8/19/26 Goodbye Maggie & Pepper Party 🌶️
This week we say goodbye to Maggie. Maggie came to us wanting to learn farming with little direct experience but a lot of experience in agroecology in Central America. She wanted to take knowledge of intensive vegetable farming back with her to strengthen non-profits and communities. She absolutely has learned and has a confidence about her. She’s also been a true Jane-of-all-trades on the farm, not wanting to specialize but do a little of it all. If anything, hedgerows, ecology and cover crops were areas she focused on more.
Although her heart is south of the border, she’s originally from Tennessee and an opportunity arose to run a community farm for a non-profit in her home community. She wants to see if going home is the right move. And she also would love to learn more about working within the non-profit sector. We will absolutely miss her sweet giggle and delightful presence in the fields.
Pepper Party!
As the summer moves into late summer the last of the summer fruits comes on… Peppers! We had a tremendous pepper year last year and so we’ve expanded a little this year and are hoping for the same.
We have all our peppers in our hoop houses. One especially is entirely peppers! On our June 1st Wednesday we had a CSA member Lisa who works in wine tell us it smells like Cabernet because Peppers and certain wine grapes share a family of aromatic compounds called methoxypyrazines. One in particular, IBMP, is responsible for that distinctive green pepper, grassy aroma you can find in peppers as well as Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and some other wines. Our pepper house apparently has a wine tasting note!
Today everyone has Hot Peppers so let me start there. We’re giving out a medley today so you get to try a lot. From left to right here we have Jalapeño, Aji Crystal, Seranno, Cayenne, and Padrone. We’ll have them cycling a little bit through the CSA but we know it’s not loved by everyone so you’ll see them occasionally but they’ll be on the add-on store pretty cheep from here on out.
Jalapeño: The fattest green. Classic green chili with a bright, grassy flavor and medium heat. Super versatile raw or cooked: use it in salsa, pickle it, roast it, or sauté it into beans, eggs or just about anything for a little heat.
Heat: ~2,500–8,000 SHU
(SHU = Scotville Heat Units)
Aji Crystal: Light yellow. A South American pepper with citrusy, fruity notes and a sharp kick. Delicious in fresh salsas or pickled, try in salsa, ceviche, pickles.
Heat: ~30,000–50,000 SHU
Serrano: Bright green, slender and long.Think of it as a hotter, cleaner-tasting cousin to the jalapeño. Excellent raw in salsa, pico de gallo and relishes, or sliced thinly over tacos and beans.
Heat: ~10,000–23,000 SHU
Cayenne: Thin red chili with earthy, pungent heat. Commonly dried for flakes or powder, but great fresh too. Also, our Cayenne this year is a new variety that is nice and plump. We’re excited to try this variety out.
Heat: ~30,000–50,000 SHU
Padrón: The wrinkly green pepper and the mildest of today's bunch — usually! Padróns come from Galicia in northwestern Spain and are famous because most are mild, grassy and almost nutty, while occasionally you'll bite into a surprisingly hot one. chop it up and sauté it into eggs, beans, fried rice or summer squash; add it raw to salsa; or simply toss it into any recipe where you'd use a little green pepper.
Heat: ~500–2,500 SHU
Can You Substitute One for Another? Absolutely. Think of these peppers as a sliding scale rather than completely different ingredients from mildest to hottest:
Padrón → Jalapeño → Serrano → Aji Cristal/Cayenne
If a recipe calls for Jalapeño, substitute Serrano but use less. If it calls for Serrano, Jalapeño gives you similar fresh green-pepper flavor with less heat. Aji Cristal and Cayenne are considerably hotter, so start with a small amount — but Aji Cristal brings more fruity, citrusy flavor while Cayenne gives you a more direct chile heat.
Scoville numbers are ranges, not promises! Individual peppers vary. Removing the pale inner ribs and seeds along with them will generally tame a pepper; if you're unsure, taste a tiny piece before deciding how much to add. And cooking with them always tames them.
I didn’t leave much room for Sweet Peppers. This week Family Boxes will have Sweet Italian Peppers. We have 4 different varieties, but they are all delightful, they are a big red or yellow horn (some are the Corno di Toro - horn of the bull). We use them interchangeably with bell peppers and hope you enjoy them.
Other Sweet Peppers that will show up: Lunch Box Peppers were new for us last year and so we tripled production. They are the perfect little pepper for a lunchbox. We’re trying Bell Peppers again for the first time in a few years. They’re coming, we’ll see. And of course we have Jimmy Nardello Peppers, on the Slow Food Arc of Taste this long multi-colored red-purp
A note on pepper colors: all peppers start out green and move their way to red or yellow. Some varieties (eg Jalapeños) are better green, while most sweet peppers develop a sweeter and more flavorful profile when allowed to fully color.
Reminders
Please send back your clean pint and quart containers. It protects your summer fruits but reduces waste.
Fall Workshops coming up
Our Fall Home Farmer Workshops are coming up on 8/29 and 9/12. Come join us to talk about autumn and winter farming, cover crops, direct seeding and more.
This Week’s Box
Lettuce Leaf Mix
🍅 Mixed Tomato Quart 🍅
🌶️ Hot Pepper Medley (not all but most) 🌶️
Toscano Kale (SR) OR Rainbow Chard (WC)
Summer Squash (SR) OR Cucumbers (WC)
Cherry Tomatoes (SR) OR Shishito Peppers (WC)
Genovese Basil
Family: Sweet Italian Peppers & Cabbage
Produce Notes & Recipes
Spicy Herb Chimichurri
Mince all peppers and stir into:
½ cup parsley or basil, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
1–2 Tbs vinegar or lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt to taste
A bold sauce for grilled vegetables, meat, or even drizzled over roasted squash.
For Maggie’s going away party Elizabeth shared some pickled Cherry Tomatoes and they were a hit. Since some of our crew asked for the recipe, I thought I would share with you as well.
These bright, tangy little tomatoes are an easy way to preserve a bit of summer. They’re great alongside cheese, spooned over toast, tossed into salads, or served with grilled vegetables. This is a refrigerator pickle, not a shelf-stable canned pickle.
Quick-Pickled Cherry Tomatoes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
½ cup white wine or apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
1½ tsp sugar
1½ tsp kosher salt
1 small garlic clove, lightly crushed
¼ Serrano pepper, sliced, optional
1 tsp coriander seeds
¼ tsp black peppercorns
Small sprig dill, optional
Wash the tomatoes and prick each once with a toothpick or skewer. Pack them into a clean pint jar with the garlic, Serrano, coriander, peppercorns, and dill.
Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Warm just until the salt and sugar dissolve, then remove from the heat.
Let the brine cool until warm rather than hot. Pour over the tomatoes to cover them completely. Add a little extra vinegar and water in equal amounts if needed.
Cover and refrigerate. The tomatoes will be lightly pickled after 4–6 hours and even better the next day.
Keep refrigerated and enjoy within about 1–2 weeks for the best texture.
Serving idea: Drain a few pickled tomatoes, halve them, and serve with feta or goat cheese, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. The leftover brine also makes a great base for vinaigrette.
Extra Shares
Lettuce Share: Reno & Cegolaine Romaines 🥬
Bunched Greens Share: 🌈 Rainbow Kale
Herb Share: 🌿 Parsley
Summer Pint: Strawberries 🍓
Eggs: 🥚