In a word, TOMATOES.
In a few more words…a literal HALF-TON of tomatoes. Oh my WORD. That’s how much the crew picked today in a race against 90+ degree temps. Thanks to their effort, Colorful Heirlooms, thick Beefsteaks, juicy Slicers, a kaleidoscope of Cherries and loads and loads of lovely Romas are stacked up, ripe and ready. I keep darting out into the farmstand to look around at it all, and though it is a marvel to see it all in one place, I’m looking forward to seeing it go home with folks this week to either enjoy now or preserve for later. We’ll have boxes of Romas available this week, 10 lbs for $30.
And if that wasn’t exciting enough news, we’re picking CORN in the morning! Mark finally succumbed to pressure and decided to give Sweet Corn another go this year. But in typical Mark style, we’re trying out three varieties in succession, which means that depending on how they do, we’ll have at least one (but as many as six) rounds of Sweet Corn harvest over the course of Summer’s last trimester. We’re learning a great deal from the process already, not the least of which is that our irrigation tripods weren’t tall enough to reach over the heights of the stalks once they all got around to sizing up. So, Mark’s been building up risers in between emergency pump repairs (yes, our irrigation pump went down last week leaving the main farm without access to water, but he fixed it in the nick of time).
But wait…it gets better. We picked our first few Charentais Cantaloupes and several buckets of Shishito Peppers today too. The CSA will get to choose--do you enjoy a sweet little melon treat (a la mode, as we’re going to tomorrow to celebrate the new crop and a couple of farmers’ birthdays) OR do you make one of THE BEST appetizers of Summer, blistering a few Shishitos on a hot skillet? It’s a tough choice, but you’ll be a winner either way.
So, there you have it—Summer on a platter this week, heatwave and all.
Thank you so much for making abundant harvest weeks like this possible. The support of a crew and community of eaters like you is more than a birthday wish come true!
Katie
PS: Lots of great ideas for grilling and keeping your cool food-prep wise this week. Scroll on down!
IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:
Tomatoes—Cherries, Heirlooms, Romas & Slicers
Sweet Corn
Cucumbers
or ZucchiniShishito Peppers
or Charentais CantaloupesPeaches
RECIPES & SEASONAL TIPS
10 Restaurant-Worthy Shishito Pepper Recipes That You Can Make at Home - Food & Wine
How to Grill Corn on the Cob - Food & Wine
GRILLED TOMATOES
Once Upon a Chef
6 firm roma tomatoes
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling and brushing
Italian Dressing, for serving
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese or Vegan Parmesan, optional, for serving
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MEXICAN STREET CORN DIP
Half Baked Harvest
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, to your taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2cups corn (3-4 raw)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
4 tablespoon salted butter
1/3 cup olive oil mayo or use plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
1 ear grilled corn, kernels removed from the cob
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
PAN-ROASTED CORN & TOMATO SALAD
Mark Bittman
¼ pound bacon, chopped
1small red onion, chopped
4 to 6 ears corn, stripped of their kernels (2 to 3 cups)
Juice of 1 lime, or more to taste
2 cups cored and chopped tomatoes
1 medium ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and chopped
2 fresh small chilies, like Thai, seeded and minced
Salt
black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, more or less
PASTA WITH NO-COOK TOMATO SAUCE
Claire Saffitz
1½ pounds tomatoes, any shape (larger than cherry), preferably slightly overripe so they feel like full water balloons
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 teaspoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 ounces finely grated Parmesan (about 1 cup), divided
Kosher salt
12 ounces strand pasta, such as bucatini, spaghetti, or linguini
1 cup basil leaves, torn
PEACH & GRILLED CHICKEN CAPRESE
Brooklyn Supper
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast (1 - 1 1/2 pounds total)
Sea salt
Black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons juice, divided
1/2 a red onion sliced into thin half moons
2 cups sliced peaches, from about 3 - 4 medium peaches
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
8 ounces mozzarella (I used smaller bocconcini), sliced
1/2 cup basil leaves cut into a chiffonade* (see note above for guidance)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
PAN CON TOMATE
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
2 large, ripe beefsteak tomatoes
Kosher salt
1 loaf ciabatta, split in half horizontally lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch slices
Extra-virgin olive oil,divided
2 medium cloves garlic, split in half
Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon or fleur de sel