CSA 2018 – WEEK #12

August 13, 2018

We didn’t expect it to rain so much today, but it poured and poured all morning and afternoon. Have you ever harvested vegetables in the flooded fields? Boots stuck 6″ down into the mud, rain pellets pelting your body, sweating under the vinyl rain gear overalls and jackets that keep you somewhat dry, but not very comfortable. The produce was coming in from the fields soaked, which is good for the lettuce, but not so great for the tomatoes. We did our best to keep everything in good shape, but it was some effort! A big thank you to our awesome crew who shows up and harvests rain or shine. They are truly spectacular and thanks to them, we can all eat well this week!

THIS WEEK IN THE SHARES…

Baby Watermelon – Heads up that these babies are fragile! They will crack simply by being knocked in the wrong way… A cracked watermelon is usually still fine, as long as you get it into the fridge right away. Enjoy your watermelon seed spitting contests! 🙂
Storage: In the refrigerator. Uses: Raw! When to use: Within 3 days.

Red Tomatoes – These beefsteak tomato plants are just starting to yield. Let the tomatoes sit out on the counter until they reach a deep red color. At that point they’re ready to eat. DO NOT REFRIGERATE TOMATOES. They will get cold damage and develop a mealy texture and lose all flavor.
Storage: On the counter. Uses: Raw/Cooked When to use: When a deep red ripe.

Parsley – Make a parsley salsa verde with this bunch. You can use it on sandwiches, pasta, fish, poultry or best yet…potato salad!
Storage: In airtight storage in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw When to use: Within 5 days.

Cucumber – We are just about finished up with this cucumber planting. Can you believe that we’ve been harvesting from the same planting this whole time? Yeah, these cukes have rocked out. But after this we’ll give you a break.
Storage: In airtight storage in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw When to use: Within 5 days.

Green Batavian Lettuce – Batavian lettuce loves the summer heat!
Storage: In airtight storage in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw When to use: Within 5 days.

Sweet Corn – This is the second of three corn plantings and this one has not yielded as well as we had hoped. We have enough for just a few ears per member. In this situation, I would recommend cutting the kernels off the corn ears and using them in a salad so more people can enjoy them!
Storage: In airtight storage in the refrigerator. Uses: Cooked When to use: Within 3 days.

Red Potatoes – There’s nothing better than freshly harvested potatoes. Their water content is high so it takes less time for them to cook. I recommend using them to make a summer potato salad!
Storage: In a cool (not cold), dark place. Uses: Cooked When to use: Within 2 weeks.

RECIPES

Parsley Salsa Verde
New Potato Salad with Parsley & Vinaigrette
No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce
Minty Watermelon Cucumber Salad