I see that my last post was about rain, and I was truly delighted at the time, but the storm was pitifully undersized for the sort of moisture we need. I fell asleep listening to dripping gutters and woke up to the same dry farm. Yesterday we had a similarly short shower. For a small farm like ours, a summer like this isn’t such a disaster, because we can irrigate everything we have in crops. But for larger-scale family farms, the toll could be serious.

Our garden pigs playing in their pig desert. We sprinkle their pen everyday, just like the rest of the gardens. Apparently mud cools them down!

This spring many Midwestern farmers put extra corn in, even in fields that were scheduled for soybeans in the crop rotation, because corn prices are rising with the promise of increased ethanol production. But without rain, the ears aren’t sizing up, and the leaves look just desperate. However, it’s likely lots of that extra corn crop will be chopped, stalk and all, into silage, a fermented animal feed. Though silage is of lower value than grain, the corn won’t go to waste, and kind type of practical ingenuity is one of the things I most admire about farming culture. A bonus for us is that we’ll be buying corn silage for our various animals that eat grass (which we have run out of, since the pastures haven’t grown back in the drought) and it should save us money on the purchased hay we’re already feeding out. Though I feel stressed about the farm and the animals, I am constantly amazed at the myriad strategies farmers throughout the centuries have developed to cope with hard times, and I feel privileged to be a part of the community here.

I also feel privileged to have the bountiful harvest that I do, and realize more than ever what a gift fresh food is. My favorite pick of this week’s harvest is purple cabbage, but I think what I like most of all is how it looks next to the many colors of the summer garden. The boxes look like giant bouquets with pink and blue potatoes, green and violet cabbage, orange and red tomatoes and yellow summer squash. Here’s what you’ve got comin’:

In The Box: Box 5, Local Delivery, August 3

Cabbage – So pretty, so tasty, so crisp! Please see last post for a fabulous family recipe for Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles

Summer Squash – This yellow Zephyr variety is so wonderful, with tiny seeds and more length than width. Thank you, Johnny’s Selected Seeds!

Cucumbers – These little guys are all pickling varieties, intended to be picked small. My soil tends to produce bitter cucumbers when the fruits get large in the heat, so I thought I’d try these instead. You don’t have to make pickles! I do like this tart Asian-style side dish that’s sort of like a pickle: Sweet and Sour Cucumber Relish. This is often served along Pad Thai.
Mix 1 cup seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar with 1 Tbsp Sugar. Salt to taste. Slice cucumbers and carrots thin, and float in vinegar. Onions sliced thin would also make a nice addition. Allow to marinate for at least 1/2 hour before serving.

Carrots – This is it for summer carrots, we’ve pulled them all to make room for turnips and Swiss chard. Meanwhile, the fall carrots are already sprouting where the salad mix used to be. New salad mix is growing in the pea patch. Fall peas are growing where the Science Fiction carrots came out last harvest. Fun!

Arugula – This spring, I confessed to a CSA Member that I really didn’t care for arugula at all. She told me that in Peru, where she is from, they put it on top of pizza. I tried it and loved it, and promptly put an order in for seed. The little bag of baby greens is our first harvest, and I hope you’ll give it a try on pizza, too. Thank you, Sonia!

Potatoes – Yummy, pretty All Red and Purple Majesty. These are not cured, so eat them up or store in the fridge.

Heirloom Tomatoes – I’d like to tell you what you’ve got there, but I got really sloppy with putting tags in the tomato patch this spring! I’ve got lots of odd and fun varieties, I just don’t know where they are. I do recognize Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, which are ripe when orange, and tiny Yellow pears and striped Orange Zebras.

Herbs – Curry, Rosemary, Oregano, Dill, Chives, Thyme, Parsley

Hot Hungarian Peppers -Just one, for now. These are very hot and will work in salsa.

Basil – Pesto is what we make all summer with our most favorite of herbs, but this week we’ve also enjoyed basil in bruchetta and on pizza. You’ve got everything you need for Bruchetta in this week’s box (except for olive oil and the baguette!). Do not wash the basil until right before you are ready to use it, then just swish it around in cold water.
Finely chop three different colored tomatoes and press one clove of garlic. Mince five large basil leaves. Mix all together with 1/3 cup olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Slice a baguette into thin rounds, and then brush on both sides with olive oil and toast in oven 5 minutes at 400. Remove, spoon tomato mixture on top and enjoy! We also sometimes spread ricotta on the bread before the tomatoes.

Chocolate Mint

Fennel

Garlic and Onions

Radicchio

Goat Cheese – We eat this cheese up so fast, it’s doubtful we’ll ever get to try this fantastic-sounding recipe from CSA Member Hillary. But we’re going to ration it this week so we can have Breaded Goat Cheese Patties:
Ingredients:
1 cup soft goat cheese, 1/3 cup fine bread crumbs, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1 tsp finely chopped thyme, salt to taste, 1-2 Tbsp olive oil. Serve with/on a simple green salad, English muffins or small toasts, sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes.

Instructions: Take about 2 tablespoons and gently pat the cheese into a patty about 2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick. Damp hands or using plastic wrap helps. Repeat with the rest of the cheese. Mix together the bread crumbs, thyme, pepper and salt. Press the cheese patties into the crumbs until coated on both sides and edges.

Heat a heavy, nonstick skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes, coat with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Saute the patties for 2 to 3 minutes/side, or until golden brown, adding more oil if necessary. Serve hot or very warm.

Beets – No more beets until fall, and these are as big as we can grow them without rain. Pretty Bull’s Blood is the variety.

Do send us recipes for your favorite dishes featuring Circle M vegetables!