In the share this week:
1 lb slicer tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 sweet italian peppers
1 bag specialty peppers
1 lb green beans or 2 zucchini
1 bag carrots
1 delicata squash
Thoughts from Farmer Anna:
I've come to the realization that August is a tough month for me because we are planting almost as many beds as we were in April, but we are no longer fresh and we have weeks of temps in the 90s. We can feel the coming seasonal transition. Days are getting a bit shorter, many summer crops are starting to decline, and we have a limited window of time to seed the remainder of our fall crops. It's the last big push before we begin to slow our work here on the farm. The year that Steve and I started dating, I was training for the Chicago marathon. He was such an awesome support through my training process and even jumped on the course and ran 10 miles with me during the actual race. I remember so clearly how I felt at mile 23. You've already run so far, so it seems like those last three miles should be no big deal. In reality, they are the hardest miles of the marathon. So after that experience, anytime we were struggling to get that last bit of something finished we'd say we were at mile 23. I think mid to late August on the farm is just about mile 23 of the season :) The awesome part, is that once you realize this, the work and stress are much more manageable. You know you can do it because you've done it before.
Alrighty, now to some fun veggie things! New in the share this week we have delicata squash. This is a small and very sweet winter squash. Typical ways to prepare it included cutting it in half lengthwise and roasting, or cutting little half moon pieces from the halves before cooking if you'd like it to cook faster or you want to saute. The skin of this winter squash is thin, so you can leave it on while cooking and eat it like you would a potato skin. Lots of fiber and many of the vitamins and minerals are present in the skin! Here's a great recipe for a breakfast skillet with delicata squash and sweet peppers:
Also new this week for some are the specialty peppers. You get a few banana, poblano and jalapeno peppers in your mix. We love to quick pickle banana and jalapeno peppers for use on sandwiches, salads, pasta, nachos, etc. That would be a great way to put those peppers to use. The poblano peppers have a mild heat and are great for adding to chili or a stir fry, like this recipe below that includes lots of summer veggies: