It’s amazing the difference a week can make. We’ve gone from sweltering in the bean rows to feverishly chopping wood for the house stove. The gardens are full to bursting, with some things ending and others getting started – we’ve picked our final zucchinis and are yanking up cucumber vines to make room for the fall lettuce transplants. A change of season is always fun on the farm, and we are very much enjoying the new flavors the nearly-freezing nights make in the vegetables. Beans and beets have taken on a new richness while the swiss chard and lettuces that have been droopy in the heat are suddenly the stand-out performers in the plots.

Tomatoes – We’re pretty much picking the bushes clean now, anticipating we don’t have much longer for these. Last chance for salsa! Pasta sauce! And fresh Bloody Marys! I think we may be able to put a few green tomatoes in each box sometime in the next few weeks, so you can look forward to that.

Cucumbers – These little round lemons just won’t quit!

Summer Squash and Zucchini – Last time around for these, though we may be able to harvest squash blossoms into the fall…

Edamame Bean Pods – These are a particular Marion family favorite – fresh soybeans! A taste treat from Japanese bars, these are meant to be boiled in the pods for about 10 minutes or so, then pop right out of the warm pods and eat! Salt your boiling water with about 2 tablespoons of salt, or salt the beans when you pop them out.

Green and (finally!) Red Peppers – Oh, we are so thankful that the peppers are finally turning colors! Sweeter than ever, these red Lipsticks, long Hungarian Paprika and round Sheepnose Pimentos are all at their peak. Use fresh, sauté, roast or dry.

Hot Serrano Peppers

Swiss Chard – This is a great time of year for Rainbow Chard – the colors are bright as jewels in the mornings when we pick, and the taste is rich, crisp and sweet as a result of our cold nights.

Beets – These were quietly growing during the August heat, and I took a peek at them this week to find them suddenly big and beautiful. Beets are just the thing for these chilly first days of fall – now, instead of grating them into salad, or sautéing them in olive oil, we are roasting them in the oven and enjoying the rich warm flavors you only get from a root vegetable. Season with thyme or dill.

Bush and Pole Beans – Having had a bumper year for peas and now beans, I totally get the Jack-In-The-Beanstalk story now. Buy some of our ham hocks and make a delicious cool-night pot of hot snapped beans.

Sweet Corn – Not really enough to make a meal of, but cut these fresh kernels off the cob, and add raw to salsa or fry lightly in butter for a tender side dish. We eat these raw on the cob most of the time!

Scallions – Yum! These are great with any tomato dish. Try an omelette with scallions, Swiss chard and Swiss cheese.

Thyme, Garlic, Parsley, Onion, Basil

Roasted Beets with Fennel and Apples
5 medium beets, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
5 apples, cored and cut into wedges
2 heads fennel, trimmed and thinly sliced
½ c honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ c apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt
ground black pepper
Prehead oven to 400. Place the beets, apples and fennel in a large roasting pan. In a small bowl, mix together honey, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the beets, apples and fennel and toss to mix. Roast for one hour or until the beets are tender.

Cucumber Water
So simple, yet so very elegant. I learned this from a reflexologist I went to in Chicago, who made me drink a full glass of cucumber water after each session before she let me leave. “You need it to flush the toxins out of your body,” she told me, and I’m a believer after trying it. Simply cut 10 or so cucumber slices into a pitcher of water you keep in the fridge. The water will be lightly flavored and very refreshing. This makes a really pretty centerpiece for a dinner table, too.

Fresh Bloody Marys

Cut about 1/2 pound ripe tomatoes in half crosswise. Press tomatoes, cut side down, through a colander or a coarse wire sieve set over a bowl to collect juice (you’ll need about 3/4 cup); discard skin. If you have a food processor, simply wash, core and halve the tomatoes and process in the chopping bowl until smooth. Add 1/4 cup gin or vodka, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon honey or sorgum, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, about 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste), a pinch to 1/8 teaspoon celery seed, and hot sauce and salt to taste. Pour into ice-filled glasses. Sprinkle with fresh-ground pepper.