Full Share: Tomatoes, Purple Cauliflower, Zucchini, Yellow Summer Squash, Broccolini, Salad Mix, Carrots, Parsley, and Cucumbers

Partial Share:  Salad Mix, Carrots, Purple Cauliflower, Yellow Summer Squash, Tomatoes, and Basil

Hello CSA Members!

It’s hard to believe that we are nearing the end of July already.  I just came in from closing up the high tunnels, and it was a beautiful hazy sunset off to the east.  This past week, one of our crew came home from a market and was upset about an interaction with a customer.  I asked her how many bad interactions she had at market, and she said just the one.  Then I asked her how many positive interactions she had, and according to our Square records, the number is somewhere around 150.  So, she scored a 149 out of 150, which is like an A plus plus.  So, why is it that for some of us, do we let the small negatives get to us so much?

As I navigate life, and the farm, and employee management, and dealing with many hundreds  of customers at farmer’s markets each week, there is one truth that I have finally discovered in my 45th year.  People like our carrots.   No, no, I’m just kidding.  It’s the simple idea that Happiness comes from within.  Or to put it another way, take responsibility for your own happiness, and don’t put it in the hands of others, especially strangers, used tractor salesman, or politicians. We can choose to focus on the positive rather than the negative.  It takes a lot of work, but it’s possible to re-train yourself.  If you have not ever read the little book named “The Four Agreements”, I highly encourage you to do so, as it gives you some simple tools to get you started.  I know it’s certainly improved my ability to interact with customers, employees, and even the trolls.

I know that really had nothing to do with your CSA, and maybe was just tangentially related to the farm, but it is the 11th week of the 11th year of our CSA, so I thought I was entitled to go off track a bit. And I’m learning…aside from my slight jab at politicians, I didn’t even get political!

Life on the farm is once again manageable.   We are entering the time of bounty, where all our efforts are bearing fruit (or vegetables).  Beautiful cauliflower heads have appeared seemingly out nowhere, the squash and cucumbers are really starting to produce, and we even have fairly abundant tomatoes for it still being July. I even mowed off the tops of the first 4 beds of potatoes, so you will be seeing those in your share starting next week, and the first garlic beds have been harvested to begin curing

Good fruit set on the slicing tomatoes this season!

.   This week I have been gorging myself on either quinoa, basil pesto, and fresh tomatoes  with olive oil and sea salt on top (cool meal), or quinoa, basil pesto, and pan fried (with a lid) cauliflower and broccolini in olive oil. With crispy bacon.  And fresh tomatoes on top.  With a side of mandolin sliced cabbage and cucumber with olive oil and vinegar. (hot meal).  July is the time of year when less is more, at least as it relates to cooking, although  it could be said I take that approach all year.   Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook.  In fact, we cook every meal at home, seven days a week.  What I mean is most of my meals take less than 15 minutes to prepare.  With vegetables that are this fresh and flavorful, they really don’t require complex recipes to create flavor.    I know…you think I’m just trying to get out of providing more recipes this week.  Well, here are a couple that I think fit my line of thinking….

A refreshing cauliflower salad for a warm day…..

How about a cheesy post-Big Mountain summit trail bike ascent-type of meal….

House not hot enough tonight, and you want to turn on the oven…try this roasted cauliflower recipe!