In the share this week:
2 lbs tomatoes
1 bunch cilantro
2 eggplant or 2 summer squash
1 lb green beans
1 bunch green onions
1 pint peppers (jalapenos, aji rico, or mix)
2 bell peppers
Thoughts from Farmer Anna:
We got away for a couple of days this weekend to go camping with the kids and my parents and to attend the Nowhere Else music festival (http://www.nowhereelsefestival.com/) that was originally scheduled for May of 2020. It often feels difficult to do the planning and packing necessary to get away, but it sure is worth it. Camping forces all of us to slow down to human speed, focusing only on the basic necessities and relaxing. This trip was even better since we got to listen to some amazing music while we relaxed. The kids did admirably well at the music festival, even though it did get boring for them at times and we forgot to pack stuff to keep them occupied. And at the campground, our youngest took off on her bike for the first time and didn't want to stop. I think they'll have fond memories of seeing awesome live music at a farm in the middle of nowhere :)
As we enter September, we have the last hurrah of some of the summer veggies in the share this week - green beans and eggplant. One of our members told me that she loves to make eggplant lasagna, which does sound like an awesome way to use this veggie! You could also cook up your tomatoes, peppers and green onions into a pasta sauce to use with the lasagna. Here's a recipe for some ideas:
The rain this weekend, while very good for the farm, is also accelerating the demise of some crops that are susceptible to fungal disease late in the year. Many of the tomato plants are looking tough, our second planting of zucchini and summer squash has just barely come on and now the plants are starting to wilt and die. This is all to be expected at this time of year and it comes with a mix of sadness and relief. The slow down is coming and the fall crops that I love so much will be here soon. In fact, next week we'll have a big shift in the share veggies as we turn again to more greens and our winter squash, along with some other special once-a-season crops.
If you have too much cilantro this week, remember that you can freeze it for later. We like to blend it up with olive oil and freeze flat in a zip top bag. You could also make this cilantro sauce that would keep in your fridge for a couple of weeks. It's delicious drizzled on lots of dishes!
Have a great week everyone!