Full Share:  Carrots, Broccoli, Salad Mix, Garlic Scapes, Sugar Snap Peas, Basil, Broccolini, Parsley, Rainbow Chard, and Zucchini

Partial Share:  Carrots, Zucchini, Sugar Snap Peas, Garlic Scapes, Basil, Broccoli, Green Cabbage

Hello CSA Members!

No sooner had I mentioned weather volatility and there’s a smoke plume on the horizon west of the farm!  It’s amazing we’ve gone from one of the wettest springs in 20 years to forest fires in mid-July.  I’ve always heard that it’s not the snowpack that dictates fire season, but the spring rains.  And this year the rainy season had no rain, at least not on the farm.  Thankfully, we have a good irrigation system, and the vegetables are thriving. Speaking of thriving, the pests and the weeds are holding their own as well.  These hot days really kick the farm into high gear.  The corn has grown about a foot since the 4th of July, the tomato plants are already about 4 feet tall, and all the broccoli plantings seem to be ready at the same time.  Oh, and the sugar snap peas are the most bountiful we’ve ever had.   Just this afternoon, the crew went out and picked 236 pounds of peas in just a few hours!   The farm is really beautiful right now, especially in the yellow light of late evening.  The garlic tops are drying down to a golden brown, and between the various kales, broccolis, cabbages, and other crops, there are long, neat rows of blue, green, and purple.  Well, maybe neat is a stretch.

We’ve finally taken some time this past week to have some dinner with friends and really enjoy the abundant fresh food and the long evenings of Montana in July.  A special thanks to our beloved CSA member in Columbia Falls who brought us a huge freshly caught King Salmon filet from Alaska.  Last night we seared it in a cast iron pan and topped it with a blend of fresh garlic, parsley and olive oil with a side of broccoli and ate outside and watched a beautiful moon-rise over the farm. True bounty!  Tonight, I took an entire bunch of broccolini, sliced each floret down the middle length-wise, and cooked it in a cast iron skillet with garlic and olive oil.  When it was nice and tender, I plated it and spread the rest of the parsley olive oil spread on it, and promptly devoured the whole thing. If you want to add a little more complexity to the sauce, add some vinegar and red pepper flakes to similar to a chimichurri sauce, which is amazing on grilled vegetables, steaks, chicken or fish.

At this point in the farm season, I would say that the broccoli and the sugar snap peas are currently in peak season,, so you’ll be getting healthy portions of each.  Enjoy them, because they won’t be around for long.  The summer squash is just coming into harvest, so you’ll be seeing plenty more of it in future weeks.  And the carrots.  Well, lets just say you should be getting carrots every week for the rest of the season.  Hopefully you all have been finding time to enjoy the beauty of Montana and have shared some high quality meals amongst friends.  We look forward to seeing you at CSA distribution!

Todd and Two Bear Farm Team