CSA Newsletter – Week 6 – July 20, 2016

It looks as though the sun will be making a regular appearance for the next week or so, which is welcome news. I was not looking forward to one of our typical “non summers” especially since the spring was so hot and promising. Certain crops seem to be suspended in time in terms of ripening. We keep going out there only to find a handful of tomatoes. The pickling cucumbers are also just sitting there…. The plants are all looking lush and happy, but they just need a little more heat in order to ripen up.

The fields are buzzing with tons of bees and beneficial insects. Not only did we plant flowering buckwheat in all of our fallow and later planted ground, we also planted strips of leftover flower starts from our spring plant sales, throughout several of the fields. Sunflowers, zinnia, phacelia, cosmos, nigella, and marigolds provide beautiful and abundant habitat for all sorts of good bugs. It cheers us up too, to see such pretty flowers.

WHATS IN THE BOX:
carrots
beet or chard
fennel, kohlrabi, or shell peas
snow or snap peas
green beans
red potatoes
cabbage
summer squash
dill, cilantro, or parsley

RECIPE IDEAS:
CABBAGE: Use finely shredded cabbage as a topping for tacos/burritos instead of lettuce. Or try one of the recipes on our cabbage page.
GREEN BEANS: These beans are so sweet and tender. You should snack on some while you prepare dinner. Check out all the recipes on our bean page. I especially love the one with walnuts, balsamic, and honey.
RED POTATOES: reds make great fried potatoes or hash browns. They mash up well, too.

Here’s to lots of sun and heat and hopefully tomatoes soon!

Jen, Jim, and the Rising River Farm Crew