Taking Stock
Mid-August is a good time to take stock of the farm. I lot of questions of the season have been answered. We can leave the spring - whether good or bad behind us, ride the wave of summer crops, and hope for fast and happy growth of the fall plantings. We have almost finished seeding new transplants for the season and it is almost time to turn our attention to winter plans and seedings. But August is for taking stock not for planning just yet - the onions are garlic are in, the root crops are seeded, the cabbage is planted, the potatoes are finished growing and we are surrounded by the lushness of summer. We are still wishing for those peppers and tomatoes to turn and looking longingly into our soaking wet fields wishing the sun would come out and stay out.
Scenes from the farm: the beautiful PYO zinnia patch at Gravity Hill, the incredible arrow head I found while flame weeding carrots in Solebury, the amazing eggplant coming out of the fields right now, the sky after unpacking from CSA pickup last Wednesday, and when the tractor is full of wasps nests you borrow your husbands bee suit to finish seeding radishes.
The Share:
head lettuce
salad mix
swiss chard
cucumber
summer squash
basil
asian eggplant
italian eggplant
fairytale eggplant
green peppers
shishito peppers
carrots
onions
purslane
cherry tomatoes
slicing tomatoes
Sautéed Shishito Peppers: Summer's Best New Bite
DEBORAH MADISON MARCH 2013 VEGETABLE LITERACY
PREPARATION
- Here's what you do. Heat a little olive oil in a wide sauté pan until it is good and hot but not smoking. Add the peppers and cook them over medium, tossing and turning them frequently until they blister. They shouldn't char except in places. Don't rush. It takes 10 to 15 minutes to cook a panful of peppers. When they're done, toss them with sea salt and add a squeeze of fresh lemon. Slide the peppers into a bowl and serve them hot. You pick them up by the stem end and eat the whole thing, minus the stem, that is.
- You can probably do fancier, cheffy things with them, but they're terrific like this. For variety, I sometimes use a little toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil and finish them with togarashi. If you have leftovers, an unlikely event in my experience, chop off the stems and put the peppers in an omelet or some scrambled eggs.