July is the New August
I’ve been saying this for about five years. July is our sweltering month now and although August is still hot, it is transitioning to fall. By the end of August, you can start to feel the cooler temperatures setting into the evenings and early mornings. Do you feel the change of the seasons?
ADMIN
Reminder: Masks are required in the Veggie Shed. And when you are within six feet of others outside.
Extras: You can buy extra items, organic pastured eggs, and more. Check out the extras list.
HARVEST TRANSITIONS: Eating Seasonally
Are you noticing the change of the seasons in the harvest? By eating your CSA veggies, you are eating seasonally. Do you remember all the lush greens of our first month of CSA? Those greens gave way to heavier harvests of zucchini, cucumbers, patty pan squash, cabbages. Then in the heat of summertime: tomatoes, eggplant, peppers. Eggplant production is slowing down and cucumbers will as well. Now we are getting into onions, garlic and potatoes. Just as the basil patch is wrapping up, our basil patch in the greenhouse suddenly looks bountiful. So we’ll have an extension. This is the time of year you might be hankering for more greens. We continue to harvest some kale and we have our cabbage harvest in storage. Time to give sweet potato greens a try! Look forward to these new crops in September: butternut squash hopefully and the first sweet potatoes. And because Phil is a clever farmer, you get lettuce through it all.
U-PICK
We have a late patch of green beans that we may be able to offer for U-Pick very soon. Check the blackboard or ask us. Cherry tomatoes split their skins in the rain last week and fell to the ground. (This didn’t happen to our slicer tomatoes because we grow them in our covered hoophouse.) But there are lots of new cherry tomato flowers, so they will keep producing. The Bean Hut still has beautiful purple beans! And of course there are flowers. The zinnias continue to impress. Walk out to the zinnia row to pick a bouquet. If you need a closer patch on flat ground, pick next to the Bean Hut.
SWEET POTATO GREENS
Time to give sweet potato greens a try! The leaves taste like spinach. Pull the leaves off the vine and discard the stems. Sautee the leaves like spinach. They are milder than spinach, even. Be adventurous and try some sweet potato greens!
EGGPLANT
How do you like yours? Babaganouj? Baked with garlic and tomato sauce and cheese? I've been enjoying the Greek dish, Papoutsakia. https://thegreekfoodie.com/greek-eggplant-bake-papoutsakia/
MOTHER EARTH NEWS NEWS
I have a published piece in the Aug-Sept edition of Mother Earth News magazine! It is in the “Ask our Experts” section, about preserving garlic for year round use. You can pick up a copy of the print magazine at The Common Market or other news stands.
SHARE YOUR RECIPES
Go to House in the Woods Farm and Friends group on FB and share your culinary creations with us! Simple or extravagant, we like em all.
