Summertime! and the livin' is busy!

 

Here's a recipe I like for cabbage (in my efforts to get the Rancho Chico cabbage salsa or as close to it as possible): 

Cabbage Salsa (I think I got this from Epicurius):

1/2 head cabbage, chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

handful or so of cherry tomatoes (or any kind of tomatoes you like)

1 jalapeno diced (or any hot petter -- Caso's actually has a beautiful, hot, VERY tasty manzano pepper that is round and orange)

1 garlic clove, chopped

2 limes' worth of fresh squeezed juice

1/2 tsp sugar

Mix.  Chill.  Enjoy 1-2 hr later (or the next day and the next and...).  :)

The 10th box of the season. Photo by Shannon Gilbert

Greetings Folks!  Here we are with our 11^th box of 2012, almost at the middle of the season already!  Here at the little farm I'm feeling proud about some crops we're accomplishing.  Our sweet peppers are doing well and producing on schedule, early compared to most home gardens who don't have season extensions.  The hot peppers are ripening as well.  And the melons are forming up nicely.  Our tomatoes seem to have taken a break from the ripening trend they were on, but they'll be back soon!  For now, we have little bits of our crops or you've already received a couple of times.  Like eggplant, which the Tonasket Co-op bought!  Cucumbers, which Glover Street Market bought.  Summer Squash, which Arrowleaf Bistro bought. Some of you bought our green beans and cilantro and basil.  I'm so grateful, because we really don't want to have to sell at Farmers Market.  That would make the busy farm work 6 days a week and it seems like our little kids wouldn't want us to do farmers markets.  They still like lots of our attention, and if they were at market with us they would run around all crazy and disappear and climb high in the trees and play at the river. . .   so, we'll keep focusing on wholesale and CSA.  Those crops I mention will be in your boxes soon, and we'll continue to be grateful for the stores and restaurants who buy from us as well.  And, we'll be using the technique of giving ½ of you one food and the other ½ the other food, then flipping the provisions for the next week. 

Have you received any emails from me?  If not, please email me your address and I'll add you to the CSA 2012 List, that way you'll know what food is available for preserving/events or you'll get a newsletter update as necessary, etc.  Thanks!

Micro greens are an exciting new crop for 8th Street Greens this year! Shannon gently removes the seedpods from the sunshoots.

These are sunflower shoots.

These are stunning Amaranth shoots.

Micro greens are kept under shade cloth so they stay nice and tender!

Cheese Shares:  enclosed is a note from Clare of Larkhaven Farmstead Cheeses about proper care of your cheese.  We forgot to put it in your box last week, but here ya' go anyways!  It's handy info. For future reference, anyhow! 

Bread Shares:  How about that fresh, soft Ciabatta loaf last week?  I went crazy eating slabs of it with chevre or butter, salted tomato slices, and loads of basil!  Whew!  That's a flavor I wait for all spring. . .! 

Egg Shares: best vitamins ever, right?!  I've been lovin' sauteed summer squash with butter and thyme, then crack in an egg and stir it up.  Yum!  Or cabbage sauteed with herb of choice and some curry, then crack in the egg and spray it with Braggs or soy sauce.  Different Yum! Last week Big River Breakfast made a summer squash egg wrap with tomato, mozzarella and basil.  Squash and basil from us!  Good Eats!  Thanks to Julie for educatin' and providin'!!!

The 11th box of the season. Photo by Shannon Gilbert

This week's box:  Original Salad 1/3 lb, Kohlrabi, Famosa or Parel Cabbage, ample Bag of Cilantro, 2 Leeks, 2 Bulbs of Fresh Killarney Red Garlic, and 1 Hungarian Hot Wax Yellow Pepper:  all from 8^th Street Greens.  1 little bunch of Carrots, from Yonder Farm (it was going to be Snow Peas from them but they got lower yield this week than expected and the hail damaged a lot of them).  The Early Star peaches are from Applecart Fruit of Tonasket, Organic.   And the Large Shares got Green Beans.  Fruit Shares:  The peaches are Early Red Havens from Filaree Fruit.  He's providing Fancy Grade for us.  He said he'd have some fancies despite the hail, yaaaay!  He also got lots of 2nds and canner grade this week because of the hail, please call him at 846-3480 for ordering details.  The Apples are Vista Bella, J.C.'s first summer apples.  The berries are Black Raspberries.  I ordered Blackberries.  Oh well!  Next year I'll have lots of blackberries producing for all of you!

Cabbage keeps well, so put it in your produce drawer and save it for later if need be.  You'll get cabbage one or two more times.  The garlic is fresh, not cleaned or trimmed.  I thought it'd be fun to share the garlic the way we get it, so super fresh.  You'll notice a different smell and that it's a different way of peeling it.  The skins of bulb and cloves are not yet cured, so they are still soft and alive feeling, plant-like.  Garlic is Medicine and delicious!

Thanks and Cheers to an Exciting Season!!!    ~~Shannon   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~