September 13th, 2011

This Week’s Share: Harvest Festival Farm Stand Sweet Peppers: “Jimmy Nardello” Sweet Peppers: “Stocky Roaster” Hot Peppers: “Padron” Hot Peppers: “Jalapeno” Snap Beans: “Dragon Tongue” Tomatoes: Heirloom mix Eggplant: “Orient Express” Cucumbers Sweet Corn: “Silver Queen” Onions: “Red Wing” Kale Basil: “Genovese” Melon: “Arava”
Announcements: Bulk Basil: $10/lb Tomatoes: “Stupice” early heirlooms are in full swing. Canning flats are now available. 15 lbs for $10. Ordering: Please place your bulk orders with Sara, sara@zengerfarm.org, by Monday for pick-up on Tuesday. Please bring cash or check to pay for bulk orders.
Field Notes from Farmer Courtney, Apprentice: Last week, I felt like I was farming in California’s Central Valley; not the cool, maritime Willamette Valley, where I was actually located. For us unaccustomed farmers, the heat was more of a burden than a pleasure, but the plants seemed to be soaking up the rays blissfully. The beets plumped up twice as fast as they normally do; our heat loving solanaceaes (tomatoes, eggplants and peppers) are ripening to perfection; and, well, we all know about the weeds—they’re loving it, too, of course. "Jimmy Nardello" - sweet pepper extraordinaire It’s nice to get a taste of what our Eastern and Southern comrades experience for three months out of the year, all the while knowing we won’t have to endure the heat for more than a couple of weeks. In the Pacific Northwest, we trade off condensed abundance for slow, yet steady, bounties. Each have their benefits, but I think I would take an agreeable climate with slower production any day. The tomato harvest has become an all-hands-on-deck activity on harvest day. We’re averaging about 300 lbs. of tomatoes each week, and that’s only from one of the fields—the other field has yet to fully ripen. There’s been a lot of talk lately about how to improve our tomato production: should we grow everything in the hoop house instead of both there and outside? Should we basket weave or train them up a string hanging from the ceiling? Streamlining processes on a farm is endless. Especially as a group of young farmers, we have so much to learn. I’m very grateful for the apprenticeship model and the opportunity to experience some trial and error before making the giant leap into farm ownership. I have so much left to learn, but I am comforted in knowing that I’m a little wiser than I was six months ago.
In the Kitchen with Devin Elote: Mexican Corn on the Cob 4 cobs of corn 2 tablespoons of butter 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise 4 lime wedges 1/2 cup of cotija cheese, crumbled Cayenne pepper to taste In an oven heated at 350, cook corn in husk for 25 minutes. After taking corn out of oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then pull husk layers down, leaving them attached to the base of the cob, which can act as a handle. If you want to blacken your corn, you can either put it under the broiler for five minutes on each side or hold it over your stove’s gas burner. Be careful to keep the husk away from the flames! While warm, spread butter and mayonnaise all over the cob. Sprinkle crumbled cotija cheese  on cob, then add a dusting of cayenne pepper, to taste, and squeeze lime over the cob. Makes 4 servings. Gazpacho: Now that the tomatoes are ripe, here is a traditional recipe for a Spanish favorite 1 cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled 2 peppers, sweet 4 tomatoes 1 onion 3 garlic cloves, minced 3 cups tomato juice (optional for thinner soup) 1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepperRoughly chop the cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and red onions, garlic into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable into a blender or food processor, and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not overprocess!After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop.

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