Summer time! Time to put our flexibility to the test. One day we’ll have 98 degrees in full sun and almost have to break out our kayaks during torrential downpour. As we strap in for a crazy ride, we also want to take a moment and offer gratitude for the gifts summer time provides.
In your share this week will be:
Cantaloupe: Picked ripe and ready to go, these loupes are super sweet and are definitely a highlight of a late spring/early summer showcase. Don’t wait too long to dig in!
Arugula: I have to admit we’re even surprised high quality, tender arugula can continue to cut into these high heat ranges. Grown in the shade for season extension, a bed of our arugula is amazing with some feta cheese sprinkled on top, our sliced cucumbers, a few good olives and a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice.
Red Potatoes: These potatoes are allowed to cure to allow for “skin set”. The skin is so delicate on these you won’t need to peel them, simply wash, half, quarter or dice them if you’re sauteeing, or leave them whole for a roast or boil. Your tastebuds will definitely react to a rich, creamy flavor profile!
Okra: Our first big pick of the season! The traditional green and crimson/purple okra can be roasted, sauteed, grilled or fried. Here is an awesome recipe for an okra panzanella that includes some other share items.
Cucumbers: Follow the link to Bon Appetit’s site for this awesome Japanese style Pickled Cucumer Salad recipe
Italian Basil: These flavorful and aromatic sprigs can be used for pesto, in a pasta sauce, a pizza topping or finely chopped and paired with our cucumbers and tomatoes for a bold flavor salad.
Cherry Tomatoes: The two varieties we’ve got going now, Sakura and Sun Gold, are very flavorful and make for easy healthy snacking. If you’ve got mozzarella around, I’d pair these tomatoes with that, our fresh basil and thinly sliced cucumbers on a sandwich with some balsamic. As far as cooling summer lunches go, that’s pretty hard to top.
Mild Kim Chi: Kim Chi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish that has hundreds of different iterations and recipes of the main ingredients: radish, napa cabbage, scallion, carrot, etc. Our Kim Chi was made in-house in a certified kitchen space using only the ingredients we’ve grown ourselves (with the exception of seasonings). Traditional kim chi uses fish sauce, but our batches forgo that to accommodate our vegan and vegetarian customers. This batch is mild, but we do have a spicy batch! If you like more kick please visit us at our farmers markets! Serve as a side item to any main course meal, over a bed of rice or noodles. The fermentation process stimulates the probiotic capacity, making it a wonderful digestive aid, an inflammation regulator and antioxidant!
Sweet Corn: Maybe my favorite crop we grow on the farm, a delicious non-GMO sweet corn variety that you’d be hard pressed to justify cooking over eating it raw. I love roasted or grilled corn as much as anybody (especially now that we’re in barbeque season), but I’d recommend eating a fully colored up ear raw first – it may not make it on the grill. If you’re concerned about the pervasive effects of atrazine or glysophate involved in the large-scale production of corn and corn-based processing, access to high-quality, organically-grown corn from your local farmer is a special thing.