper, thinly sliced into rounds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the flour mixture and add in 3 tablespoons melted butter, buttermilk, eggs, corn and onion. Stir until smooth.
Pour remaining butter into a large oven-proof skillet. Add batter and shake the pan so it’s even. Place anaheim pepper slices on top and gently press into the cornbread.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

.
????
.

TOMATO BALSAMIC JAM
Serves 6-8.
Takes 2 hours for jam (much of it inactive).

3 cups diced, cored tomatoes
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground allspice

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced to a thick jam (about two hours). Stir often to keep the jam from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
2. Use on warm biscuits with butter or your loaded cornbread!

.
????
.

INDIAN CURRY WITH ROMANO BEANS & KALE
Takes 45 minutes.
Serves 4.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Walla Walla onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 “suntan” bell peppers, seeded and diced
1-1/2 teaspoons dried coriander
1 teaspoon dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
10 twists black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
2 large slicers, cored and diced
1/2 pound Romano beans
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
5-6 leaves of kale, stems removes and roughly chopped
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
Cooked white or brown rice

– In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil.  Add onion, garlic and peppers.  Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat until softened.
– Add spices and cook for 30 seconds to toast.
– Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until tomatoes are broken down.
– Blend in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth.
– Return mixture to stove and add romano beans and salt.  Cook over medium heat until the beans are tender.
– Add kale and cook 2-3 minutes more until kale is fully wilted.
– Remove from heat and stir in coconut milk. Serve over rice.

Week #15; Lows and highs of the week.

“I’m waterboarding in my own sweat.”

Yup, it’s been that kind of week.  The quote above was overheard during a sweaty sweet corn harvest.  The derecho two weeks ago blew down parts of this week’s sweet corn field.  That was the same storm that damaged so much field corn in Iowa.  Sweet corn still ripens when blown down but is much harder to pick because the stalks are a tangled mess.  Even though outside, we wear our masks when working this close together.  The harvest was worth the sweat.  This is an unusually nice batch of corn.

Everyone claims a row (if you can find it), picks the ripe ears and puts them on a conveyor attached to our harvest wagon.  Ben and Karen count every ear, an essential step for dividing up the corn.

And now the highs

We are grateful that farming allows us some semblance of normalcy.  Our small community can work together and socialize every day, unlike many people working in isolation.  Above, we had a socially-distant happy hour to mark two crew members returning to school or other work.  It takes two photos to show everyone!  People sitting close together share a household.  It was a treat to sit around and share a few cold drinks.

Our second planting of kale and collards is ready for its first harvest.  Leaves from these young plants are very tender, a difficult thing to achieve during hot summer weather.  It was an easy harvest.  The field is weed-free and open to cooling winds.  In a planting this large, we can spread out and take off our masks.  You may have noticed that we stopped sending greens earlier this summer.  The first planting gets tough and fibrous.  It’s a pleasure to move into our second planting.

On a 90 degree day, this is everyone’s favorite path back to the buildings, cooled by irrigation spray.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #15, August 27/28, 2020
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, ~10 ears
Collards or kale, 1 bunch
Watermelon (by site, yellow or red)
Plum & slicing tomatoes, 3 lb total
Peppers (bell/ frying), ~2
Carrots, ~2 lb
Walla Walla onion, 1 0r 2
Garlic, 1 bulb
Curly parsley, 1 bunch
By site; Silver Slicer cucumber or a few snack peppers or an extra frying pepper.

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, sweet corn, melon, peppers, greens and other summer veggies.

Sweet corn – This batch of ‘Incredible’ variety is the prettiest batch yet.  We expect to have sweet corn again next week.

Garlic –  These large-cloved bulbs are the German Extra Hardy strain.

Curly parsley – We are finally sending an herb other than basil!  Enjoy it!

Mixed plum & slicing tomatoes – Wow, the tomatoes ripened quickly during this hot spell.
 

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I encourage you to spread your tomatoes on plates so you can keep an eye on them.  Eat first the ripest ones or any showing flaws.  The yellow arrow shows small inconsequential flaws that will grow with time.  Eat now.

Left, fully ripe yellow tomato.  Right, less ripe yellow tomato, showing some greenish coloring.
Yellow tomatoes get very soft when they are ripe.  We’re experimenting with harvesting yellow tomatoes less ripe, so you have a chance to eat them before they are overripe.  You might get a tomato that’s ready to eat (above, left) or you might get one that needs a day or two on your kitchen counter (above, right).

RECIPES

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log or join our Facebook discussion group.

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 101
Corn, Pepper and Pinto Bean Burritos
Corn, Kale and Goat Cheese Fritters
Pizza with Tomatoes and Peppers

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 202
Zesty Corn Relish
Parmesan and Kale Frittata topped with Fresh Tomatoes
Spicy Tomato Juice

LOCAL THYME/ Quick & Easy Meal
Chickpea and Collards Curry with Tomato and Coconut Milk

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

TOMATO PIE WITH BROWN BUTTERED GARLIC
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Takes 2 hours (a little more if making the crust from scratch)
Serves 4-6

1 batch favorite store-bough pie crust (or make your own; my favorite tomato pie crust is here)
4-5 pounds tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 cups shredded havarti*
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried)
1/2 Walla Walla onion, thinly sliced

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. If making your crust from scratch, get this going first so it has plenty of time to chill in the freezer. If not, hop to step 3.
3. Core tomatoes and then cut into 1/4-inch slices. Lay tomato slices out on two large baking sheets so that they are mostly in a single layer. This may take four pounds of tomatoes or it may take five depending on how thick your slices are. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 45 minutes until the tomatoes look dehydrated and most of the liquid has evaporated. Rotate your pans a couple times to ensure even cooking.
4. While the tomatoes bake, melt butter in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook until the butter smells browned. It will foam and then turn clear and then begin to brown, about 5-8 minutes. Stir and check the pan often during this process to ensure it does not burn. Place a fine mesh sieve over a small bowl and strain out garlic while saving the butter.
5. Transfer garlic to a cutting board and finely chop.
6. Combine garlic, mayonnaise, cheddar, parmesan, and parsley in a small bowl. Stir until smooth.
7. By now your tomatoes should be done cooking. Remove them from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees.
8. Roll out your pie crust and place in a 10-inch pie pan. If using a pre-made frozen pie crust, I recommend using two crusts. This is a lot of tomatoes and it will overflow if you just use one. Place aluminum foil and pie weights (or rice or dried beans) inside and bake for 15 minutes. If you purchased a pre-made crust you can skip this step.
9. Remove crust from oven. Place all but the 10 (of the most perfect) roast tomato slices into the pie crust in even layers. Spread mayo mixture over the top and then arrange 10-12 cooked tomatoes over the top followed by thinly sliced onion. Glaze the whole thing with your prepared garlic butter by slowly drizzling evenly over the top.
10. Bake for 45- 55 minutes until the crust is golden. Let cool at least 5 minutes before slicing or devouring.

*Any favorite cheese would work here. I love havarti and tomato together, but a mild cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss would all also work great!
.
????
.

SWEET CORN PASTA SALAD
Serves 8-12 as a side
Takes 40 minutes

1 pound pasta, the type is your choice
1 silver slicer, seeded and diced
1/2 Walla Walla (or other sweet) onion
3 colored peppers, diced
4 ears corn, husks removed

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon white wine or white vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil on the stove over high heat. Once boiling, add pasta and cook to al dente according to package directions.
2. While pasta cooks, prepare your dressing by whisking together all ingredients.
3. Drain pasta in a colander and let sit for a minute to lose some of the water, then add to a large bowl. Add dressing to noodles while they’re still warm and toss to combine. Set aside.
4. Refill stock pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add sweet corn and cook for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, chop your other veggies. Rinse corn under cold water to cool and then cut off kernels with a knife. Add cucumber, onion, peppers, and corn to bowl. Toss to combine.
5. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

.
????
.

COLLARD & CARROT SALAD WITH PECANS AND FETA
20 minutes
Serves 4-6

1 bunch collards or kale, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 pounds carrot, peeled and shredded (or cut into matchsticks
4 ounce feta, crumbled
2 cups toasted pecans, toasted for 5 minutes in a 400 degree oven and roughly chopped

Maple Dijon Dressing
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 hefty pinches salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1. In a large bowl, combine collards (or kale) and carrots.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth. Add to greens and carrots, and toss until well-coated.
3. Add feta and pecans. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired.

.

Week #14, Our planting is almost finished.

Look at those empty seedling benches!  We have just a few flats of seedlings still to transplant this year, mostly bok choy and other fall greens.

The greenhouses are long empty of plants.  Now, we’re curing onions in the largest greenhouse.  It’s a good place for the onions to dry down and mature before we move them into the barn loft.

Steve seeded one of our final summer cover crops tonight.  This is a good moment to seed quick-growing annual cover crops, especially as vegetable crop finish and fields open up.  Soon we’ll begin seeding overwintering fall cover crops that protect the soil in winter, then fix nitrogen in spring.

This seeding is sunn hemp, an interesting, fast-growing legume.  This is our second sunn hemp planting this season.  It is a new cover crop for us, and we are impressed with the quick, lush growth in our fields planted in July.  As a legume, we can hope for nitrogen fixation.  I’ll take some photos soon so you can see how beautiful the fields are.

We are back to irrigating and would really appreciate some rain.  These young carrots need the water but we’re also irrigating this field so it will be easier to weed in the next two days.  It’s the next field on our weeding schedule.

Three new employees started work in the last week or so.  Their arrival was cheered by the other crew members.  We have felt quite short-handed the last few weeks as several crew members left us to return to school or their pre-pandemic careers.  Above, new guy Janson loads tomatoes into the truck.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #14, August 20/21, 2020
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Slicing tomatoes, 2.5 – 3 lb
Watermelon (red OR orange OR yellow, by site)
Carrots, 2 lb
Cherry tomatoes, 1 pint
Peppers, ~2
Jalapeno chile (hot), 1
Cucumber, 1 or 2 large + 1 small
Walla Walla onion, 1 or 2
White onion, 1 or 2
Basil, ~2 sprigs
By site; red cabbage OR globe eggplant OR Swiss chard
If your red cabbage is small, you’ll get a bag of pickling cucumbers too.

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes, peppers and other summer crops.

Slicing tomatoes – This batch are in good shape.  I still encourage you to spread your tomatoes on plates on your counter so you can keep an eye on them.  If small flaws develop, eat those tomatoes first.
Cucumbers – This is the final delivery of cucumbers!
Onions – You’ll receive both white and Walla Walla onions this week.  They are easy to tell apart.  See photo.  Walla Wallas are the sweet onions we’ve sent so far this year.  White onions are more pungent and less watery.  Neither type fries particularly well, although you have a better chance with a white onion.  

From left, white onion and Walla Walla onion.

RECIPES

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log or join our Facebook discussion group.

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 101
Salad with Tomato, Cucumber, Fresh Mozzarella and Basil Vinaigrette
Grilled Red Cabbage with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing
Shredded Carrot Cabbage and Chicken Salad with Honey Poppy Seed Dressing

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 202
Pork Tenderloin with Apple Cider Braised Red Cabbage and Horseradish Sauce
Spicy Tomtato Basil Salsa
Cucumber and Carrot Kimchi Style Salad

LOCAL THYME/ Quick & Easy Meal
Watermelon Gazpacho

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

MASON JAR CAPRESE

Takes 10 minutes
Makes 1 quart caprese
Serves 1 hungry person for lunch or 2 less hungry non-farming people

1-2 pounds slicer tomatoes (if they’re out of season, don’t even bother), cored and cut into thick slices
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
4 ounces fresh mozzarella ball, halved and cut into thick slices
1/4 cup minced basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Grab a quart mason jar (or a 4-cup pyrex or other container). Place 1-2 sliced tomatoes in bottom of container. Layer a handful of cherry tomatoes on top followed by a few slices of mozzarella. Sprinkle with a quarter of the basil. Repeat until you’ve used all ingredients or filled your container (whichever comes first).
2. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Cover and shake gently so that olive oil and balsamic coat tomatoes throughout.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper just before serving. (I have my own Kosher salt jar and pepper grinder at work for exactly this kind of purpose. I suggest you do the same.

.
????
.

LIME WATERMELON FLOAT
Makes 2 large or 4 small floats
Takes 5 minutes

1 small watermelon or 1/2 large watermelon (any color!), preferably chilled
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Pinch Kosher salt
1 (12-ounce) can lime seltzer, preferably chilled
2 cups frozen yogurt or custard scoops

1. Scoop watermelon out with a spoon or cut into cubes and place in food processor or blender. You want about 4 cups. Add water, sugar, lime juice and salt. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. Using a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth, strain watermelon into a measuring cup or mason jar. It should be about 2 cups. Add seltzer.
3. Divide frozen yogurt or custard into two or four glasses (depending on how many you are serving) and pour watermelon soda over. ENJOY!

.
????
.

EASY QUESO CHEESE DIP

Takes 30 minutes
Makes 4 cups
Serves 6-8

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red or yellow pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1-2 hot peppers of your choice, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1-1/2 cups milk, divided
1 8-ounce block cream cheese, cut into cubes
3 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack, Cheddar, and Brick would all work—or use a blend)
2 tomatoes, cored and diced

1. Melt butter in a large saute pan or deep skillet over medium low heat. Add onion, peppers, and salt. Saute for 10 minutes until vegetables soften and become very fragrant.
2. Add ½ cup of the milk along with the cream cheese. Stir consistently until the cheese has melted and is mostly smooth. Reduce heat to low.
3. Add remaining milk followed by shredded cheese. Stir until incorporated, about 5 minutes, and remove from heat.
4. Add diced tomatoes and gently stir until combined. At this point it is ready to go! You can puree it with an immersion blender or food processor for a smoother texture.
5. Serve with chips, guacamole and salsa or use it for a big old plate of dinner nachos.

.

Week #13, The derecho missed us.

We are very fortunate that Monday’s derecho skipped our farm on its path of destruction across the Midwest.  We were close to the edge of the storm, which left us 2.2 inches of rain and this beautiful rainbow.   The day before, the weather forecast predicted 0.15 inches rain, so this was quite a change.  We welcome the rain but worry for the Iowa’s farmers who had 10 million acres of crops damaged or destroyed.  What a loss.

Tossed Melons

You cannot choose to join our melon harvest crew; you have to audition.  Auditions are held at lunch.  Billy tosses a melon to random people to check their reflexes.  Once the melon is dropped and cracked, auditions are over and they eat the melon.  
Above, Steve (out of view) chooses ripe melons, then tosses to Billy (in back), who tosses to Maggie on the wagon.

Maggie washes the melon and …

… tosses to Anna who puts it in a bin.  

Once we’re done, Steve goes in the house to lie down on the floor a bit and stretch his back.  It’s a big job.  Beth

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #13, August 13/14, 2020
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ green

Sweet corn, ~10 to 11 ears
Green beans, 1.3 lb
Slicing & plum tomatoes, ~3 lb
Red Summercrisp lettuce
Red frying pepper, 1
Cucumbers or pickles
Walla Walla onion
Basil, a few sprigs
By site, orange watermelon OR muskmelon.

Next week’s box will probably contain tomatoes and other summer vegetables.

Sweet corn – This planting is the ‘Vision’ variety, the same as last week.  We hope you enjoy it.  We think it is a terrific variety.

Pickles – Some people get normal slicing cucumbers, some get Silver Slicer cukes, some get pickles.  Of course, pickles can be used for refrigerator pickles but are really great as a crisp salad cucumber too.

RECIPES

Visit our 2020 Recipe Log or our 2019 Recipe Log or join our Facebook discussion group.

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 101
Parmesan Corn on the Cob
Pepper and Watermelon Salsa
Composed Salad with Tunafish and Boiled Eggs

LOCAL THYME/ Cooking 202
Corn and Wild Rice Fritter
Garlic Basil Marinated Veggie and Fruit Kebabs
Tofu, Green Bean, Bell Pepper Stir Fry with Rice

LOCAL THYME/ Quick & Easy Meal
Summertime Paella

RECIPES FROM LAUREN

SWEET CORN, WALLA WALLA, & BASIL PIZZA
Makes 1 pizza
Serves 3-4
Takes 45 minutes

1/2 cup basil leaves, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 ears sweet corn
1/2 Walla Walla, finely chopped
1/2 batch favorite pizza dough (or 1 store-bought pizza crusts)
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
2. While you wait for the oven to preheat, prepare you basil sauce. Combine basil, garlic, lemon and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine then add olive oil and slowly incorporate.
3. Bring a large kettle of water to a boil. Once boiling, cook corn for 3 minutes.* Rinse under cold water.
4. Use a knife to remove kernels from ears. Place in a medium bowl along with onion.
5. When oven is pre-heated, roll out crust and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Spread basil sauce on pre-baked crust. Top with sweet corn mixture and shredded cheese. Finish with red pepper flakes. Bake for 10-15 minutes longer until crust and cheese are golden brown.
7. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

.
????
.

SWEET CORN POLENTA WITH GRILLED TOMATOES
Takes 30 minutes
Serves 4-6

2 pounds tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons butter
2 ears sweet corn, kernels cut off cob (no need to cook first!)
1 red pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
1/2 cup polenta (also known as corn grits, cornmeal or polenta; I’m obsessed with this polenta from my friends at Meadowlark Organics)

1. Preheat your grill to medium high heat. Alternatively, if you don’t have a grill, preheat the broiler of your oven.
2. In a medium bowl combine tomato slices with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Toss gently to combine. Place on preheated grill. Grill for 10-15 minutes until blackened on both sides. Remove to a bowl.
3. Meanwhile, get your polenta going. You can easily walk away from your grilling veggies for 5 minute intervals to do this inside, but if you have a burner on your grill, by all means use that to make the polenta!
4. In a large stock pot or sauce pan, melt butter. Add corn, pepper, remaining salt and pepper and cook over medium heat until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add in water and milk. Increase heat to medium high and wait for mixture to just begin bubbling. Stir once or twice with a whisk while waiting for it to bubble to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.
5. Pour in polenta slowly, whisking while you pour them in to create a smooth texture. Reduce heat to a low simmer and continue whisking every couple minutes to keep the mixture from clumping or sticking. When polenta looks creamy and consistent, it’s ready! It can cook very quickly, about 10 minutes. If they cease up while you prepare other parts of your meal, just cook them over low heat and add more milk until they have the desired consistency.
6. Add about a half cup of polenta to a large bowl, top with tomatoes.

.
????
.

LATE SUMMER GREEN BEAN SALAD
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Serves 4
Takes 20 minutes.

1 pound green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half if large (about 4-5 cups)
1 head washed lettuce, thinly sliced
1/2 Walla Walla onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
2-3 large tomatoes, diced
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tablespoon sherry or red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 minced garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil
Flaky sea salt, for serving

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for 4 minutes then rinse under cold water. Pat dry with a towel.
2. Toss together lettuce, beans, onion, and tomatoes in a large bowl (or four small bowls). Top with feta and walnuts.
3. Whisk sherry vinegar with dried oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic. Once combined, whisk in olive oil. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. Drizzle over salad. Sprinkle with a little extra flaky sea salt right before serving.

.