Guess who showed up about three weeks early? Broccoli AND Napa Cabbage! Thanks to this extended patch of warm Summer weather (80+…again?), our Fall Brassica crop is coming online a little earlier than we would have planned or preferred, so we’re picking them, along with the the Melons, the Romano Beans our third rotation of Sweet Corn, and yes, more amazing Tomatoes. It is the perfect excuse to prep a make-ahead slaw or weeknight stir fry!

Many of our big bumper Summer crops have begun to taper off just in time for us to get ready for our next big project—storage. There’s a changing of the guard at play between the Summer Squashes (they’re done) and the Winter Squashes (they’re being cut and cured in the field on these dry days). And I don’t mean to sound the alarm, but the Tomatoes seem to be pumping the brakes just a little. In fact, today was our annual Pizza and Passata Day for the crew. Socking away a few quarts of sweet sauce is a treasured but humble way to celebrate work they’ve done to bring us thousands and thousands of incredible tomatoes this Summer. They pressed a little bit more than 25 quarts after the morning harvest, and we fired up some pizzas in the backyard for lunch. (The color of the sauce is like nothing other, and it makes for a relaxing albeit messy afternoon.)

Summer 2023 #15/18

Summer 2023 #14/18: Enjoy the Fruits of our Labor--the Legumes & Leafy Stuff too! The skies may be overcast, but you’d never know it from this week’s harvest. It is a stunner—Sweet Bicolor Corn, Tomatoes, and Melons along with more Romano Beans, Shishito Peppers, and Frisee. Many of our lettuces bolted in the heat, but a planting of Frisee we’d slated for September is showing up early for us in August. So, we’ll be having “BFT’s” this week—and as soon as I submit this newsletter tonight, I’m going to give this Quinoa BLT Salad a whirl. We’ll probably Sweet Corn kernels in there too. Don’t get me wrong—I still love Frisee with Bacon Vinaigrette, topped with a runny egg to boot. But, the trellises are dripping in jewel-toned Cherry Tomatoes this week that have me feeling inspired if not overwhelmed.