This week we're enjoying a bounty of late summer melons! Sugar baby watermelon are still popping out of the fields like crazy, which is great news for all of us who could happily eat one a day. Cantaloupe are making their first appearance this week, as well as the sun jewel melon!
Sun Jewel: A Korean classic
This beautiful pale yellow melon has a subtle sweetness reminiscent of pear, and is often described as a mix between cucumber and honeydew. When ripe, it's soft, delicious, and edible all the way through, from skin to seed. Whether peeled or simply sliced, see what your own preference is. Serving tips according to Specialty Produce: "Chop and add to sweet or savory salads, serve atop desserts or with yogurt as a breakfast item. Pureed, it can be used to make smoothies, ice cream or other frozen desserts. Use under ripe fruits to make quick pickles or kimchee. Sun Jewel melon pairs well with cucumber, mint, ginger, citrus, berries, lychee, shrimp, coconut milk, feta cheese and chili powder. Once cut, refrigerate in a plastic bag or sealed container and consume within two to three days."
Note: We're predicting that we will have enough sun jewels for everyone this week, but if we end up short, we'll default to cantaloupe.
New This Week: Bell Peppers, Hot Peppers, Baby Fennel + Carrots!
The long awaited carrots are back in the box this week. They're sweet and so delicious. Mixed bell peppers are making their debut, as well as our Scotch Bonnet chili peppers, for those who love medium-hot spice. We also have small fennel bulbs that ordinarily would get larger, but the heat is keeping them from reaching their full growth potential. We're pulling them out this week before the plants bolt and flower. The upside is that small fennel bulbs are more tender than their full grown counterparts, which is great to use raw. Check out this Shaved Fennel Salad with herbs and peaches. Sadly, peach season is quickly coming to an end, but you may still be able to find some at our market booth or in the farm stand, depending on availability.
Coming Next Week: Local, pastured chicken!
We're happy to be working with a wonderful local family farm to offer pasture-rasied chicken, hormone and antibiotic-free and non-GMO. Available whole or in parts, delivered frozen. Orders will open next week!
Another Milk Bottle Reminder
Friends, it's HOT out there! This is important any time of year, but especially now, when leftover milk remnants in returned bottles can curdle quickly and make everyone really sad. Our farm team member Kelsey takes care of all the CSA bottle returns every week, and she let us know that she's still getting some gunky bottles here and there. We're asking everyone to please do your part to help us return CLEAN bottles to Apple Valley Creamery, so we can all get our bottle deposits back! Simply rinse the bottle enough to ensure that there are no milk droplets left behind. Bottles are even dishwasher safe for extra convenience! But my personal favorite method is to give the bottle one quick rinse and dump, then put a bit more water in the bottle, replace the lid tightly, give it a good shake, then dump it again. A little arm workout, a nice clean bottle, a happy Kelsey. Win-win-win =)
Thanks as always for rolling with us on this journey, through unpredictable weather, untimely truck problems and all the other random acts of nature involved in farming. We've been so grateful for the flexibility and support from our members this summer. You're all rockstars. Enjoy your share this week...you deserve it!
Be well,
Morgan + The Earth Spring Farm team
