It is with a great deal of joy and delight that I let you know that tomato season is officially ON. Feel free to go crazy for Caprese, bonkers for Bruschetta, gonzo for Gazpacho…or maybe just enjoy a nice big slice on your sandwich. Whatever the case, we’re really excited to share the literal fruits of our labor—tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and blueberries with you this week—along with another round of Red Scallions;) It is a fruitful time of year, and my eyes widen with wonder every time I see all of the colors, shapes and sizes rolling in with the harvest. We’re picking an assortment of Cherry, Heirloom and Slicing Tomatoes to begin the week and will tentatively begin picking Romas by the weekend!

The month of August is a time of abundance and volume, but it is also a time of year when some of the farmers here return to college, take trips, celebrate with loved ones and embark up on new chapters of their lives in new places. As a result, this is the last week that we will have every member of our crew in the field together on the same day for this year. It just sort of worked out that the permutations of peoples ins, outs, trips and moves make it so that we’re saying some of our goodbyes just as we’re saying hello to peak Summer. It is a bittersweet bummer—so, Mark and I are coping with it the best way we know how—eating a bunch of pizza with everyone and taste testing a few of the tomatoes that they’ve worked so hard to grow. Did I remember to take a picture of the group? Of course not. But you should all know that Cathryn, Kelly, Esme, Ruthie, David, Breanna, Tim, Harry and Emilie are some of the kindest and most capable individuals we’ve had the luck of working with. And collectively, they’ve helped this year go much more smoothly than we’re used to by farm standards. I’m kind of afraid to type that for fear of jinxing things, but they’re worth bragging about—your food is grown by a phenomenal crew!

Thank You,
Katie

IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:

• Cucumbers

• Zucchini/Summer Squash

• Tomatoes! Cherries, Slicers and/or Heirlooms

• Red Scallions

• Fresh Blueberries

AT THE FARMSTAND THIS WEEK

RECIPES & SEASONAL TIPS

HEIRLOOM TOMATO & BLEU CHEESE SALAD
Ina Garten

• 2 pounds heirloom tomatoes, cores removed

• 1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Good red wine vinegar

• 8 ounces good Roquefort, such as Société

• Fresh basil leaves, torn or julienned

• Good olive oil

  CONTINUE TO RECIPE

MARINATED CHERRY TOMATOES WITH BURRATA
Half-Baked Harvest

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons champagne or apple cider vinegar

• 2 teaspoons honey

• 1-2 cloves garlic, grated

• 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

• kosher salt and black pepper

• chili flakes

• 3 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

• 2-3 balls burrata cheese, at room temperature

• grilled bread or crackers, for serving

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

ZUCCHINI BREAD PANCAKES
Smitten Kitchen

• 2 large eggs

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 tablespoons light brown, dark brown or granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup buttermilk or 2 tablespoons each of milk and plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2 cups shredded zucchini (from about 9 ounces whole, or 1 1/2 medium zucchini), heaping cups are fine

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (half can seamlessly be swapped with a whole wheat flour)

• 1/4 teaspoon table salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

• Butter or oil, for coating skillet

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SAUTEED ZUCCHINI & CHERRY TOMATOES
Once Upon a Chef

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 small red onion, diced

• 1 pound zucchini (2-3 medium), cut into ½-inch chunks

• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, plus more for garnish if desired
  CONTINUE TO RECIPE