To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: Lettuce, choice of arugula or broccoli raab, colored peppers,
  spaghetti squash, Napa cabbage or kohlrabi, radishes, sweet corn, choice of dill or cilantro, baby bok choi, scallions, string beans, and sweet potatoes.
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: Macoun apples and Starkrimson pears
  • Flowers: finished for the season
  • Mushrooms: not mentioned in this week’s update from John
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “B” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• Last week I shared our kohlrabi with a family member who had never tried it before. For members who might be intimidated I share some kohlrabi info today:
  • Kohlrabi might look crazy but it’s a cousin of more familiar cabbages (think “kohl” = the “cole” of cole slaw)
  • Sometimes called a German Turnip, it’s not actually a turnip
  • It can be eaten both raw or cooked
  • High in fiber and more Vitamin C per gram than an orange!
  • In the past I have grated them and used them with potatoes to make homemade latkes
  • Add diced kohlrabi to bulk up vegetable soups
  • Try roasting thick slices and topping with parm and garlic

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: Swiss chard, choice of arugula or broccoli raab, lettuce, yellow
  onions, colored peppers, summer squash, beets with tops, kohlrabi or Napa cabbage, tomatoes, purple potatoes, sweet corn, edamame soybeans, and choice of an herb (parsley, thyme, basil).
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: ginger gold apples & bartlett pears
  • Flowers: finished for the season
  • Mushrooms: chestnuts or lion’s mane
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “A” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• Edamame returns this week. By my searching, we had the soybeans early last October but prior to the previous time was all the way back in 2017! In case you need some ideas, I gathered some interesting sounding edamame recipes to share here:
  • Many edamame recipes fall into the “ginger, garlic & spicy” realm. This one from Inspired Taste had the best looking thumbnail.
  • A different take was this one for Crispy Parmesan Garlic Edamame (although I kinda doubt the “crispy” part)
  • If eating them from the shell isn’t for you, you could try either of these NYT Cooking recipes and turn your soybeans into an Edamame Tofu Dip or Stir Fried Succotash with Edamame.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: choice of arugula or broccoli raab, colored peppers, baby bok choi, summer squash, salad turnips, cauliflower/broccoli/Napa cabbage, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, leeks, sweet corn, and choice of an herb
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: sweetie apples & asian pears
  • Flowers: sunflowers (final week)
  • Mushrooms: yellow or blue oysters
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “B” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• In case you need some inspiration to “spice up” your veggies this week, today I will share my favorite Burlap & Barrel spice blends below. I first bought spices from Burlap & Barrel about two years ago when I received a gift card. I felt the quality was high, loved their mission, and felt the prices weren’t much higher than I had paid for premium spices elsewhere online. Since that first order, I’ve purchased a few more times and have zeroed in on a few favorites:
  • Base spices: I always keep their Purple Stripe Garlic, Toasted Onion and Smoked Pimenton Paprika on hand. With some salt and pepper, I probably season 75% of my cooking with this trio.
  • Cacio e Pepe: Sometimes all you need or want is buttered noodles or some steamed rice (especially if you’re a 4 year old), a few sprinkles of this makes an otherwise simple bowl delicious.
  • Grillin’ Out: This is an all-purpose blend that I use to season meats destined for the flattop, like smash burgers. I also use it more generally as a blackening or Cajun style spice, often adding it to a pot of beans. (Sadly, this one seems to be unavailable at the moment!)
  • Za’atar: When I have this on hand I’ll use it in places where I might use a more generic Italian seasoning. Especially good mixed in some oil for bread dipping.
  • Tutto Porchetta: Not too many spice blends are heavy on fennel which is a favorite of mine. I tend to use it more on roasted vegetables than meats, but it’s versatile enough to go on anything.
    

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: arugula, beans, colored peppers, zucchini, broccoli
  or cauliflower, red onions, rainbow carrots, sweet corn, red fingerling potatoes, tomatoes, and choice of an herb (Cilantro, dill, basil).
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: gala apples & hardy kiwi berries
  • Flowers: paused this week
  • Mushrooms: chestnuts
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “A” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• If you’re looking for one last summer-y use for this week’s potatoes, try my trick for a mayo-less potato salad. I chunk and boil a few potatoes until they are soft and smushable. While they boil, I whisk together a quick mustard dressing with olive oil, vinegar, sliced shallot, salt and pepper. After draining the potatoes I put them back in the hot pot, and using a wooden spoon I “rough them up” a bit. I’ll smash a few, while others I’ll just roughly stir them up. The goal is to get plenty of mushy potato starch on the surface of the potatoes. It’ll mix with the dressing to make it creamy without mayo and also helps the dressing to stick. If you have some green herbs on hand, feel free to sprinkle some in after you chill the salad completely and before you serve. Two other important tips… 1) Don’t rinse the potatoes after you drain them, even if they have some starchy water clinging to them it’s fine, just toss them back in the pot. 2) Put the potatoes into the dressing while they are hot, I think they soak up more of the dressing than if you let them cool completely.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: beans, colored peppers, summer squash, radishes, broccoli
  or Napa cabbage, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, gold potatoes, scallions, goldenberries (for those who have not received them yet) and choice of an herb.
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: paused this week
  • Flowers: paused this week
  • Mushrooms: yellow oysters
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “B” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• John’s update this week offers details about bulk tomato purchases for those who like to can or freeze. If you’re interested please see his note at the bottom of the attached update. For those who might be considering the bulk tomatoes, but are not experienced in preserving them, I compiled a few helpful links:
  • National Center for Food Preservation (see the menu on the left side)
  • Ball’s Tomato canning recipes (tested recipes from the most famous name in preservation supplies)
  • Food52 recipe (simple, no bells or whistles)
  • Reddit thread on why you can’t safely can diced tomatoes at home (something I did not know and judging by the comments is not common knowledge among home cooks)

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: Swiss chard, beets, beans, colored peppers, garlic,
  tomatoes, sweet corn, squash or cucumbers, red skin potatoes, and choice of an herb. (We will be sending goldenberries, the South American cousins of the ground cherries over the next few weeks, as availability allows.
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: nectarines & plums
  • Flowers: sunflowers
  • Mushrooms: chestnut & lion’s mane
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “A” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• Garlic returns to our deliveries this week after a month-plus off. I was just thinking about garlic because when we visited the Caldwell Marketplace this weekend for some pre-bbq shopping, my daughter just had to have a loaf of Nicolo’s bread. Her and I ate most of it before lunch so it didn’t make it until dinner but it would have made for a wonderful loaf of garlic bread. So, I’m thinking I need to get another loaf of bread. The key to making good garlic bread is thinking ahead — softening a stick of butter on the counter for a few hours, and in this case, roasting a head of garlic. Smash the two together in a ramekin with a hearty pinch of coarse salt making a paste that you can easily smear on the split loaf. Bake at 350 for like 10-15min until the crust is crispy but before it takes on much color. You might not need much more for dinner, but consider a tomato cucumber salad alongside.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: Swiss chard, colored peppers, rainbow carrots, beans, yellow onions, banana fingerling potatoes, either zukes or cukes, green or savoy cabbage, tomatoes, and choice of an herb (parsley, marjoram, thyme).
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: grapes & peaches
  • Flowers: mixed bouquets
  • Mushrooms: oysters
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “B” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• I’ve been a subscriber to Milk Street magazine since their charter issue. I don’t read every issue cover to cover any more but I occasionally a recipe will catch me like a eureka moment. I haven’t tried this recipe for Butter Braised Tomato Soup just yet but my next batch of CSA tomatoes are destined for the Dutch oven. We often try to enjoy all of our CSA tomatoes raw to get their full potential but this recipe feels like it gives the tomatoes the reverence they deserve. (apologies for posting a photo of the printed recipe, I couldn’t find a non-paywall copy of it anywhere online)

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: kale, lettuce, peppers, beets, squash, cucumbers, beans, scallions, red fingerling potatoes, tomatoes, basil, and watermelon (as supplies last).
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: Zestar apples & red plums
  • Flowers: sunflowers or mixed bouquets
  • Mushrooms: yes, but no specifics
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “A” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• One of this week’s extras will be hot peppers. If you don’t typically grab them when they are available, snag a few this week and try this recipe: Candied Jalapenos. My aunt makes a huge batch of these candied jalapenos annually and cans them to give out to family. They are a hit any time I serve them! My favorite is alongside a top-your-own chili bar where I have toppings like sour cream, scallions, shredded cheese, Fritos and these jalapenos lined up for people to customize their bowl. They are also tasty baked into cornbread, on top of a hot dog, atop nachos, or anything else you can think of. One thing she adds to give them a little extra kick: a finely sliced habanero.

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: Peppers, beans, beets, summer squash, red onions, melons, red
  skin potatoes, tomatoes, ground cherries or cherry tomatoes, and choice of an herb (parsley, thyme, summer savory).
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: nectarines & watermelon
  • Flowers: yes, but not specifics
  • Mushrooms: not mentioned
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “B” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• Last week we were looking for a quick weeknight recipe to use up our CSA green beans. My wife found this recipe from NYT Cooking for a green bean salad and we used it as inspiration for an even simpler version. We snipped, blanched and shocked the beans, then tossed them in some bottled dressing, and added in roughly chopped basil, olives and cherry tomatoes. The beans were pleasantly crisp and surprisingly our four year old daughter kept asking for more!

To view Farmer John’s latest update, click here.

This week’s share will include:

• Veggies: Peppers, beans, beets, summer squash, red onions, melons, red
  skin potatoes, tomatoes, ground cherries or cherry tomatoes, and choice of an herb (parsley, thyme, summer savory).
• Add-on shares:
  • Fruit: white peaches & red plums
  • Flowers: yes, but not specific
  • Mushrooms: oysters
  • Eggs: not mentioned in this week’s update from John, but assuming yes

For those with half shares, this is “A” week.

Serving Suggestions:

• One of our favorite spots to eat in The Caldwells is The Original Pancake House. A signature dish on their menu is a “dutch baby” which is a hybrid between a pancake and an eggy souffle. I tried my hand at making one for the first time and was surprised at how well it came out. The savory dutch baby recipe I used as my starting point is from Kodiak brand since I had their baking mix in the pantry. I can see it being an easy weeknight building block for a meal full of CSA staples. Try it topped with a chopped tomato cucumber salad, or lightly dressed greens, or soft scrambled eggs mixed with roasted vegetables, or some combination of them all.