August 28, 2008, Week #14

I'm a little late getting this newsletter out. Time is flying....

Red Springs Family Farm
August 28, 2008, Week #14

This week:
Cantaloupe or Watermelon
Cucumbers Summer Squashes Tomatoes Lettuce
Peppers Green Beans Eggplant Tomatillo
Cilantro Parsley Basil Lemon Balm

What a perfect rain! Three days of grey weather couldn’t have suited us better at the end of August! We had a reason to look back at last year’s seasonal records this week, and it made us remember last year’s drought, and how very difficult that was. This year has been so fruitful – so very very GOOD. You’ve all been a part of helping make it that way, too, so thanks for keeping us going.

The news from the garden is that the worst of the lettuce season is over. From now on the lettuce should improve – shorter days are helping hold the heads better, and cooler nights are better for germination. As much as we love summer, it is somewhat a relief to feel Autumn approaching. The garden has been producing cantaloupes and watermelons at just the perfect speed. After the fall transplanting is done, we will be hauling winter squashes out of the field and sending them home to you! We will also most likely increase the diversity of cooking herbs (sage, thyme, oregano…) to help spice up the change of season.

A few of you have been asking about the future of the season – how long does this go on? We’ve been trying to figure this out as well. Our plan as of NOW is to make this main season last 20 weeks. That will take us to October 9. We will then take a trip to visit Paul’s family in Canada for a week or so. After that, we’ll come back, hopefully for one more month, bringing you loads of greens, squashes, and sweet potatoes up to Thanksgiving. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Lemon Balm is included in your bag this week as a tea herb. It is unmistakably lemony, and best enjoyed fresh. Medicinally, it is a cooling and relaxing herb suitable for small children and their mothers’ too. In earlier times, this sweet Melissa tea was drunk to make the mind and heart merry, to revive the heart, to help people who sleep too much, and to drive out cares and melancholy.

Try out Teritar (from Recipes from America’s Small Farms)
½ cup walnuts ¼ cup olive oil 1 garlic clove
1 tsp. vinegar 2 medium cucumbers ½ tsp kosher salt

Combine walnuts and garlic in a food processor to a paste. Cute the cucumbers into large chunks; add to the walnut mixture and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil vinegar, and salt; pulse until mixed but still somewhat chunky. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature.

Or Squash Pizza (same source)
3-4 summer squashes – varieties of shapes and colors, quartered lengthwise ¼ cup olive oil
1 spanish onion, diced thyme ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 diced tomato (at least!) 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 400. Oil a baking dish. Spread squash, cut side up, in the dish. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on tomatoes, onion, thyme, and basil, then top with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and squash soft.

Out of space and time for this week! Enjoy….
Your gardeners, Paul, Coree, and Lulah Entwistle