CSA Newsletter, Week 17

This Weeks Veggies

Red Table Grapes

Melons

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Lettuce

Broccoli Rappini

Scallions

Pole Beans

Winter Squash

Farm Life

This week I am looking forward to the first school visit. We have a third grade class coming to spend the day. In the morning, they will get a tour of the farm and learn about agro-ecology. Then they will spend the afternoon building a compost pile. I am expecting to have grand fun! I love to have kids visit! If your child’s teacher is interested in a farm visit, please give them my name and number.

The weekend rains have really affected the tomatoes. Many of those that were close to ripe split and molded. Not to worry though, even if it stays cool and wet you’ll still receive more tomatoes. I was told growing up in the south that there is nothing like Fried Green Tomatoes so I do plan to include green tomatoes in your shares in the future. I’ve even saved the recent Food Day section of The Oregonian that featured green tomatoes so there will be other recipes to try as well.

A few of the melons have not only survived the dampness, they’ve also ripened. What a nice surprise. You’ll find them in your share this week. I am keeping my fingers crossed in hopes that some of the rest of the varieties ripen too. Two of them, Haogen and Eel River, are uncommon and are particularly fine flavored. Perhaps our luck will hold and you’ll get to sample them in addition to the cantaloupes in this weeks share.

Veggie of the Week

Some of you looked at us like we were weird when Broccoli Rapini first appeared in your shares. The link below will give you more info about its history and how to cook it. Note that the article seems to be contradicting some of the information I gave you in a previous newsletter. However, broccoli and turnips are both in the brassica family so they are indeed related.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/BroccoliRaab.htm