Welcome to week 13 of the farm share!
This might be our last week of watermelon depending on how many we sell this week. There are lots of extras this week like half bushels of tomatoes from Common Ground Farm, and baskets of tomatillos for salsa verde! We divided our tomatoes into red beefsteak, heirloom and saladettes so you can swap out one variety for the other and get more choice about the kind of tomatoes you want. Now's your chance to customize your share. Don't forget to return your bags!
On the Farm
The last week of August is here. The air is thick with humidity, cicadas, and crickets. Our plates are full of tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, herbs, fresh sauces and salsa. Our kids are full of raw cucumbers and peppers and cherry tomatoes and peaches. Watermelon juice coats the kitchen floor.
The harried times of July have passed and cooler weather and shorter days are waving cheerfully in the near distance.
We have to say goodbye to the weekly help of Dean, Breckin, and Tristan who are heading back to school next week. They are some very hard working teenagers and we've been so lucky to have them here on the farm. It'll be a big change in September and we're going to have to rally our strength and push on because the harvest continues!
We went to a musical festival on the weekend at Common Ground Farm. It's called Middle River Music Fest and the money raised for it goes to support the woman's shelter in London called Anova. I'm putting the bug in your ear for next year, because it was a really great time, with an excellent family-friendly atmosphere.
Veggie Highlights this Week
NEW this week, we have dill and cilantro! We tried transplanting it this time instead of growing directly from seed and are so happy with the results.
Tomatoes, Cilantro, Jalapenos, Spring Onions - we've got all the ingredients for a perfect summer salsa.
Our newest planting of beans is ready too.
This may be our last week for watermelon, as we are almost out.
*NEW* ONIONS - our onions didn't turn out this year, which we are very sad about as its one of our favourite crops to grow each year. Here's hoping for next year. In the meantime, our friend Chris at Common Ground has connected us with an organic grower in Aylmer who grows certified organic onions. We are going to be adding those to our Farm Share starting this week. It's sad about our onions, but it feels good to build connections and increase the resiliency of local food and our own operation by working with other farms!
We are starting to think seriously about the fall and may have to remove our tomatoes soon so that we can use our hoophouses for fall greens like salad mix, spinach, and choy. So please enjoy them while they are still here!
A Quick Way to Preserve Tomatoes for Winter
My favourite way to preserve tomatoes is by roasting them in the oven and freezing. Here's how to do it in a couple easy steps:
1. Turn oven on to 300
2. Roughly chop tomatoes. Toss in some oil and salt. Add basil and garlic or other herbs for more flavour.
3. Roast in the oven until they are soft, a couple hours minimum. You can keep them in for longer too!
4. Scoop into bags and freeze. If there is a lot of liquid, you can drain that first.
5. Enjoy in the winter! I like to use them as a substitute for canned tomatoes in sauces, chili, casseroles, and so on.
Enjoy your last few days of August!
Your farmer,
Kim
