CSA Newsletter

Bee in the curcurbit blossom

Greetings from the Garden!  This box has cabbage, heirloom and salad tomatoes, green peppers and a hot pepper or two, white bulb onions, cucumbers, zucchini, beans, eggplant, and basil.

Field Notes. Hot and dry are the two key words for the week.  Although storms have hit other surrounding towns, we have been grazed with a sprinkle here or there - no measurable precipitation.   The heat loving crops are doing great - tomatoes, peppers, eggplant.  This looks like our best eggplant crop in years.  

Each season I compare the garden to a person.  At this point it looks like a woman with several children  - not that perky cheerleader look of June, and not the tough old lady of October.    And like a healthy mom with happy children, it looks beautiful!

Ken and the tiles in Barron

Other Keppers news: We will be teaching a class at Hungry Turtle Tuesday August 14th - fermentation of vegetables - not just sauerkraut.  Please contact Erica at 715-268-4214 eromkema@hungryturtle.net for registration information.

And the tile installation at the Barron clinic is completed.  Ken enjoyed it, but is happy to be back on farm.

Corn in the morning with dew

From the Kitchen.  Hot Weather vegetables!  Most years I suggest people think outside the lettuce salad box.  I make cucumber onion salads with yogurt or Asian dressing or tomatoes with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and basil or blanched bean salads.  This early cabbage makes great salads - it is mild and tender.  I slice it thinly and salt for a half hour then drain to bring out the sweetness and add a dressing.  There will be weeks when there is no lettuce at this time of years - it could bolt in the heat or just stand still - waiting for rain (and even Ken's irrigating is just not the same).

The long triangular peppers are a frying pepper we tried last year, and people really liked it so we grew it again this season.  It shines when sauteed, but is just fine raw in salad.  It is not hot.  The little jalapenos are hot.  If you do not want any hot peppers, let me know, so I can leave them out of your box.

Eggplant.  It is the only vegetable requiring cooking.  It is good with tomatoes, onions, and peppers in a ratouille style stew over rice.  We cook it Asian style - kinpira (see last week's newsletter).  It is great in Ken's biscuit dough pizza - he puts it in the pan first so it will cook.  Eggplant is the vegetable highest in protein.

Try grilling zucchini.  I cut it lengthwise and oil and sprinkle with paprika - voila.  It is delicious

Any new recipes you care to share?  Let me know and I will share them - thank you and enjoy the week!

Coming Soon: Corn