The very beginning of the lasts...

For some reason, it always feels like a huge relief when it’s finally August. Some of the giant question marks of the season seem to be answered. Namely, the question of will we have tomatoes? And while we continue to be blessed with beautiful weather, our fall plantings seem to be falling right into place. Our fall brassicas are almost all in and the winter seedings of beets and carrots are starting to pop up. The summer rhythm of harvest feels a little less panicked and even though we’re in between plantings of lettuce, there’s still plenty of everything else to go around.


The evenings and the mornings are little shorter, every day it’s a little bit darker when we get up. We’re starting to think about the last of things…the last seeding of beans and beets, the last bed of plastic to lay, the last round of cover crops. This month is our last burst of summer to take advantage of in terms of real crop growth, and yet we’re not even half way through our CSA harvest season. Growing and eating seasonally isn’t just a nice thing to do or a way to follow the trend, it’s truly the way we’re supposed to eat as creatures of our microclimate. The shortness of the season makes every piece of produce so special and precious, just as they were meant to be. What could be better than a fresh tomato in August, a perfect head of broccoli in October or a sweet winter squash in the middle of winter? I can’t wait for a crispy head of fall romaine lettuce just like last month I could hardly stand waiting for the sungolds to ripen. It is literally the nature of things, and how lucky are we to be right in the thick of it?


The share!

swiss chard
kale
cabbage
radicchio
kohlrabi
salad mix
spring onions
carrots
beets
cherry tomatoes
heirloom tomatoes
peppers
eggplant
potatoes
beans
dill
cilantro
parsley
summer squash
cucumbers

Planting fall broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

Planting fall broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower.

All covered up.

All covered up.

Tomato horn worm problems.

Tomato horn worm problems.

This is what they can do to a tomato plant. It used to have leaves.

This is what they can do to a tomato plant. It used to have leaves.

Ahhh...salad mix.

Ahhh...salad mix.

 

I'm pretty sure it's time for this...

Alice Waters' Ratatouille

http://food52.com/recipes/14155-alice-waters-ratatouille

Serves 6 to 8

  • 1 medium or 2 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more to taste
  • 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 4 to 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch of basil, tied in a bouquet with kitchen twine + 6 basil leaves, chopped
  • pinch of dried chile flakes
  • 2 sweet peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 3 medium summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 3 ripe medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • Salt to taste
  1. Toss the eggplant cubes with a teaspoon or so of salt. Set the cubes in a colander to drain for about 20 minutes.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Pat the eggplant dry, add to the pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Add a bit more oil if the eggplant absorbs all the oil and sticks to the bottom of the pan. Remove the eggplant when done and set aside.
  3. In the same pot, pour in 2 more tablespoons olive oil. Add onions and cook for about 7 minutes, or until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, basil bouquet, dried chile flakes, and a bit more salt.
  4. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir in peppers. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in summer squash. Cook for a few more minutes, then stir in tomatoes.
  5. Cook for 10 minutes longer, then stir in eggplant and cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until all the vegetables are soft. Remove the bouquet of basil, pressing on it to extract all its flavors, and adjust the seasoning with salt.
  6. Stir in the chopped basil leaves and more extra virgin olive oil, to taste. Serve warm or cold

Check this website out for some awesome swiss chard recipes:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/23/10-swiss-chard-recipes_n_1392468.html

It's also time for this:

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:

3 cups chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

4 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeno

pepper (including seeds)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1.Stir the tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno pepper, cumin, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Serve.

 

Malaika SpencerComment