Pickup #13

OK, let’s talk a little about pests and diseases. If you have ever had a garden you may be familiar with this challenge and in organic farming pests and diseases are an inevitability. There are many ways that we cope with issues: building soil health, creating habitat for predatory insects, over-planting, planting many successions, covering plants and lastly spraying with organic approved materials (such as beneficial bacteria or nematodes) as a lost resort. But even with all those tools without pesticides and fungicides it is extremely hard to keep up with everything that likes to consume our plants and veggies. That is why you may find your tomatoes don’t last as long (those little spots don’t hurt the flavor of the tomatoes by the way - they are still good!) as the ones in the store or the cucumbers little marks. It is why we stop trying to grow cucumbers and zucchini past August (those diseases that come up from the south are here to stay by then) and why we use hight tunnels to grow tomatoes and peppers as much as possible. Here are some examples of pest problems on the farm, it’s not all pretty pictures but we just keep planting…

Scenes: weeding in the fog, yellow tomatoes on sad plants (bacterial spot!), bean beetle detruction on the pole beans, groundhog eating the broccoli plants, lettuce drop (a fungus) in the lettuce.

But don’t worry we still have lots of veggies!!

garlic (1 bulb)

salad mix (bag) limit 1

arugula (bag) (limit 1)

specialty greens (red and green baby mustard and baby kale) (bag) (limit 1)

swiss chard (bunch)

beets (4 bulbs)

zucchini (1)

white sweet onion (3 )

cucumbers (2)

Sweet peppers (5 peppers)

Italian Eggplant (4)

Fairytale Eggplant (1 quart)

Shishito peppers (1 quart)

Mixed herb bunch

Basil bunch (up to 10)

White potatoes (1 quart)

Red Potatoes (1 quart)

Fingerling potatoes (1 pint )

Cherry Tomatoes (1 pint)

Large Heirloom Mixed Heirloom Tomato (3 pounds)

Standard Red Tomato (3 pounds)

Hot peppers: 1 pint jalapeno, 1 quart mixed hot chilis

jimmy nardello frying peppers (1 quart)

parsley ( 1 bunch)

Add ons:

Zucchini relish, 1 pint (40), $6

sweet Cucumber relish, 1/2 pint (20), $8

Sourdough Bread (20)

Cucumber pickles (30)

soup: red pepper (30)

Cheese: not sure quantity, i'll let you know

Blueberry spoon jam (30)

NEW! Folk City Coffee: $15.00 / 12oz bag, Colombia

(for the website: Region: Colombia / Tolima

Producer: AGRPOCEM Cooperative

Classic Caponata

DORIS JACOBSON BON APPÉTIT AUGUST 2005

YIELDMakes 6 to 8 appetizer servingsTOTAL TIME40 minutes

INGREDIENTS

  1. 5 tablespoons olive oil

    1. 1 1 1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

    2. 1 medium onion, cubed

    3. 4 large garlic cloves, chopped

    4. 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings in juice

    5. 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

    6. 2 tablespoons drained capers

    7. 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

    8. Toasted pine nuts

PREPARATION

  1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion, and garlic cloves. sauté until eggplant is soft and brown, about 15 minutes. Add diced tomatoes with juice, then red wine vinegar and drained capers. Cover and simmer until eggplant and onion are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Season caponata to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in fresh basil. Transfer caponata to serving bowl. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. (Caponata can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)

Malaika SpencerComment