In Your Share (Aug 8th edition)

IMG_3035First sweet corn of the season! Given this cool weather we’ve been having I wasn’t sure it’d be ready but the crew headed out to harvest this morning and turns out that it’s looking good. Harvesting sweet corn can be tricky. To actually see the kernels, you would have to peel quite a bit of the husk away and that can damage an immature ear. Instead, we look for less invasive indications of ripeness. Ripe sweet corn has filled out the husk and it has dark silks.  In the interest of quality control we do peel some ears back and taste them – yum!

Amazing recipes for sweet corn and everything we grow on the farm are available to members at Cook With What You Have. If you joined our Summer CSA you will find your password in the member email. Enjoy 24/7 access to recipe inspiration!

This week your share may include…

  • Cucumbers: We have have some regular green slicers and we’re also growing a new variety called Silver Slicer. It is related to one of our favorite heirlooms, Boothby’s Blonde, and it has the same great heirloom flavor just with larger fruit!
  • Fava Beans: We had a later than usual planting this year and we’re thrilled that they are finally ready! There are lots of tips and a dozen great recipes for fava beans at Cook With What You Have. And here is one of my favorite ways to cook them whole and in the shell – Grilled Fresh Fava’s
  • Collard Greens: Nice to have some cooking green and these are quick to cook and very versatile.
  • Sweet Corn: for dinner tonight! 
  • Baby Cabbage: Mostly green and maybe a few purple cabbages – all will make a great small slaw.
  • Garlic: Nice big heads of Early Chinese Pink.
  • Parsley: Try using it like you would spinach or chard – chop up a heaping pile and sauté and add to pasta, polenta, frittata, etc. Or make hummus with the fava beans and add a big handful of parsley to that. I also pick whole leaves off the bunch and add them to my green salad. And you can try one of these three tasty Tabbouleh recipes recommendations… Yotam Ottolenghi from his cookbook Jerusalem which includes pomegranates and a traditional spice mixture. From David Lebovitz on his blog Living the Sweet Life in Paris – he is very particular and this recipe is very good. And last but not least – the simplest version which is also really good – from Ina Garten at her Barefoot Contessa series.
  • Popcorn: Pop on the cob in the microwave in a brown bag 3 min max. Or take it off the cob and pop however you’d like. If you have grinder – this popcorn also makes great polenta.  
  • Fingerling Potatoes: These Austrian Crescent are a waxy potato and make a nice potato salad.

Coming soon… Green, Yellow & Purple String Beans!