In Season Now
You’ll get some combination of these items in your share this week:
Kale and/or Chard
carrots
acorn squash
peppers
onions
potatoes
tomatoes
garlic
basil

On The Way
soybeans
leeks

Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Cherry Tomatoes-lots of different varieties, staring with matt’s wild cherry in front, sungold, yellow pear, a purple cherry and ending with a regular red.
Beach Plums-this is a sour fruit, great for making jam
Hot Peppers
Basil
Mint
Parsley
Chives
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Flowers

Roast Acorn Squash Salad
For baking the squash:
3 pounds acorn squash (1 large or 2 small ones)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt for dressing
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted in the oven or on a dry skillet
1 tablespoon or so Reduced Balsamic Vinegar, thickened for drizzling
2 tablespoons or more crumbled cheese (optional), such as aged goat cheese, drained fresh ricotta, cottage cheese, or ricotta salata

Reduced balsamic vinegar for drizzling sauce and glaze:
1 pint (or a 500-milliliter bottle) good quality balsamic vinegar (commercial grade)
1 tablespoon honey
1 bay leaf

One of the following (optional):
4 whole cloves
A tender branch fresh rosemary with lots of needles
Several small sprigs fresh thyme with lots of leaves
To prepare acorn squash:
With a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife, strip off the peel from the protruding ridges of the squash. You don’t need to peel more than this: leaving the rest of the peel will help the squash to retain its shape and looks nice too. (If you are roasting a smooth squash like butternut, remove all the peel.) With a sharp heavy knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out all the seeds and fibers. Place each half cut side down; trim the ends, then cut semicircular slices of squash, all about 1 inch thick.
Put all the pieces in a pile on a large baking sheet, preferably nonstick or lined with parchment, or on a non-stick silicone baking mat. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons oil over the squash, sprinkle on the salt, and toss to coat with the seasonings, then spread the pieces out to lie flat, not touching.
Bake about 20 minutes, then flip the pieces over. Bake another 15 minutes or so, until the squash is just tender all the way through (poke with a fork to check) and nicely caramelized on the edges.
Assembling the salad:
Let the squash pieces cool on the pan until you’re ready to serve. Arrange them-in a symmetrical design or in a casual pile-on a large serving platter or on individual salad plates, with two or three slices per portion.
Refresh them with drizzles of olive oil, sprinkles of salt. Scatter the almond slivers over, and then streaks or swirls of warm balsamic reduction. Finally, crumble bits of cheese all over.
Balsamic vinegar:
Pour the balsamic vinegar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place over moderate heat. Stir in the honey, drop in the bay leaf and optional cloves or herbs, and bring to a low boil. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer, and allow the vinegar to reduce slowly. After 1/2 hour or so, when it has lost more than half of its original volume, the vinegar will start to appear syrupy, and you should watch it closely.

In Season Now
You’ll get some combination of these items in your share this week:
Lettuce, Escarole, or Raddichio
Kale or Swiss Chard
Cherry Tomatoes or Tomatillos
Tomatoes
Cukes
Zukes and Summer Squash
Peppers
Onions
Potatoes
Melons

On The Way
winter squash
soybean

Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Cherry Tomatoes-lots of different varieties, staring with matt’s wild cherry in front, sungold, yellow pear, a purple cherry and ending with a regular red.
Beach Plums-this is a sour fruit, great for making jam
Hot Peppers
Basil
Mint
Parsley
Chives
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Flowers

Escarole with Pine Nuts

Dava’s Tomato and Watermelon Salad

3 large HOG heirloom tomatoes cut into bite size chunks and several cherry tomatoes cut in half for lots of color
1/2 HOG Walla Walla onion cut longitudinally in very thin slices
1/4 HOG watermelon, seeded and cut into chunks similar in size to the tomato chunks
1 T chopped cilantro
1 T chopped HOG flat leaf parsley–the sweetest and best!
2-3 oz feta cheese crumbled
1 T extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Toss all in a large bowl and allow to rest for an hour or so in the refrigerator.  Serve with a spoon to make sure none of the juices go to waste.

Escarole with Pine Nuts
1 escarole cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
Wash escarole well in a sinkful of cold water, agitating it, then lift out and drain in a colander. Cook escarole in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes, then drain well in colander. Dry pot, then add oil and heat over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add pine nuts to hot oil and cook, stirring, until pale golden, about 1 minute. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until garlic and pine nuts are golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add escarole, stirring to coat with oil, then increase heat to moderately high and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Season escarole with salt and pepper.

Whats Happening At the Farm
Being a member of a local organic CSA farm means that, together, we have begun to reclaim a certain degree of responsibility which is severely lacking in modern society. No longer passive consumers (at least for part of the year) of commodified, transported food, our bodies now have a direct, tangible connection to the land. We are encouraged, through an awareness of this connection, to actively take part in a sustainable, mindful stewardship of our environment, our community, and ourselves. We are even motivated to be imaginative with the creation of our meals. In every respect, it is a matter of regaining a bit of control and conscientiousness in our lives, of becoming a bit more connected to the processes we sometimes take for granted and, ultimately, a matter of being more creative, more interactive… and yes, having more fun (a garlic festival with your neighbors will always trump the standard supermarket shopping experience). That’s what a CSA should provide…through an insight into the interconnectedness of the health of the environment, the social well-being of the community, the living vibrancy of the food we ingest, and the physical health of individuals.
In short, we are working towards an environmentally sustainable lifestyle while simultaneously improving our own health. Food just picked and in its natural state is what our bodies evolved to ingest. Take for example the fact that the mineral Silica is severely lacking in the diets of most people today, simply because it is almost non-existent in processed foods. Essential for healthy skin and nails, Silica is mainly found on the skins of certain foods (beets, cucumbers, etc). Eating food in its natural state, and freshly enough that it hasn’t lost the compounds that make it so healthy, is in itself, a fundamental system of wellness.  This food, raised on the energy and mindfulness of the farmers, really does act as a sort of medicine. In the end, the responsibility belongs only to us to cultivate our own well-being.

In Season Now
You’ll get some combination of these items in your share this week:
Lettuce
eggplant
pepper
cherry tomatoes
tomatillos
cukes
zukes and summer squash
melons

On The Way
winter squash
kale
swiss chard
soybean

Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!

Beach Plums-this is a sour fruit, great for making jam
Cherry Tomatoes-lots of different varieties, staring with matt’s wild cherry in front, sungold, yellow pear, a purple cherry and ending with a regular red.
Basil
Mint
Parsley
Chives
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Flowers

3 large HOG heirloom tomatoes cut into bite size chunks and several cherry tomatoes cut in half for lots of color
1/2 HOG onion cut longitudinally in very thin slices
1/4 HOG watermelon, seeded and cut into chunks similar in size to the tomato chunks
1 T chopped cilantro
1 T chopped HOG flat leaf parsley–the sweetest and best!
2-3 oz feta cheese crumbled
1 T extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Toss all in a large bowl and allow to rest for an hour or so in the refrigerator. Serve with a spoon to make sure none of the juices go to waste.

Whats Happening At the Farm
This season we’re growing over 50 varieties of tomatoes at the H.O.G. From round red standbys to multicolored cherries and funky-shaped heirlooms, we have tomatoes for every occasion. The vines are starting to peak, so eat as much as you can to hold you over until next August. Listed below is some of our favorite varieties of heirloom tomatoes. They may not look great, but the seeds were loving saved over generations because of their outstanding flavor.
Aunt Rubies German Green-this variety is a real standout this season, making large1-2 lb fruits that are reddish green when ripe. Seldom make “perfect” fruits, Aunt Ruby’s are often cracked and catfaced, but taste outstanding. Definitely my #1 favorite variety this season.
Prudens Purple-Fruits ripen very early, and have that quintessential heirloom look-huge 1 pounders, catfaced, cracked, and pink, the flavor is out of this world. Silky texture, minimal seeds, rich and sweet with a nice tartness to balance it out.
Green Zebra-Small, bright chartreusey-green with deep, lime-green stripes. Rich tomato taste with a bit of a bite.
Ruby Gold-Huge, red streaked yellow fruits with a marbled interior. Meaty fruits with a mild, sweet flavor. Seldom cosmetically perfect, great for fresh eating.
Speckled Roman-Cylindrical red paste tomato with yellowish orange striations. Rich tomatoey sweetness and great texture, suitable for fresh eating or sauce.
Green Moldovan-Yellow-green when ripe, this mid-sized, slightly flat tomato. Very citrusy yet sweet, our favorite new find for this year. Eat it fresh like an apple or make a green salsa with tomatillos and this beauty.
Purple Calabash-small, squat, truly purple and very ruffled looking, this tomato is the opposite of what you would buy in a supermarket. Flavor is unique-intense, sweet, yet tart also, worth the effort to cut up! Impossible to get a nice slice off of, but perfect for a chunky tomato salad.
Cherokee Purple-dark pinkish-purple fruits have greenish brown shoulders when ripe. Stunning sliced, interior colors range from red, pink and purple to green, brown and black. Great smoky flavor, derived from an old Cherokee Indian heirloom.

In Season Now
You’ll get some combination of these items in your share this week:
Kale
Radicchio/Escarole
Eggplant
Pepper
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatillos-great chopped up with tomatoes in a nice salsa
Tomatoes
Melon
Corn

On The Way
winter squash
kale
swiss chard

Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Cherry Tomatoes-lots of different varieties, staring with matt’s wild cherry in front, sungold, yellow pear, a purple cherry and ending with a regular red.
Basil
Mint
Parsley
Chives
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Flowers

Salsa with Tomatillos
1/2 pound small fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 pt cherry tomatoes
1 large garlic clove
1 tablespoon chopped fresh serrano chile with seeds, or to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons water

Coarsly chop all ingredients and mix!

Whats Happening At the Farm
As a member of our CSA, you share in the bounty as well as in the lean…and this year has certainly be bountiful for our potatoes, onions, and eggplant! Expect to get a lot more of these items this season. Luckily, onions and potatoes will keep for several months. We’ve also had a great year for melons-both canteloupes and watermelons are fantastic this season! You may see melons with a small crack, but haave no fear, it means they are the ripest and sweetest, but they won’t keep more more than a few days. Cut them up and keep them in the fridge.

In Season Now
You’ll get some combination of these items in your share this week:
Lettuce
Eggplant
Peppers
Potatoes
Onions
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Zucchini or Summer Squash
Canteloupes and Watermelons!
Thai Basil or Parsley

On The Way
tomatillos
winter squash
kale
swiss chard

Pick Your Own
Pick your own items are available for you to harvest at any time, as long as it’s not raining. Look for the signs marking the beds!
Basil
Mint
Parsley
Chives
Thyme
Rosemary
Oregano
Flowers

Asian Eggplant Stir Fry with Thai Basil

Tabbouleh
1 cup bulghur wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup good olive oil
3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
1 pt cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour. Add the onion, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

Asian Eggplant Stir Fry with Thai Basil
3 medium-sized Chinese eggplants, halved and chopped into 1″-1.5″ pieces
1 large red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 large green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 medium onion, chopped into large pieces
3 Thai or serrano chiles, finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped garlic
a generous handful of fresh Thai basil leaves, roughly chopped
4 tbsp mild-flavoured oil, like canola or sunflower
Sauce:
2-3 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1-2 tbsp brown or palm sugar
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp corn starch mixed with 4 tbsp cold water

Mix fish sauce, soy, water and brown sugar; set aside.
Heat wok on medium-high heat. Add 2tbsp oil, and eggplants. Fry for 2 minutes on either side, or until they begin to brown and turn soft. Remove from wok. Add 1 tbsp oil to wok. Add onions, and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until soft and glossy. Remove from wok. Heat remaining oil. Add garlic and chiles, and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sliced pepers and onions; fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Return eggplant to the wok, and toss to combine. Add sauce to the wok, stirring for 1 minute. Toss in basil. Add corn starch, cooking until the sauce becomes thick and coats the vegetables. Serve immediately over hot rice.