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 Zucchini

• Shishito Peppers
  or Charentais Cantaloupes

• Peaches

AT THE FARMSTAND THIS WEEK

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

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

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

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

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

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

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

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

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

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

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

CONTINUE TO RECIPE