CSA Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden!  This box has tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, beans, basil, peppers, eggplant, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, and applesauce apples.

Field Notes.  The rain Sunday was a welcome sound!   Ken had been talking about starting to irrigate, but with the one inch of rain we received, it has become unnecessary, and the crops look great.  Irrigation will maintain crops, but rainfall is superior.  We are grateful.

The gardens and fields have the full season look.  Each year I see the garden and field like a person - perky and cute as a high school cheerleader in June, like a young mother in July, like a woman in her prime in August, and moving into crone in September and October.

We received a real compliment last week.  A friend who has been farming organically since 1978, his son and an intern came to help Ken catch up in the field and garden.  It was a great kindness to leave his work and help us out.  All three enjoyed seeing another farm and seeing the difference in crops here and at the farm down near River Falls.  Our tomatoes and peppers in the mobile high tunnel were ahead of his, and both he and his son complimented Ken on his vigilance in maintaining optimum greenhouse temperatures.  He has had tunnels for years, so this really made an impression on us.

Ken continues to work as he can, but is still not back in full swing.  No one seems to know how long a full recovery will take.  We are deeply grateful for all the help we have received this season.

From the Kitchen.  In addition to having help in the garden and field, I have been making more food for all our helpers.  It has been a great joy to receive compliments on my cooking.  I truly believe that starting with great ingredients makes preparing a good meal so much easier.  I laugh and tell people that rather than learning how to fix poor food, I have learned to work to enhance the good food Ken brings me from field and garden!

So, what have I been serving?  Well many tomato salads - the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sliced basil over tomato wedges is popular. The cucumber and Walla Walla onion salad with yogurt dressing is always cleaned up, and the cubed boiled turnips with butter and cream cheese goes as well.  Zuchetta cooked in a tomato sauce with crumbled feta. I was amazed that our high school graduate liked the eggplant and green pepper kinpira.  All recipes from the last few newsletters.

Now is also when I look at produce and start to preserve peak harvest.  I made and canned applesauce last weekend.  I will freeze some beans and soon will be juicing crab apples and canning tomatoes.  If you want produce to preserve, please contact us.

'Til Next Week, 
Judith