Harvest Newsletter

Onions in the field

Greetings from the Garden!  This week's CSA box has Romaine, cucumbers, potatoes, carrots or beets, green onions, bok choy, celery, cabbage - green or red, snap peas, beans, and the first tomatoes.

Field Notes.  Ken has had a new project pop up.  A neighbor farmer had some baled hay that got rained upon out in the field.  She couldn't use it for animal feed, but Ken can use it in several projects - mulching, composting, poultry bedding, etc.  So he made several trips to pick up hay.  I went along after hours - about half the time.   Ken has stacked it in various locations where he expects to use it.

Ken in the garlic

As summer progresses we look at the weather and have a wish list - we would wish for some nice dry weather as Ken will be harvesting garlic and onions soon.  If we have relatively dry weather the crops will cure and keep better than if we have wet weather.  Next week Ken will start harvesting the Walla Walla sweet onions with green tops.

We have cool nights and the tomatoes are starting to ripen.  The jalapeno peppers have begun.  The crops that love heat like cucumbers are producing and so it feels like summer!

From the Kitchen.  The cucumbers are "going great gonzos" as Ken would say.  He has made pickles and he made a refreshing drink of equal parts water and cucumbers run through the juicer with additions of fresh squeezed lime and lemon juice and mint leaves.  It looks beautiful in the two quart jar and is cooling in the heat - Thank you, Ken!

We were invited to friend's house for dinner.  She served a great pasta dish.  She cooked up some bacon (the original recipe called for prosciutto) and added chopped cabbage to wilt and grated cheese - It was delicious!  I have done broccoli but never cabbage - and this summer cabbage was sweet and tasty.  You could add the green onions or any other vegetables as you wish

'Til next Week, Judith