Here are a couple of announcements:
First, for delivery members, as you should be aware from previous newsletters we have had an issue with the deer eating our okra plants. However the plants are slowly overcoming the damage. We haven’t had and probably won’t ever have enough okra to send to all the CoupleShare delivery shares (this does not apply to FamilyShares who have already received okra). And I have to believe there are many who really don’t want to have okra. So, if you are a CoupleShare deliver member who likes okra and wants us to send you okra, please let me know. If I don’t hear from you we will not send you okra (unless we miraculously find a whole bunch of okra).
Also for the delivery members: We are starting to get a greater diversity of hot peppers. If you are a delivery member and want hotter than jalapeno peppers please let me know — and indicate how hot you want them. For the Chemists in our membership we will rank the peppers in hotness from 1 being jalapeño to Avogadro’s constant being Carolina Reapers. History majors can indicate hotness using the scale from the year of the signing of the Magna Carta to the Declaration of Independence. Physicists can use absolute 0 to the temperature of boiling water in Kelvin. And finally all you English majors can write a descriptive narrative on the level of heat you desire. I suppose you accountants can just use the scale of 1 to 10.
I noticed some of the cherry tomatoes were starting to get mushy and furry in our storage area. I suspect this might be happening at your homes as well. Sorry if this is occurring. Cherry tomatoes have been especially challenging as of late due to their excitement in reaching maturity (we all know how that feels). Unfortunately the plants decided to ripen the fruit far faster than we have been able to pick it. Not a horrible thing considering how many cherry tomatoes we are giving out. However, many of the fruit are past their prime (aren’t we all?) so sorting though them while picking them increases the challenge. We have to ensure the fruits aren’t cracked or otherwise compromised as we pick each individual fruit. But here is the most frustrating part. Some of the fruit cracks after picking it and placing it in the container. So what we thought would be a pint full of perfect fruit turns into a pint with one to many cracked fruit. And once the fruit cracks it will rot faster. And much like a group of insurrectionists, once you get one rotten one the rest can quickly turn.
My suggestion for combating this problem is to put the whole batch of them into the cooler. Same with the cherry tomatoes. Storing cherry tomatoes in the fridge is a perfectly acceptable way to keep them from rotting. The reason we don’t store regular size tomatoes in the fridge is it can change the texture of the fruit. It may change the texture of cherry tomatoes as well but it isn’t nearly as noticeable to the consumer however your mileage may vary.
Also regarding the cherry tomatoes, we purchased new pint containers (separate bottoms and tops) and I must say I hate them. They are not vented on the top so there is always condensation inside. I think this is contributing to the spoilage issue unfortunately. But we will use them until they are all gone. No need to return them. Really, please don’t. I would prefer to never see them again.
Farm News
Just a lot of stuff going on. With the rain in the recent past the tomato plants have really started to suffer. Plus they are ripening their fruit quicker than we can pick them. So we are losing a bunch prior to harvesting, some more awaiting distribution and I assume more are rotting on your counter. Sorry if this is happening to you. Keeping tomatoes has been especially challenging this season.
We will start harvesting the winter squash and pumpkins this week adding yet another activity on our already over scheduled schedule. So far the squash and pumpkins look great. I’m hoping by getting them out of the field they will continue to look great. If you are looking for some core muscle exercise please come our and lend a hand! If you are not looking to build your core we have garlic that can be processed that involves sitting in a chair, cutting the tops off the garlic and making a decision as to the apparent size of the bulb. Not too difficult to say the least.
What will we have this week?
Still more tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, tomatillos, peppers, beans, onions, garlic!, watermelons (last week), cabbage, some cauliflower, some broccoli, kale, hot peppers, cilantro, a few eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers and a few other things I’m forgetting.
It is also a Flower and Mushroom week!
Recipe of the Week
One of our workers suggested Atakilt Wat — an Ethiopian cabbage potato dish. I used this recipe but I’m sure you can use any one of the many others on the internet. It was tasty and made a lot! Seems like the rest of the world is much better at using veggies than us Americans!
Pro Tip!
I received this pro tip from a person who wants to remain anonymous. She feels since she heard it from someone else that she didn’t want credit for it. Go figure. Not taking credit for someone else’s idea. Anyway, when boiling water, boil more than you need. Then put the rest in the freezer for when you next need boiling water. You can even put it in ice cube trays so take out only what you need. How clever is that?
Joke of the Week
How did the organic vegetable die?
Natural causes.
Finally, for those who are wondering what the pictures are all about, this was a mushroom we found just hanging around the farm. The pictures were taken over the course of the day as I walked past. I thought is was an interesting ‘shroom and its evolution was quite quick. My best guess is it’s a Coprinus comatus mushroom also known as shaggy ink cap (zoinks!), or shaggy mane (double zoinks!). It is edible but I didn’t partake and now it is past its edible phase.
As always, please send in comments, questions, jokes, brain teasers and any other thing you think would be interesting.