8/6/25 Produce Notes & Recipes
This week we’re just going to talk about what’s in your box!
This Week’s Box
Tokyo Bekana Asian Green
Rainbow Kale (SR) OR Rainbow Chard (WC)
Bi-Color Sweet Corn
Small Mixed Tomato Quart
Summer Squash (SR) OR Sweet Peppers (WC)
Strawberry (SR) OR Shishito Peppers (WC)
Herb: Basil (SR) OR Parsley (WC)
Family: Cauliflower, Eggplant
We’re thrilled to have Bi-Color Sweet Corn for all CSA members. In our opinion bi-color is the best. Bi-color corn was first developed by crossing traditional yellow and white corn varieties to get the rich, sweet flavor of yellow with the delicate tenderness of white. Sadly this week we have the lowest number of CSA boxes as so many members are on vacation and missing this summer treat.
You might notice a small visitor at the tip of your ear. These tiny caterpillars are actually the larvae of the corn earworm moth. While they’re not ideal dinner guests, their presence is a powerful sign that your corn hasn’t been sprayed with chemical pesticides. On our regenerative farm, we welcome a little imperfection as proof of ecological balance and clean food. Simply snap or cut off the tip if needed. Note: You’ll often notice in the grocery store that organic corn is sold with a cut top, rather than tassels, it’s exactly for this reason, to cut off any potential corn worm.
This corn is so sweet we usually barely cook. This means boiling only enough to warm them or grilling them. When grilling we prefer partly shucking (pulling out silks) and soaking in water for 20 minutes and then grilling for 20 minutes. The soaked corn leaves keep the kernels from burning.
This week we have a big crop of Tokyo Bekana Asian Green. Delicate, this has grown at the north end of farm under the shade of some Valley Oak trees. It likes that light shade this time of year. Amusingly last weekend, Elizabeth walked out there at dusk to turn off irrigation and came across a mama deer and fawn just feet from this bed but just over our northern boarder. In my mind they were eyeing this delectable crop. Thankfully, we’ve not had deer find a way though or around our deer fencing this year. Although a part of the greater Napa Cabbage family, we usually eat this as a lettuce, I think of it as a cross between Panisse and Napa Cabbage and love as a light salad with a Sesame dressing. It would be great with some corn kernels on it and marinated tofu!
This week your Tomato Quart has grown a little (although it’s not quite at full size). So I’m holding off on a write up of our heirloom tomato varieties.
Summer Standing Add-On Shares
A reminder that we now have standing Add-Ons Shares for an Extra Pint Share (we have a couple sign ups and they get Cherry Tomatoes today). Plus we also have a standing extra full Quart Share. Those will be available next week.
To sign up just email us or you can find info in last or next week’s Friday email or head to the subscription page of your Farmhand account.
We have a small bunch of new Rainbow Chard. Chard goes well with and Tomatoes. Here’s an idea from a CSA member years ago.
Swiss Chard Maiolino (from CSA member Marnie)
She says: I’ve doubled this and eaten for days on it. It stays well covered in air tight container in the fridge. This is my favorite greens recipe. I’ve used spinach, bok choy, kale, and all kinds of chard. Sometimes I use more than one green. The biggest deal for me is the garlic and tomato mixture.
1 bunch swiss chard
6 lg cloves garlic, minced
14 oz can of tomatoes or 1 lb fresh tomatoes
red wine or sherry vinegar
olive oil
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
Combine half the garlic and all the tomatoes in a small stew-pot and cook on low for 25-30 min, breaking up tomatoes as you go.
While waiting, set lg pot of water to boil with generous handful of salt.
Wash chard and trim ends, roughly chop and blanch, in batches if needed for 1-2 min per batch. Drain and dump into ice bath.
Pour olive oil (a couple glugs) in saute pan on high heat. Throw in rest of garlic and toss around just until it begins to toast. Quickly add ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like) and give everything a swirl. Add the chard and sute for a couple minutes before you add the tomatoes. Cook another ~3 minutes, stirring often over med-high heat.
Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Lastly sprinkle with red wine vinegar (~ 1 Tbs) and serve.
A note on Shishito Peppers which are on rotation to West County… we heard of a member leaving them because they don’t like hot peppers. Shishito peppers are technically a type of mild chili pepper, but they’re generally not considered "hot" by most standards. About 90–95% of shishitos are very mild, often described as slightly sweet and grassy. However, every once in a while—about 1 in 10—you’ll get a spicy surprise. As with any veggie that’s hot or bitter, heat mellows them. We almost always have our shishitos blistered.
The Sweet Peppers in this week’s box are all Italian Sweet Peppers. They are a combination of four varieties but all under that header. Red and Yellow Corno de Torro plus Perfect Golden Italian and Perfect Italian Sweet grown by seed growers at Wild Mountain. This year we threw the towel in on bell peppers all together. We just couldn’t get them to grow effectively AND we found these peppers just as sweet and very productive. SO we suggest you use them as you would a bell. They walls are a little thinner but they are great chopped in salad, sautéed, stuffed, roasted and more! Enjoy!
Hmmm… somehow our rotations meant that West County members got both Shishito AND Sweet Peppers. Well, here’s an idea for using them together…
Charred Pepper & Corn Salad with Lime-Parsley Dressing
Great as a standalone salad or taco topping.
1 pint shishito peppers
2 Italian sweet peppers, sliced into rings
1 ear corn, kernels cut off (or ~1 cup cooked corn)
1–2 Tbs olive oil
Salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbs olive oil (for dressing)
1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced
2 Tbs chopped parsley
Toss shishitos, sweet peppers, and corn with olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Grill or roast at high heat until lightly charred and tender (about 8–10 minutes).
Meanwhile, whisk lime juice, olive oil, garlic, and parsley for a quick dressing.
Toss grilled veg with dressing and serve warm or at room temperature.
The Summer Squash is continuing to come… and I’ll continue to add recipes…
Summer Squash Galette with Tomato, Basil & Kale
1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
1 small summer squash, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, thinly sliced or chopped
1 cup chopped kale (optional)
½ cup grated cheese (feta, mozzarella, or gruyère)
1 clove garlic, minced
1–2 Tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper
Handful fresh basil, torn
Preheat oven to 400°F.
If using kale, sauté it briefly in olive oil with garlic and a pinch of salt until wilted. Let cool.
On a floured surface, roll out pie crust into a 10–12" circle. Transfer to a baking sheet.
Sprinkle cheese in the center, leaving a 2-inch border. Layer kale (if using), then summer squash and tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.
Fold the edges of the dough up and over the filling, pleating gently.
Bake for 30–35 minutes until crust is golden and veggies are tender.
Let cool slightly, then top with fresh basil. Serve warm or room temp.
Next week we’ll have BULK Basil available as we’ll be clearing an older bed of Basil. Today’s Basil is from a new bed that’s just glorious (there are currently 4 in production… we love Basil in the summer).
Extra Shares
Flower Share: Focus on Dahlia! 🌸
Lettuce Share: Panisse & Cegolaine Heads 🥬
Bunching Greens Share: Rainbow Chard 🌈
Eggs: 🥚
Extra Tomato Quart: a FULL extra quart each week! 🍅
Extra Pint Share: Cherry Tomatoes. Starting today!