It has been quite the summer for vegetable growing in the Midwest. With the later Spring that we had this year we were a little behind getting started this Spring. It didn’t take long for the vegetables to catch up though with so many optimal growing degree days of less than 86 degrees and above 50 degrees, the vegetables have been producing quite well!Boys Pickin’ Lacinato Kale
We were feeling like some of our successions of plants were coming on a little quicker than we expected them to this summer. Even tomatoes, we’ve learned, require less heat than what you might expect for optimal growing conditions. Despite a cooler summer over all, our tomatoes came into season right on schedule and have been generously pouring forth their fruits at an impressive speed. Also, now that our peppers are in season we are seeing beautiful ripening of the fruits. It was our job to keep them watered during a bit of a dry spell we had so Farmer Adam stepped up to the task meeting all of our watering needs.
We are also seeing some of our Fall cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower coming on a little sooner than we expected them to, so we’ll have plenty of cool season brassica crops to carry us through the last six deliveries. I have to conceal a little excitement that I feel when talking about fall. We’re excited to start sharing with you some of our Winter Squash varieties that we’ve been harvesting and we’re getting very excited thinking about our fall roots like parsnips, celeriac and radishes.
I’m not sure if it is Labor Day weekend that marks this shift, the kids going back to school or simply noticing fallen leaves on the ground, but we’re definitely seeing the first signs of Fall now. Maybe it is that we are getting some rain or that the days are feeling noticeably shorter again, but I’m feeling a little like I want to carve a pumpkin or something. The apple orchards are picking apples and the due date of our baby Varney number 2 is drawing nearer and nearer with just 10 more weeks to go.
Fall won’t officially be here for a few more weeks, but that won’t stop us from enjoying the feel of it approaching with cooler nights. We’re about done seeding for the year with another planting of fall radishes yet to get into the ground this week. Then we have an impressive amount of harvesting that needs to happen to get all of these root crops out of the field, cleaned and into proper storage. But what a blessing of a season with such mild temperatures, fairly steady rain and a beautiful harvest.
Tomatoes- A hefty bag of tomatoes this week around 6-6.5lbs per member. Remember to leave your unripe tomatoes sitting out at room temperature to ripen. We also recommend washing your tomatoes before eating them because sometimes we pick these guys when it’s wet outside and the tomato leaves leave a green-ish resin on the worker’s hands. This resin accumulates while picking and gets on the tomatoes. A nice mix of Roma Tomatoes (the meatier tomatoes that are great for sauces and stews because of their lower water content) and Heirlooms (the larger, more colorful varieties that are much juicier and have a higher water content).
Green Beans- We’re not as proud of this giving of green beans folks. We’re really sorry that they’re a little over mature. These would make great casserole beans or cooked a little longer. Use them up sooner rather than later so they don’t degrade on you.
Napa Cabbage- Also called a Chinese Cabbage. These guys varied in size a bit. We shipped some huge ones and some smaller ones. This cabbage is great raw in a chinese cabbage salad. It’s a great substitute for some fresh greens while we’re taking a little break from the salad greens.
Red Potatoes- Another nice giving of potatoes this week. Having potatoes again reminds me that cooler weather is up ahead. A great storage item if you need a chance to catch up with the tomatoes and greens.
Sweet Bell Peppers- An impressive assortment of sweet bells this summer. We’re really very happy with our orange and yellow pepper varieties as well as our trusty and reliable red pepper varieties this summer. 
Fresh Peppers being picked in the rain makes for a lovely, hydrated look!
Eggplant- Another week of delicious eggplant. Use up this warm season veggie and revel in it’s goodness while we have it. It won’t be long before Eggplant is out of season again. Eggplants keep well in a 50 degree storage rather than a refrigerator. Use these guys up first or let them sit out in a cool kitchen before sticking them in the fridge.
White Onions- Another lovely white globe for your everyday cooking needs.
Lacinato or Green Curly Kale- We tried our best to have lacinato for everyone this week. The good leaves were running short so we switched over to Green Curly Kale.
Sungold Cherry Tomatoes- 1 Pint. These are the little orange tomatoes in the clamshells. A wonderful snack for kids!
Hot Peppers- A little green jalapeno to keep things interesting and a Hungarian Hot wax to add flavor to your salsas and stews. You may have receieved a red or orange Hungarian Hot Wax pepper this week. As the Hot Wax peppers ‘ripen’ they turn red and orange later in the season like this. As they develop more color they do get sweeter and not hotter, so this may come as a relief to those of you out there like me who don’t need a lot of heat from your peppers.
Angel Hair Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce- Thanks Elizabeth Davies for this yummy recipe!
