CSA Week 16: September 14th

Those misty moody mornings definitely felt like fall is here! This week is supposed to be a bit more sunny, but still that great crisp autumn weather. Here’s what you can roast up to stay cozy:

Half shares:

Spicy Mix

Tomatillos

“Lunchbox” Sweet Peppers

Cilantro

Dill

Shishitos

Beets

Garlic

Large Red Onions

Full Shares also get:

Eggplant

Scallions

Collard Greens

Kale “Tops”

Tomatillos and Cilantro: the perfect pair

Tomatillos are such a fun crop to grow. They need very little care and then BOOM one day you go to check on them and there’s a bunch of mini lantern-looking fruits all over the plants. Eventually the fruit grows and bursts through the papery skin, revealing a light yellow or green tart fruit. I also heard from a fellow farmer that tomatillos were first grown by Aztecs in central Mexico around 800 BCE and has been a staple crop for indigenous populations in Mesoamerica since. I love food history! I love getting little glimpses of how indigenous people ate and lived on this land before contact with colonizers. And how amazing that those same crops thrive and nurture us generations later.

Tomatillos are such a nice tart and acid addition to any skillet or soup. I made a shakshuka with tomatillos instead of tomatoes the other night, added habaneros, chihuahua cheese on top, threw in some potatoes for some heartiness, and topped it with a huge handful of chopped cilantro. Cilantro’s herby amazing flavor goes so well with the tomatillos whether it’s in a salsa verde or cooked down into tacos. We hope you find creative ways to use some of these great end of summer delights!

Also a note for full share members: kale “tops” are the entire leafy part of the kale. It’s still the normal leaves, though there is more variation in the size of the leaves, and lots of them! We are slowly pulling out the kale plants to make way for winter crops and the tops are the byproduct of that.

Recipe time!

This Tomatillo Toast could not be any more simple, and versatile! Such a delicious quick lunch or after school/work snack that really highlights tomatillo and cilantro flavors. You can also sub in green tomatoes, so keep this one in your back pocket for when those are in shares!

Field Notes

Rain, rain, and more rain! It’s great for all the spinach, lettuce, and turnips that we planted recently, they all have excellent germination. Also we transplanted about 850 cabbage babies into the fields at the beginning of the week! We are growing some savoy cabbage (the wavy, waxy leaf type), jersey cabbage (classic light green), a Japanese flat cabbage called Wakamine, and a red and green Napa cabbage (the loose heads that kimchi is made from). We just put in one last large seed order for our winter growing that included lettuce heads, baby kale mixes, spicy mix, microgreens, and some really colorful radishes. This means we have some work cut out for us getting all the fields and hoop houses prepped for winter!

Andy and I are also celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary on Tuesday! Our wedding was a huge party at the farm with all of our family, friends, and I think the entire neighborhood. It was very fitting for how our relationship has been: gathering everyone together over food and drinks at the place that is so close to our hearts. It’s been a fast two years that we’ve filled to the brim, we can only imagine the great future ahead!

Peace and an extra cheers for love,

Amy and Andy