Farm Notes
Hot dang, it's been a busy (and hot) week at the farm! We’re in the thick of constant harvesting of all the summer goodness... tomatoes and peppers and cucumbers and okra and eggplant and green beans (sooo many green beans). It's wildly rewarding to be reaping the fruits of a season's worth of hard work and careful tending, but the sheer amount of produce that needs to be picked and packed away on a daily basis can also feel overwhelming, especially on 90F+ degree days.
This week we had a few strange events happen on the farm... on Tuesday morning, I woke up to find a deer *inside* our deer fence! I have no idea how that happened, and the deer seemed as bewildered as I was, as she frantically struggled to escape. I was able to quickly open a gate to let the poor thing out, and thankfully it doesn't look like the deer did any damage to our crops. Fingers crossed that doesn't happen again!
Then later in the day on Tuesday, I was kneeling in one of our pathways harvesting cucumbers when I felt a few little bites on my knee. I looked down to see a few ants scurrying around (not a big nest by any means) and didn't think much of it... but within 5 minutes, my entire body broke out into hives! It was incredibly painful (and a bit scary) as I had an intense allergic reaction to the ant bites, and I had to take some Benadryl and put myself to bed early. Alas! The rest of the week has gone smoothly, and I was even able to sneak away to the beach for a few days with family. It's not easy to take a vacation from the farm, and I'm SO grateful for our amazing team who are running the show and taking care of the farm while we take some time away. It takes a village y'all!
PS – It was another delicious week for our Farmbelly CSA members… I can’t believe we are already halfway through our summer session! here’s a snapshot of our Tuesday full shares, which had okra, slicing cucumbers, shishito peppers, cherry & heirloom tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, green beans, and looseleaf lettuce.
Kitchen Notes
In the thick of these hot and humid days of summer, simple chilled soups are on repeat in our kitchen! Here’s a recipe for one of my favorite cold summer soups - cucumber and avocado with heaps of fresh herbs. I love this soup because it only takes a few minutes to whip up (literally just throw everything in a blender) and it strikes a perfect balance of being super refreshing, but also has lots of healthy fats (from the avocado and yogurt) that it will keep you feeling full and nourished.
CHILLED CUCUMBER & AVOCADO SOUP
WITH FRESH SUMMER HERBS
Serves 5-6
INGREDIENTS
1 cucumber | peeled and diced (handful reserved for garnish)
2 avocados | pitted, peeled, and diced (1/4 cup reserved for garnish)
Juice + zest of 1 lime (or lemon)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (handful reserved for garnish)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 scallions/green onions | white and light green parts coarsely chopped
1 jalapeno | seeded and coarsely chopped
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup cold water
1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
Freshly ground pepper
PREPARATION
Puree ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, then divide among 4 bowls and top with reserved cucumber, avocado, a few sprigs of cilantro, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Today’s Stats
Low temp: 72F
High temp: 90F
Sunrise: 6:07am
Sunset: 8:37pm
Moon phase: First Quarter
Additional notes: Sunny, hot, and humid