Crop Update

Crop update:

With the crazy weather of August; super hot, dry and now very cool it seems our summer crops have slowed down a bit quicker than we’d like. We still have plenty of peppers, eggplant and tomatoes but the eggplant is flowering less, the peppers are ripening slower and the tomatoes have stopped fruiting. We’ll ride it out and see where it takes us.

Summer squash and cucumbers are on their way out - it’s been a good run, and the crew (mostly their backs) are not sad to see them go)

After 3 failed attempts, we might (I say might) have some decent string beans to offer. Oh the persistence of farming.

Fall crops such as kale, watermelon radishes, daikon, escarole, radicchio, broccoli, kohlrabi, turnips, broccoli raab, tats, arugula, cabbage and specialty greens are all looking fantastic. We will slowly be easing these back into the share through the last 2 months.

Our first 2 plantings of spinach died after we irrigated (I know, can’t win). But we did a large re-seeding, so we will see.

Carrots have been a challenge this season. We still have some from our earlier planting and will be monitoring our later plantings but we missed some big windows of weeding and planting and may not have quite as much as we would like.

Beets are looking great.

Garlic, onions and butternut squash are curing well and will be in the share in the next few weeks.

Potato yields are going down a bit from earlier in the season but we will have plenty and larger, heartier potatoes will see their way into the share soon.

Our latest planting of lettuce and swiss chard was once again eaten by deer. Instead of tears this time, we just shrugged our shoulders with resignation. We will keep planting.

As we enter September, we breath a sigh of relief that summer is almost over and the hardest parts of the season may be behind us. But there is still so so so much to do, we can’t stop until it snows. It’s time to start thinking about winter planting, field clean up and cover cropping while still keeping up with that summer harvest. We continue on.

Scenes: fall brassica field looking tops, chickory field with sky, crew with butternut, deer-eaten swiss chard and lettuce, a New Jersey watermelon, and Katarina and Tammy thinning the radishes.

The Share:

arugula

specialty greens

radishes

broccoli raab

onions

carrots

beets

scallions

garlic

tomatoes

cherry tomatoes

sweet peppers

hot peppers

eggplant

fingerling potatoes

summer squash

cucumbers

watermelon (we try really really hard to pick them ripe, but it’s not an exact science and we can’t always get it right - we’ll call it watermelon roulette)

Speedy Ratatouille with Goat Cheese

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/speedy-ratatouille-with-goat-cheese

In traditional ratatouille, vegetables simmer together until they're falling-apart tender. Here, Melissa Clark cooks them quickly in batches, so they retain their flavor and texture. F&W Editors' Favorite Vegetable Dishes

Ingredients

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 1 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice 5 large garlic cloves, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 pounds tomatoes, cored and finely chopped 1 cup loosely packed shredded basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup crumbled aged goat cheese

How to Make It

Step 1

In a large enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the eggplant and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add one-third of the garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the eggplant to a plate.

Step 2

Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil to the casserole along with the zucchini and yellow squash and cook over moderate heat until lightly browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Add another one-third of the garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the vegetables to the eggplant.

Step 3

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the casserole, along with the onion and bell pepper. Cook over moderate heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Add the remaining garlic, season with salt and black pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, two-thirds of the basil and the reserved vegetables and cook over moderate heat until the tomatoes have broken down and the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining basil along with the lemon zest and juice. Transfer to bowls and sprinkle with the goat cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.