Whooo it has gotten hot and dry on the farm so quickly! It's amazing how fast things change sometimes. Thought we got a tiny bit of precipitation last night, we have been hustling to try to get everything irrigated, and our water pump broke last week and eluded repair as of yet. If we can keep things watered (and if we can get some regular, gentle, rains), the crops are looking good right now. We have a nice assortment of vegetables to harvest for you this week, and the summer crops (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash, etc.) are growing well and on their way to being ready for you to eat.
Heads of Lettuce this week are fantastic. We have two of our favorite types: An heirloom speckled variety (pictured above) and crunchy Romaine heads. The dark maroon flecks on the Speckled Lettuce are the natural coloring, though uninformed consumers easily mistake them for spots going bad on the leaves. Fear not! This variety is very tender and tasty. We also have large crunchy Romaine lettuce heads. Savor them! Soon it will be summer and way too hot for these lettuces. (Then we will embrace all the crops with seeds inside of them: cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, summer squash, okra, etc.)
Some of you may have Garlic Scapes in your share this week. They are the most fleeting crop, only in season for about two weeks each year. These tender tops of the garlic plants are like the perfect marriage of Asparagus and Garlic. Prepare them any way you would asparagus, and they have the bonus flavor of mild garlic. They are a family favorite! This is what they look like in the field:
In other news, we just finished hosting a fantastic and creative weekend of old-tyme making here on the farm. We had three guest instructors leading participants in projects made from wood, leather, bone, antler, and metal. We plan to host another like this in the fall. Pay attention if you'd like to sign up for that one! Spots are limited, and the crafts are amazing. (All the adults in the photos are vaccinated!)
Blessings on your meals this week!
