Here Comes the Heat!

It's gonna get hot! When I first moved to New England from Maryland I used to love farming on the hottest days. I was used to hot weather in MD and there was nothing like working up a sweat, drinking a ton of water, and feeling like I was surviving the elements. Now... not so much. I must have gotten used to the New England weather cause now when it is 90 degrees out I am seeking shade. On the flip side, after 14 years up north I am finally used to farming in the cold and have that same survival mentality when it is below freezing and we have to be out in it. Everything is a give and take.

But this week will be hot and we will be seeking shade. There is still plenty to be done out in the sun--the worst part of a field is that there is no shade--but I try to schedule things that are weather appropriate. The greenhouses will be avoided as much as possible this week. The field is one thing, toiling away in a 100+ degree greenhouse is a whole nother beast. We're lucky that our barn stays naturally cool because of the dirt floors, so in the heat of the day we'll find things that need to be done in there. We always pick in the morning to avoid the heat for the produce, but the cutoff time for getting stuff back to the barn will be earlier in the morning.

Who knows how the plants will fare. Some will love it, others are going to be suffering like the farmers, particularly cool season crops like lettuce, greens, and broccoli. I imagine some of the more mature beds of lettuce will bolt, but we've got plenty more beds well on their way to maturity that we can move to. I was really hoping for some rain on Friday to give the ground extra moisture as we move into the heat wave, but no such luck. That's farming, I guess.

I've got some recipes in the newsletter for this week after a long hiatus. Now that we're through the bulk of planting season and summer shares are up and running, i've got a little more time to put into the newsletter. It feels good to be back!

Summer Shares Week 2!

We're on to the second week of CSA shares and more veggies are coming to maturity weekly!

For members picking up on the farm we will have a few items that are one or the other (arugula or spicy salad mix, for example), which means you can take a bag of arugula or a bag of spicy mix as one of your eight items, but you cannot take both. This is what we do in the early part of the season when production is still picking up and we want to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to get the items they want. Once the fields are rolling there should be fewer OR options each week.

Delivery Baskets

▪Beets

▪Bok Choy

▪Chard

▪Garlic Scapes

▪Head Lettuce

▪Lettuce Mix

▪Micro Greens

▪Parsley

▪Salad Turnips

▪Spinach

Market Style Pickup

Members Select 8 Items

▪Beets

▪Bok Choy

▪Chard

▪Garlic Scapes

▪Head Lettuce

▪Lettuce Mix

▪Kale

▪Oyster Mushrooms

▪Spinach

▪Arugula OR Spicy Salad Mix

▪Broccolini OR Snap Peas

▪Cilantro OR Parsley

▪Radishes OR Salad Turnips

Loose Herbs
9th Item Take What You Will Use
Oregano
Thyme
Mint
Lemon Balm

Garlic Scape Pesto -- CLICK FOR LINK

My absolute FAVORITE pesto!

Ingredients

▪5 garlic scapes

▪1 medium lemon

▪1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup grated)

▪1/4 cup raw or roasted, salted, shelled pistachios

▪1 packed cup baby spinach (1 1/2 ounces)

▪1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

▪1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

▪Trim the ends from 5 garlic scapes and coarsely chop. Finely grate the zest of 1 medium lemon until you have 1 teaspoon; juice the lemon until you have 2 tablespoons. Finely grate 1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/4 packed cup).

▪Place the garlic scapes, 1/4 cup pistachios, and 1 packed cup baby spinach in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Process until finely chopped, about 15 seconds.

▪Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest, Parmesan, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Process until a uniform paste has formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through, about 15 seconds total.

▪With the motor running, stream in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue blending as needed until the olive oil is fully emulsified and the pesto looks uniform, about 5 seconds.

Bok Choy Salad -- CLICK FOR LINK

Tracie's favorite recipe for Bok Choy and one of mine, too!

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

▪8 baby bok choy, rinsed and dried then thinly sliced, including leafy greens

▪½ cup shredded carrot

▪8 radishes, sliced into thin matchsticks, or into slices

▪1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish (I used a combo of black sesame seeds and golden)

Dressing Ingredients

▪2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed through garlic press

▪2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

▪1 tablespoon honey

▪1 tablespoon soy sauce or shoyu

▪3 tablespoons rice vinegar

▪1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

▪3 tablespoons avocado oil, or other neutral oil

Instructions

▪Begin by gathering a prepping all of the bok choy salad ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.

▪To a large bowl, add the thinly-sliced baby bok choy, along with the carrots and radishes, and keep cold in the fridge while you prep the vinaigrette.

▪Gather and prep all of your sesame-soy vinaigrette ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.

▪To prepare your vinaigrette, add all of the ingredients to a mason jar with a lid, and shake vigorously until completely emulsified and blended. (Alternately, you use can use a bowl and whisk the ingredients until emulsified.)

▪If serving the bok choy salad immediately, then toss the dressing with the greens to combine, then serve piled up in a bowl or on a plate, and garnish with a sprinkle of the toasted sesame seeds. If serving later, then toss with the vinaigrette just before serving, or dress individual portions with vinaigrette as needed.

Extra Tip

Crush up some ramen noodles and lightly cook them in oil to top of the salad with for an extra crunch!

Beet and Arugula Salad -- CLICK FOR LINK

Ingredients

Salad

▪1 lb. beets (or 4 small cooked beets)

▪1 Tbsp. olive oil

▪salt

▪pepper

▪6 cups arugula (or mixed greens)

▪2 oranges (sectioned)

▪1 cup toasted pecans (or candied pecans)

▪1/2 red onion (thinly sliced)

▪1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled, or goat cheese)

Dressing

▪3 Tbsp. olive oil

▪2 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

▪1 tsp. honey

▪1 tsp. Dijon mustard

▪salt

▪pepper

Instructions

▪Preheat oven to 400°F.

▪Wash beets and trim the ends (if they are large), cut beets in half. Rub beets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

▪Place beets in a baking dish and seal with foil. Bake until tender, about 1 hour. Cool beets 5-10 minutes and then rub the skins off with a paper towel.

▪Section the oranges by cutting the skin off. Use a small paring knife to cut each piece of orange away from the white pith.

▪Whisk dressing ingredients and set aside.

▪Combine cooled beets, oranges, onions, and arugula in a large bowl. Toss with dressing and garnish with remaining ingredients

Check out the Farm Store!

Veggies Stocked Fresh Every Friday!

Still lots of beautiful tulip bouquets plus lots of other delicious veg!

In the store this week:

Chard
Head Lettuce
Kale
Beets
Scapes
Lettuce Mix
Microgreens
Radishes
Turnips
Spicy Salad Mix
Fresh Herbs
Eggs
Ice Cream
and More!

Find Us at the Market!

All three of our markets are up and running now!

You can find our produce at:

Cheshire Medical Center in the Cafeteria
Thursdays 10am - 2pm
June through November

Jaffrey Farmers Market
Fridays 3pm - 6pm
June through October

Keene Farmers Market
Saturdays 9am - 1pm
April through October