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Enjoying Summer Skies

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Enjoying Summer Skies
Important Reminders & Announcements
  • This week, we deliver to weekly Early Summer Vegetable and Fruit Share members.
This Week's Vegetable Harvest:
  • Leeks
  • Parsley
  • Kale
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes
  • Poblano Peppers
  • Italian Frying Peppers
  • Baby Eggplant
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumber
  • Kohlrabi
  • Heirloom Tomatoes 
  • Beefsteak Tomatoes 
  • Green Beans

This Week's Fruit Harvest:
  • Blackberries
  • Peaches
  • Methley Plums

Farm Photo Journal

Good morning from the farm!

We hope you're enjoying the amazing skies we've received lately. The birds like them too, as evidenced by the top picture that Jeff took of a soaring red-tailed hawk set against the blue skies and clouds.
We enjoy taking a moment from our daily work to observe their activities. Jeff watched this beautiful bird on the hunt last week. The hawk landed, spotted his prey, pounced and transported his afternoon meal to a more protected location. The pictures below show the hunt.
This somewhat tame red-tail hawk is a familiar sight around the farm, as many of us have approached him with cameras and he usually lets us take an up-close portrait. The hawk reminds me of one of my favorite Wendell Berry quotes, "The earth is what we all have in common." We truly share the farm with many!
Enjoy the skies and your share of the farm this week!

Your farmers, 
Jeff, Jen and the farm crew (and various animals!)
Notes from the Farm Kitchen

This week's vegetable shares include two types of peppers -- sweet Italian frying peppers (pictured above) and poblano peppers (contained within a plastic bag in your share). Italian Frying Peppers are slightly sweeter than a bell pepper, and can be used in the same ways. They are wonderful addition to fajitas, salads and sautéed vegetable dishes. Like most peppers in the family, Italian Frying peppers are rich in vitamins C, B6 and A, and antioxidants.

Poblanos are somewhere in the middle of the heat index scale, and are very versatile in the kitchen. Roasting the peppers before using them improves their flavor and allows you to remove their waxy skin. To roast them you can either put them under the broiler, use a skewer to hold them over an open flame on your stove top, or stick them in a very hot toaster oven. Roast them until the skin starts to bubble and the bubbles start to blacken, then flip and do the same on the opposite side. Allow them to cool before pulling the skin off with your fingers, then make a slit in each one and remove the seeds.   

This week's potatoes are a Yukon Gold variety with a golden skin and medium yellow inner flesh. Their skin is more set than the new potatoes that you received earlier this season, though they are still best washed delicately and stored within a refrigerator. They are rich in flavor, and tasty when boiled and added to a mustard-based salad or delicious grilled alongside fresh corn on the cob and chicken.

    This week's fruit share includes several stone fruit, including the Klug's famous peaches. Mick Klug Farm grows 10 varieties of yellow peaches, and three of white, and in round and donut shaped. This week's variety is called Glenglow, which is similar to a Sentry variety. With its red and yellow skin, this yellow-fleshed semi-clingstone peach will need a few days to fully ripen on your kitchen counter. The peach season looks to be a good one, so we'll feature a few different varieties in upcoming fruit shares.


    Recipes from the Farm Kitchen

    Southern Green Beans And Potatoes
    2 teaspoons olive oil
    2 medium leeks, halved and very thinly sliced
    2 garlic cloves, sliced
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    3 cups unsalted chicken stock
    3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1 1/2 pounds small gold potatoes
    1 pound green beans, trimmed
     
    Heat oil in a 5-quart saucepan over medium high. Add leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, about 3 minutes.
     
    Add stock, salt, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Simmer 10 minutes or until the potatoes are just tender enough to be pierced with a fork. Add green beans, cover, and simmer until very tender, about 6 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes and green beans to a serving dish. Bring the liquid to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1 cup, about 6 minutes. Spoon over the vegetables, and gently fold to mix. Serve hot.

    Linguine with Tomatoes, Olives, Feta, and Parsley
    3 1/2 cups chopped seeded ripe tomatoes (about 7)
    1/2 cup dry white wine
    2 garlic cloves, chopped
    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
    3/4 pound linguine
    1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
    1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
    1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
    1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese (5 to 6 ounces), divided
     
    Purée 2 1/2 cups tomatoes, wine, and garlic in blender. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium high heat. Add tomato puree and olives. Cook until sauce begins to thicken, stirring, about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta, parsley, basil, and vinegar to sauce in skillet. Toss over medium high heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in remaining 1 cup tomatoes and half of cheese. Mound pasta in bowl. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
    (epicurious.com)


    Next Week's Harvest (our best guess)... lettuce, swiss chard, peaches, onions, peppers, plums, beans and more!

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