Where did August go?

This week's share

Garlic - 1 

Sweet Peppers - 8 to 10
Eggplant - 1 to 3
Squash - 1 or 2 
Tomatoes - 4
Okra - 1 pound
(numbers vary depending on the size of the vegetables so everyone gets about the same weights)
Choice of hot chili medley, mild chili medley, garlic chives or tulsi basil
 

Updates

This week we will be starting to offer garlic for sale in bulk
Only $8 per pound for CSA members
(We'll be charging $12 per pound to non-CSA members once we know our CSA members have had their fill.)  Sorry, we misstated the price last week!  
*Cash or check (made out to CBF).  We'll have on-line payment for garlic set up soon.*
Note that it is normal for our garlic to have streaks of purple, black and brown.  We're not sure why garlic in the store is so much whiter--we attribute it to the varieties we grow and our natural process of curing.

There is NO u-pick of tomatoes and chilies.  Those plants have slowed down production.

This adorable skink caught Carrie's attention as she was photographing your chilies.  These native lizards are beneficial--they don't bite, and they eat insects.  Thanks, skinks!
The chilies in the photo at the top of this e-mail are arranged in order of heat, from least hot on the left to most hot on the right: Mellow Star Shishito, Bastan Poblano, Highlander Anaheim, Red Ember Cayenne, Aji Chinchi Amarillo, El Jefe Jalapeno, Hot Rod Serrano, and Hot Paper Lantern Habanero.  All of them ripen red except the yellow one, so the ones in your bag might be red (ripe) or green (unripe).  Both are hot, but the ripe ones might be hotter. 

U-pick 

Continue to sign up for u-picking through the link below 

U-PICK SIGN UP

The following are available for u-pick:

• Okra (field B2)- This field is way out there, and you will need to walk a long way on foot to reach it. When you enter farm you will keep right at the first fork to go towards the main office. You may park near the garage area and from here continue on foot up the road that leads behind garage. As you are going up the hill you will be turning left once you see a covered firewood pile. The gate you come to is for the field B4 but B2 will be the small field connected to it in the far left corner. (Okra is an itchy plant wear long sleeves and gloves, and bring pruners!)

• Flowers - You can pick any flowers you see on the farm, but in particular, the Sunflowers are blooming nicely (those are located in field G2, which is just past the washing station, where you pick up your share).

• Herbs - Everything on this list is behind the washing station. If you desire more Genovese Basil (the one traditionally used for pesto), it will be located down near the zinnias in field D (the big field you pass on your right as you're driving into the farm).
  Basils (Genovese, Thai, Kapoor Tulsi, Aromatto, Round Midnight, Greek, Lemon)
  Cutting Celery (this is a celery grown for its leaves rather than stems)
  Garlic Chives (with edible flowers)
  Lemon Balm (looking especially lush right now
  Lemon Verbena
  Marjoram
  Onion Chives
  Oregano
  Sage
  Shiso
  Sorrel
  Spearmint
  Summer Savory
  Thyme

 

Recipes

Roasted Pasta in a Dutch Oven

• One of your fellow members, Maria Foscarinis, recommended putting bow tie pasta into an oven-safe pot with the raw tomatoes and other ingredients of pasta sauce (chopped vegetables, garlic, onion, herbs) and roasting the mix in a hot oven until the sauce and pasta are cooked to your liking. Roasting the tomatoes intensifies the flavor and caramelizes some of the sugars, and there's no need to boil the pasta separately.

Stuffed Sweet Peppers

• Long grain white rice – leftover rice works great if you have some.

• Sweet Peppers- bell-shaped I cut tops off, others are halved

• Olive oil – only a little is needed for sauteing.

• Ground beef (optional of course can always sub in extra veggies!)

• Yellow onion and fresh garlic

• Tomato sauce

• Parsley, Oregano

• Mozzarella cheese

How to Make

Precook peppers so they are soft

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook rice according to package instructions.

• Meanwhile, trim about 1/4-inch from tops of bell peppers and halve smaller peppers, Then remove stems, ribs and seeds.

• Fill a baking dish just large enough to fit peppers with about 1/2-inch of water then place peppers upside down in water, cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes.
  
  Making the filling

• Meanwhile heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over-medium high heat. Add onion and saute 3 minutes.

• Move onions to one far side of the skillet. Add beef in chunks, season with salt and pepper then let sear until browned on bottom, about 2 – 3 minutes.

• Break up beef and toss with onions and continue to cook 2 minutes, add garlic and cook until beef is cooked through about 1 minute longer.

• Remove from heat!

• Stir in tomatoes, half of the tomato sauce (about 1/2 cup) save some to drizzle on at the end , cooked rice, parsley, Italian seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  
  Mix it all together

• Reduce oven temperature to 350. Turn par-baked peppers upright and fill with beef filling.

• Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover with foil and continue to bake 20 minutes.

• Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, return to oven and bake until peppers have reached desired tenderness, about 10 – 20 minutes (thinner peppers will be done near lesser time thicker near greater). Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!

Thanks so much for being our members,
The Clagett Farm Team