10/1/25

Short Newsletter today as we’re a little short staffed

This Week’s Box

Lettuce Leaf Mix

Kale: Toscano (SR) OR Rainbow Lacinato (WC)

Summer Surprise

Mixed Tomato Quart

Summer Squash

Genovese Basil

Asian Pears

Families: Kohlrabi & Mixed Beets

What is Summer Surprise? At the end of the season, plants act irregularly and we’ve started to take out some of our summer crops. We were hoping to have it be Cherry Tomatoes or Strawberries but just were not sure and we are glad we didn’t tell you that because we only got 30 cherry tomatoes and 26 strawberries for 140 boxes so the rotation lies as a surprise Cherry Tomato, Strawberry or Eggplant. Thanks for  flexing with us.

Another crop that’s not acting as we have been used to us our Parsley. It’s taken us all summer and finally petered out. We had scheduled a Parsley/Basil rotation but we have plenty of Basil so it’s Basil for all this week!

The Kale is beautiful right now so wanted to put in a Kale Salad recipe. These two kales have similar genetics and are very hearty. I recommend giving them a massage before making salad. Cut it up, add a little olive oil and massage it, looking for the leaves to get a little darker green, showing that it’s breaking down just a little bit. This breaks down fibrous cell walls, makes kale more tender, easier to chew and more digestible.

Kale & Asian Pear Salad

1 bunch kale, stemmed & thinly sliced

2 Asian pears, cored & sliced into thin matchsticks

¼ cup toasted walnuts (or pecans)

⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)

2–3 scallions, thinly sliced

Dressing:  3 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

1 Tbs honey (or maple syrup)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt & pepper to taste

1. Whisk dressing ingredients until emulsified.

2. Place kale in a large bowl, drizzle with half the dressing, and massage gently with your hands for 1–2 min until softened.

3. Toss in Asian pears, nuts, and scallions. Add remaining dressing and mix.

4. Top with goat cheese before serving.

This is the last big round of Summer Squash as we pulled two beds out to plant winter beets. Summer Squash will be included in a Summer Surprise in upcoming weeks.

Polenta with Zucchini Marinara (Fresh Choices )

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

4 med-sm summer squash

4 cloves garlic, mince

1 can (28 ounces) chopped tomatoes (substitute 3 c chopped fresh tomatoes -best if pealed)

2 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 c chopped basil

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp ground back pepper

2 lbs prepared polenta (either buy ready made or make your own)

4 tsp pine nuts, toasted

3 Tbs grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

1.   Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is almost tender, about 4 min.

2.   Cut the zucchini lengthwise into quarters and then slie crosswise to make wedge-shaped slices. Add the zucchini and garlic to the skillet. Cook, stirring now and then, until the zucchini starts to become tender, 8-10 min. Add the tomatoes and rosemary. When the mixture bubbles, reduce the heat to med-low, cover, and simmer until the sauce is thick and the zucchini is fall-apart tender, 20-30 min. Add the salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375° F. Coat a baking sheet with oil.

4. Slice the polenta crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds and place on the baking sheet. Bake until slightly browned on the bottom, ~15 min. Transfer to plates and top with the zucchini sauce. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and Parmesan.Extra Shares

Flower Share: coming to an end - see your emails!

Lettuce Share: 2 Little Gems & Panisse Lettuce 🥬

Bunched Greens Share: 🌈 Rainbow Chard

Summer Pint Share: Sungold Cherry Tomatoes

Tomato Share: More Heirloom Tomato Quarts!

Egg Shares: 🍳