Week #8!
Summer Squash Line up for 2015
Full Shares: Broccoli, Hakurei turnips, zuchinni, yellow summer squash, basil, cilantro, parsley, salad mix, broccoli raab, green onions, and sugar snap or snow peas
Partial Shares: Everything, just with some in smaller portions
Hello CSA members!
We were halfway through the pea harvest today when the wall of forest fire smoke blotted out our lovely blue skies. I hope it’s not here to stay for good. Things on the ground are extremely hot and dry. Many folks have asked us how the farm is doing in these conditions, and the best answer I can give is that about 50% of the farm hates it, and 50% loves it. The cool weather greens are really starting to show some stress, and crops like the broccoli raab went from being immature to bolting in just a matter of a few days. When a crop is ready, it needs to be harvested that day, because there is no “holding” vegetables in the field in these conditions. And the CSA share reflects this, as the broccoli raab, turnips, and cilantro will all bolt by next week. And the sugar snap peas are all ready at once and looking a bit taxed by the heat…today alone we harvested 160 pounds. On the flip side, the corn, squash, and tomatoes are loving it. We planted our baby summer squash plants outside on June 10th, and they are already 3 feet tall and producing.
One month’s growth?
And the corn is Casey high by the fourth of July (that’s somewhere around mid-thigh for the record). Any thing over the knee is considered good in warmer parts of the country, so to be this tall in Montana at this time of year is rather astonishing. And Casey would like to state for the record that a 4th of July without fireworks was the best thing ever (Yes, my hunting lab does not like like noises). Personally, I have to agree with her. Getting a full night sleep on the 4th was fabulous.
Casey high by 4th of July!!
The really big issue with this heat might turn out to be weeds and grasshoppers. Typically, we have a few weeks to get to the weeds when we take the floating row cover off the plants. But this year, weeds seem to be going from germination to full growth in record time, and keeping up before they set seed has been a challenge. And the grasshoppers…ugh. Have you walked across a non-irrigated field lately? There are an astonishing number of young grasshoppers around this year, and while they haven’t gotten into the crops yet, my suspicion is they will not ignore the lush greenery for much longer. But all things considered, the farm is looking quite good. I know a lot of farmers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are all in the same boat this year, as El Nino is making it’s presence known.
For the recipe, I’ve broken one of my fundamental rules….not boiling vegetables. Sauteed broccoli raab is a traditional Italian dish, but it is known for being bitter and some consider it an acquired taste. However, I have heard that a quick blanching/boiling of the raab removes this bitterness. I have not tried it myself yet, but here’s the recipe. And if you’re not sure what to do with the basil, parsley, or cilantro…they all make delicious pesto. Here’s a pesto recipe that includes snap peas (and would be great with some sautéed yellow squash as well). Enjoy!
