Farm Notes
It’s been a fairly quiet and uneventful (knock on wood!) week here at the farm… filled with heaps of tomatoes, green beans, okra, sunshine as well as some much-needed rain to replenish our thirsty soil. We just wrapped up Week 6 of our Summer CSA, and it was another bountiful week filled with summer favorites like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, beans, basil, etc – and the okra harvesting has officially begun!
Okra is a crop that generally needs to be harvested every other day, as the pods grow incredibly quickly and can easily become too large and tough. I feel like people have strong opinions about okra… you either love it or hate it! I’m personally a big fan – you just have to either embrace okra’s inherent slimy-ness and cook it in a stew or succotash, OR if you aren’t a fan of the gooey texture… just fry or roast the okra until it’s nice and crispy!
Full Share CSA Week 6
Wondering what you can still plant in your garden now that we’re in the dog days of summer? While this time of year is mostly good for reaping what you’ve sown earlier in the spring/summer, here are some things that most climates in the US can plant this time of year:
Heat tolerant lettuces (varieties like Muir and Cherokee are especially heat tolerant)
Bush & pole beans (plant from seed)
Zucchini (I suggest planting as a seedling to give the plants a head start against pests)
Cucumbers (I suggest planting as a seedling to give the plants a head start against pests)
Carrots (plant from seed, Romance is a good Summer variety)
Herbs like rosemary, thyme, basil, parsley, dill, and basil
Tomatoes – if you live in a southern climate with late frosts, you can probably still sneak in a late tomato planting
If you’re looking to plant a cover crop to nourish your soil, buckwheat is a perfect choice!
As always, if you have any questions or need help trouble-shooting in your summer garden, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Even though there are still several weeks left in our Summer CSA (4 weeks, to be exact)… I’m thinking a few steps ahead and finalizing details for our 2022 Fall CSA! For all our local Farmbelly friends, you’re the first to know about details for our Fall CSA, and you get first dibs when I open sign-ups on Monday, August 1st.
Our Fall CSA will run for 12 weeks, starting the week of September 5th and running through the week of Thanksgiving. For the Fall, we will only have one pickup day, which will be on Tuesday afternoons. (A note that in the summer months, we have so much abundance getting picked every day that it makes sense to have multiple CSA pickup days… though in the spring/fall the crops don’t need to be picked as frequently, and it’s easier to just have one CSA pickup day per week). We will still offer two different sized shares – Regular Shares for $30/week and Small Shares for $18/week.
CSA members can expect a lot more greens in their Fall shares… from lettuce to arugula, baby and full size kale, asian greens, etc. We will also have heaps of cabbage, carrots, winter squash, beans, fennel, kohlrabi, leeks, scallions, fresh herbs, and much more. As I mentioned, Farmbelly Club members (and current CSA members) get first dibs on spots on our Fall CSA, which will open up on August 1st. Stay tuned for more details, but hopefully this helps get you excited about fall!
Looking ahead to next week… our family will be taking a much-needed vacation, so you won’t hear from me next Friday. I’m excited to take this time to rest, reflect, and return rejuvenated to finish the summer season strong. I’ll be back in two weeks with plenty more updates from the farm, growing tips for your home gardens, and recipes!
Last but not least, congrats Laura Pritchard for winning our July giveaway! I’ll be in touch with you directly to coordinate sending over your new cookbook, Deep Run Roots. :)
Kitchen Notes
I’m not sure the world needs another recipe for tomato and basil soup… BUT I’ve gotta to say, this might be the best thing I’ve cooked all summer! We’re spoiled by an abundance of tomatoes AND basil right now, and earlier this week I had a craving for a classic bowl of tomato soup with some gourmet grilled cheese on the side. I think going the extra (but still very simple) step in this recipe of first roasting the tomatoes packs SO much more flavor into the soup.
I’m already planning to make this soup again this weekend… except I plan to quadruple the recipe and freeze several big jars, so when it’s December and I need some summer goodness in my belly, we can just grab a jar from the freezer and we’ll be instantly transported back to some wild and wonderful summertime deliciousness.
Roasted Tomato & Basil Soup
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds roma tomatoes, halved
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups vegetable broth (or water)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon thyme or dried oregano leaves
1 loose-packed cup basil leaves (plus more for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375°F and place the halved tomatoes cut-side up on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Roast for 1 hour or until the edges begin to shrivel and the insides are still juicy.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes (and any remaining liquid from the baking sheet), vegetable broth (or water), balsamic vinegar, and thyme (or oregano) leaves and simmer for 20 minutes.
Let cool slightly and puree the soup using an immersion/stick blender, or a standing blender, working in batches if necessary. Blend until smooth. Add the basil and pulse until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Garnish the soup with basil leaves and serve with crusty bread.
Today’s Stats
Low temp: 68F
High temp: 88F
Sunrise: 6:12am
Sunset: 8:34pm
Moon phase: Waning gibbous
Additional notes: Mostly sunny and lovely