There is a saying (I don't know if it's especially old), among veggie farmers: don't make any decisions in August. I know farmers who've quit in August (only to be back on the horse in September), we all (only half jokingly) scroll job websites this time of year, dreaming wistfully of 9-5 hours and camping trips not taken. It's so hot, and this year, so humid and now dusty, blah. This year, with all the COVID chaos, I feel a little like "oh it's August? how did we even get here?" It's been such a whirlwind Even in a good year, August can feel like you are just inundated, so much is coming to fruition and there is still so much planning and planting to do all l while feeling like a bit of a zombie. It can be fun to escape it all and make the final plans for winter (which I did yesterday). We've started seeding the leafy greens that will keep us nourished from late fall to the deep deep winter. Loooooots of spinach, very fun right now to think about snow flying, sweaters, and a little time by the fire. We also like to joke that one shouldn't make any farm decisions in February, as it's all too easy to be overly optimistic while pouring over seed catalogs :)
While we're still working on the details for winter distribution, Autumn sign ups are open NOW and already 65% sold out! Here is the hard sell on getting on board for Autumn, don't wait too long. Summer has been tough, but our fall crops look wonderful despite the heat:
Bi-weekly beginning week of October 5th through the week of November 16th (4 deliveries total)
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Customizable, just like summer shares!
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$144.00 for the whole season ($36.00/delivery) 7-10 vegetables - enough for two weeks of eating local!
All the delivery locations currently open this summer, will be the same through the fall, so it is just a continuation of summer deliveries at your convenient pick-up site.
SIGN-UP HERE: https://www.harvie.farm/signup/harvest-tide-organics
What to expect:
Our Autumn shares are designed to highlight vegetables that are at their peak in the fall. Crunchy leafy greens, winter squash, freshly harvested potatoes, frost sweetened broccoli, and more! Items in each share mostly have a longer storage life than the perishable fruit of summer, so you can expect a share to last you through two weeks of local eating.
Just like in the summer, you can add eggs, cheese, yogurt and more to your shares at sign-up or weekly as available.
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Unconventional grilling in this week's share....
Hopefully you've been able to enjoy many of your summer veggies on the grill this season. This week we have two veggies that are slightly unusual, but are wonderful grilled.
- Fennel - this licorice scented bulb with overflowing fronds is something I didn't encounter until I worked on a farm. It's definitely new to the palate of many. It can be used raw, but is wonderful roasted or grilled, and since it's too hot to roast anything I wholeheartedly recommend tossing it onto the grill. Grilling sweetens it and makes it more tender. You can grill it whole or chop it up for adding to kebabs. Once grilled it's great on salads, or just as a side. Here's a super easy recipe to get you started: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/grilled-fennel
- Tomatillos - Such an underrated summer treat! This tart, green, husked relative of tomatoes is often boiled into salsa, but since it's summer, you should grill it! And then put it in salsa. Your boxes this week could have everything you need to make this tasty salsa - straight off the grill: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/grilled-tomatillo-salsa
