Tag: watermelon

  • CSA 2026 WEEK 34

    From Our Farm

    Basil, Italian

    Peppers, Jalapeno – Tricolor Mix

    Potatoes, Purple

    Pumpkin (quarter)

    Sweet Potato Greens – WEDS/THURS ONLY

    From Our Partners

    Grapes, Muscadine – Santa Fe Organics/ Rainbow Star Farm

    Kale, Curly Green – Tendwell Farm – FRI/SAT ONLY

    Starfruit – Natasha and Zach – WEDS/THURS ONLY

    Tomatoes, Grape – Tendwell Farm

    Watermelon, Seedless – Watsonia – FRI/SAT ONLY

    Try out this great recipe we found around the web that feature items from your CSA share:

    Potato, Tomato, Corn and Basil Salad

    Ingredients:

    • 1 pound baby red potatoes, scrubbed (or purple potatoes!)
    • 5 medium ears of corn (about 3 pounds)
    • 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
    • 1 small red onion, peeled and sliced thinly (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup)
    • 1 large bunch fresh basil, rinsed, dried, and leaves picked
    • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • 2 large lemons, juiced
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • About 15 grinds freshly ground pepper

    Instructions:

    1. Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water and bring to boil. Cook until just fork tender, about 15 minutes. Fish out the potatoes with a spider or slotted spoon and place them in a bowl of ice cold water to stop them from cooking.
    2. Shuck the corn and break each ear in half. Cook in the same boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes until tender but not soft. Remove the cooled potatoes to a dish-cloth to drain. Immerse corn in the same ice bath until cool. Cut each potato into quarters and place in a large bowl.
    3. Remove corn from water and also let drain. Use a chef’s knife to cut the kernels off each ear. Add kernels to bowl. Add grape tomatoes, onion, and whole basil leaves. Add olive oil and lemon juice and toss gently to combine. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

    Recipe adapted from: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dave-lieberman/potato-tomato-corn-and-basil-salad-recipe-1917221

  • CSA 2026 WEEK 33

    From Our Farm

    Basil, Thai

    Eggplant, Fairy Tale or Japanese

    Pears, Baldwin

    From Our Partners

    Carrots – Clem’s Organic Garden

    Corn, Sweet – Watsonia

    Kale, Curly or Lacinato – Tendwell Farm

    Squash/Zucchini Mix – Watsonia

    Watermelon, Seedless – Watsonia

    Try out this great recipe we found around the web that feature items from your CSA share:

    Summer Vegetable Tian

    Ingredients:

    • 5 to 9 tablespoons (75 ml to 135 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
    • 10 sprig fresh herbs, such as parsley, thyme, rosemary, tarragon and/or basil
    • 3 pinch fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
    • 1 1/2 pound (680 grams) tomatoes
    • 1/2 pound (227 grams) zucchini, green or yellow, scrubbed and trimmed
    • 1/4 pound (113 grams) eggplant, washed and trimmed
    • 1/4 pound (113 grams) red onion(s)
    • 1 loaf or so good bread, for serving

    Instructions:

    1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 400° F. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil into the baking dish, tilting it so the oil coats the sides. Scatter over half the garlic and a little more than half of the herbs and season generously with salt and pepper.
    2. Slice the vegetables: they should be cut about 1⁄4 inch thick. Ideally they should all be about the same size, so if any are particularly large, you might want to cut them in half the long way before slicing them. This is a nicety, not a necessity.
    3. Arrange the vegetables in the dish in tightly overlapping circles. Try to squeeze the eggplant between slices of tomato and get the zucchini and onions to cuddle up to one another. Keep the circles tight, since the vegetables will soften and shrink in the oven. Season generously with salt and pepper, tuck the remaining slivers of garlic in among the vegetables, top with the remaining herbs and drizzle over as much of the remaining oil (3 to 7 tablespoons) as you’d like. Place the tian on a baking sheet lined with foil, parchment or a silicone baking mat. Bake the tian for 70 to 90 minutes, until the vegetables are meltingly tender and the juices are bubbling.
    4. Serve the tian a few minutes out of the oven or allow it to cool to room temperature. Either way, you’ll want bread…a lot of it.

    Recipe adapted from: https://food52.com/recipes/77581-summer-vegetable-tian?

  • CSA 2026 WEEK 30

    From Our Farm

    Basil, Tulsi

    Eggplant, Japanese

    Peppers, Sweet Habanero

    Potatoes, Purple

    Sweet Potato Greens

    From Our Partners

    Beets – Clem’s Organic Gardens

    Kale, Curly – Tendwell Farm

    Tomatoes, Slicer – Tendwell Farm

    Watermelon, Seedless – Watsonia

    Try out this great recipe we found around the web that feature items from your CSA share:

    Japanese-Style Mabo Eggplant with Tomato

    Ingredients:

    • 2 Japanese eggplants
    • 1 tomato (large)
    • 1/2 block firm tofu
    • 80 g (2.8 oz.) ground pork
    • 1 knob ginger (minced)
    • a small amount chili pepper (cut into rounds)
    • 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
    • a small amount of sesame oil
    • Japanese pepper powder as desired

    Sauce

    • 80 ml (2.7 fl. oz.) dashi/bonito broth
    • 1 Tbsp Kikkoman Soy Sauce
    • 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
    • 1 & 1/3 Tbsp sake (cooking sake)
    • 2/3 Tbsp sugar
    • 1/2 tsp potato starch (or cornstarch)

    Instructions:

    1. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes to remove excess moisture.
    2. Roughly chop up the eggplants, slice the tomato into wedges.
    3. Mix together sauce ingredients.
    4. Heat the vegetable oil in a fry pan over medium heat and sauté the ginger, taking care not to scorch it.
    5. Once fragrant also saute the ground meat while breaking it apart. When half of the meat is browned, add in the eggplants (2) and the red chili pepper and sauté.
    6. Once the meat is crumbly, quickly re-mix and then add in sauce mixture and bring the mixture to a boil.
    7. Tear up the tofu while adding in, also add in the tomato, give all ingredients a quick stir and then allow to simmer for a short time.
    8. Drizzle in some sesame oil for aromatic effect, then turn off the heat. Sprinkle on Japanese pepper powder if desired.

    Recipe adapted from: https://www.kikkoman.com/en/cookbook/recipe/00001265.html?

  • CSA 2023 Spring Week 11

    Here’s what our team is preparing for your CSA share this week!

    • Celery
    • Cilantro (Clem’s Organic Gardens)
    • Cucumbers
    • Japanese Eggplant
    • Sweet Red (Cured) Onions
    • Yellow Peaches (Watsonia Organics)
    • Bonita Sweet Potatoes
    • Watermelon
    • Yellow & Green Zucchini

    Our partners

    This week’s CSA share includes fresh and tasty items from two partner-growers a bit farther north. How does that work? Well, first we carefully vet our partners to find those who share our values and standards. We pick up the produce ourselves using a refrigerated truck to ensure what arrives to your kitchen is the freshest, highest quality possible.

    Last July during the vetting process we visited the peach orchards of The Watson Brothers in South Carolina, and – wow! Their fruit is grown with tons of organic compost just like our orchards and loves the conditions of the peach capital of the US. The “Early 8 Ball” variety this week is a super flavorful ‘cling’ peach that we’re especially proud to include in this week’s share. Below is a recipe for a refreshing watermelon-peach salad that combines some of the best of our farm’s harvest this week with the best of theirs.

    Your cilantro comes from Clem’s Organic Gardens, a farm growing certified organic vegetables just outside of Brevard, NC. By using organic practices, caring for the soil, and emphasizing quality of their produce, their small-scale organic farm meets (ok, exceeds!) our standards. Here’s more information about all our partners. We love that by supporting these like-minded farmers we give you, our beloved CSA members, more diversity in your weekly share – together we truly are building a more sustainable food system!

    Check out our cilantro pesto recipe below, or if you prefer to hold onto yours for a few more weeks, here’s some storage tips:

    1. Prepare the herbs by snipping off the bottom of the stems. Make sure the leaves are completely dry.
    2. Put the herbs in water by filling a jar or a water glass partially with water (just enough to cover the stems and not touch the leaves!) and place the stem ends of the herbs into the water in the jar.
    3. Cover and store. This means that if you’re storing the herbs in the refrigerator, cover loosely with a plastic bag. Cilantro loves cool temperatures and should be stored in the refrigerator. It’s different than basil, which doesn’t like the cold and prefers room temperature.

    FSO time hack: wash cilantro, coarsely chop, and store in a paper towel-lined airtight container in the refrigerator for easy access during the week. If you can’t use the cilantro before it wilts, all is not lost! Bring it back to life by submerging it in ice-cold water for a quick pick-me-up.

    Recipes

    Watermelon Peach Salad – adapted from whatsgabycooking.com

    Ingredients:

    • 1 small seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes or melon balls
    • 1 shallot, finely chopped
    • 4 tablespoons torn mint plus extra for garnish
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
    • 1 sheet fresh feta cheese, cut into ½ cubes (about ½ cup once cubed)
    • 2 yellow peaches, sliced
    • 3 cucumbers, sliced into ½ inch thick rounds

    Vinaigrette

    • 4 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
    • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 1 shallot, finely chopped
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

    Instructions:

    1. Combine the watermelon, shallots, and mint in a large bowl with the olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer to a fridge and let marinate for at least 1 hour, up to 3 hours.
    2. Remove from the fridge and add the sliced peaches, cubed feta, cucumbers and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with the vinaigrette and season with salt, pepper and extra mint.
    3. In a small bowl whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients and drizzle over the salad. Season to taste, adjusting as needed.

    Zucchini Bread – adapted from cookieandkate.com

    Ingredients:

    • Optional: ¾ cup roughly chopped raw walnuts or pecans
    • ⅓ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
    • ½ cup honey or FSO cane syrup
    • 2 eggs
    • ½ cup milk of choice or water
    • 1 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + more to swirl on top
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 ½ cups grated zucchini (1 small-to-medium zucchini—gently squeeze out excess moisture before stirring it into the batter)
    • 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9” x 5” loaf pan to prevent the bread from sticking. If you’ll be toasting the nuts, line a small, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
    2. Toast the nuts: Once the oven has finished preheating, pour the chopped nuts onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake until the nuts are fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes, stirring halfway.
    3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Beat them with a whisk until they are combined. Add the eggs and beat well. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with cold ingredients, simply let the bowl rest in a warm place for a few minutes, like on top of your stove, or warm it for about 20 seconds in the microwave.)
    4. Add the milk, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg, and whisk to blend. Switch to a big spoon and stir in the zucchini (be sure to squeeze excess moisture out of the zucchini first). Add the flour and stir just until combined. Some lumps are ok! Gently fold in the toasted nuts now, if using.
    5. Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with additional cinnamon. If you’d like a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern.
    6. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the center of the loaf springs back to the touch. Let the bread cool in the pan on a wire rack. Use a serrated knife to cut individual slices.
    7. This bread is moist, so it will keep for just 2 to 3 days at room temperature. Store it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months or so. I like to slice the bread before freezing and defrost individual slices, either by lightly toasting them or defrosting them in the microwave.

    Cilantro Pesto

    Ingredients:

    • 2 cups of cilantro
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • ¼ cup pine nuts
    • ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • ½ a lemon, juiced
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

    Instructions:

    • Pick the cilantro leaves off the stems and set the leaves aside.
    • Peel and mince the garlic.
    • Toast the pine nuts for 1 minute on medium-high heat until browned and set aside.
    • Into a blender, add the olive oil, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese.
    • Blend on the lowest setting for 15 seconds.
    • Place the cilantro inside the blender until smooth, about 15 seconds.
    • Transfer the cilantro pesto to a bowl or jar and serve as desired.

  • CSA Summer 2022- Week 8

    This week, your colorful bounty will include the following-

    From Frog Song

    • Tulsi “Holy Basil”- Frog Song
    • Mississippi Peas-Frog Song
    • Malabar Spinach-Frog Song

    From our Partner Producers

    • Carrots- Clem’s Organic Garden
    • Sweet Corn- Watsonia Organics
    • Red Butter Lettuce-Organic Aqua Fresh
    • Cherry Tomatoes- Watsonia Organics
    • Seedless Watermelon- New Sprout Organic Farm

    This week’s CSA includes the power house Tulsi, aka the “queen of the herbs”. Across India, Tulsi has been revered for thousands of years as a sacred herb, and for good reason. As an adaptogen, Tulsi is know to simultaneously increase stamina and energy while helping with mood and relaxation. According to a conclusion of an article looking at various studies on National Institute of Health website : “The finding that the reviewed studies reported favorable clinical effects across these domains suggests that Tulsi may indeed be an effective adaptogen that has a role in helping to address the psychological, physiological, immunological, and metabolic stresses of modern living.” Wow, what an herb indeed! Enjoy a few of these recipes, that include Tulsi, to jump start your day.

    Tulsi Chai- adapted from Simple Indian Recipes

    Ingredients
    • 1 cup Milk
    • 1 1/2 cup Water
    • 1 tea bag-black or green or 2 tsp tea leaves
    • 10 Tulsi leaves
    • 1/2 inch piece of Ginger or Turmeric (or 1/4 of both)
    • 1/2 tsp sugar
    Directions
    • Crush the Tulsi Leaves with ginger/turmeric with a mortar and pestle (coffee grinder works as well)
    • Add water to a pot and bring Tulsi mixture to a boil over medium hear. Add tea. Boil for 2 minutes.
    • Add milk and sugar, allow to boil and then reduce to a simmer.
    • When tea is to desired color, remove from heat.
    • Strain liquid and Enjoy!

    Tulsi Watermelon Sorbet

    Ingredients
    • Approx. 3 cups of diced watermelon
    • 5-10 Tulsi leaves and stems
    • 1 cup of water
    • 1/2 cup of sugar
    • 1/4 cup of lemon juice
    • dash of salt
    • 1 tsp or pectin or gelatin OR 1tbsp of a hard liquor to help with freezing
    Directions
    • Bring water, sugar, to a low boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Smash Tulsi with your hands and add to the mixture. (If using pectin, add toward the end of the boil.) Remove from heat (if using gelatin, stir in at this point). Simmer on low for 5-10 min. Allow t cool completely and let the Tulsi infuse with the simple syrup. Add lemon juice once the mixture is cool.
    • Blend watermelon in a blender. Add the Tulsi syrup and dash of salt and continue to blend until smooth. If using a liquor such as vodka, do so at this stage.
    • WITH ICE CREAM MAKER- Add blended mixture to the maker and churn until desired consistency. Scoop out into a freezer safe container and store until ready to serve.
    • WITHOUT ICE CREAM MAKER- Pour mixture into a freezer safe container and freeze. Every 30 minutes, take out of freezer and blend again. Do this twice. Store in freezer until ready to serve.
    • Scoop into a dish and enjoy as a snack, light dessert, or as an excellent palate cleanser between meals!

    Carrot, Apple, and Corn Slaw- Sunset

    Ingredients
    • 2 cups of corn, cut off cob
    •  1/2 cup oil
    • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
    •  1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    •  3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    •  1/2 teaspoon pepper
    • 1 English cucumber, coarsely shredded
    •  3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely shredded
    •  4 large carrots, coarsely shredded
    •  1/3 cup coarsely chopped parsley

    Directions

    • Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add corn and cook until just tender if using fresh (about 2 minutes).
    • Whisk together oil, vinegar, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Squeeze excess liquid from cucumber, apples, and carrots with your hands and discard. Add vegetables, apples, and parsley to the bowl with dressing. Toss until well combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

    This meal would be a wonderful addition to BBQ ground pork! Our Pork and Cane Syrup can be ordered here.

    BBQ Ground Pork

    Ingredients
    • 1lb Ground Pork
    • 1 cup chopped onion
    • 1/2 cup of bell pepper
    • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1/4 cup of water
    • 1 cup of Ketchup
    • 1 1/2 tbsp Worchester Sauce
    • 2 tbsp of cane syrup
    • dash of cayenne pepper, to desired heat
    • fresh cracked pepper
    • small dash of nutmeg
    • salt to taste
    Directions
    • In a skillet, cook the ground pork, breaking it up, until cooked through. Remove from heat to a plate, reserving about a tablespoon of fat in the pan.
    • Add onion and pepper, and cook in fat until brown. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
    • Whisk together water, ketchup, Worchester, cane syrup, cayenne, and nutmeg in a dish.
    • Add pork back to pans with onions and peppers. Mix in “bbq” sauce and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed. Salt and pepper to taste.
    • Serve on-top of buns, with carrot and corn slaw. Enjoy!

    How to cook Purple Hull Peas – adapted from Smarty Pants Kitchen

    Shell and rinse – the hulls are not edible.

    Add them to a large stockpot. Recommended but optional: season with your choice of meat (bacon, ham hock, fatback, neckbones, ham, etc). Did you know we offer pastured pork?

    Stovetop: Fill pot with water or broth and bring to a rolling boil. Foam is normal, you can scoop off or leave as-is. Reduce heat to low and cook 45-60 minutes, keep covered with liquid and add more water if needed. Season with salt, pepper and a little garlic and/or onion powder.
    Crock Pot – 4-6 hours on low
    Instant Pot – 10-15 minutes, natural release