Dig It

Eight weeks down, nine left to go. It’s hard to believe that the farm has come this far! The tomato plants are still reeling from this month’s rain damage (some of them have just this week developed brown and withered leaves, which I’m hoping is a simple-to-solve case of not having enough nutrients), the squash plants have been knocked out by cucumber beetles and stink bugs, and I’ve found what looks like crow damage on some of the almost-ripe watermelons. Nevertheless, the boxes keep getting better!

The contents of this week’s box: zucchini or summer squash (harvests are down, but replacement plants are in the ground), Yukon Gold potatoes (only about four or five per box, thanks to lower-than-expected yields), one bunch Chantenay carrots, eggplant, two pints cherry tomatoes, one pint garden peach tomatoes, one quart heirloom tomatoes, one bag basil and okra for some of those who requested it.

I also harvested a few other things this week. First, the entirety of the spaghetti squash bed, as the plants were near death after a bad squash vine borer infestation (I even found a few borers in the fruits). I baked one (damaged, of course) for an incredible dinner a few nights ago and decided that I will definitely be growing these again. Second, seed. There are a few plants (the mustard greens, in particular) whose seed I’d like to save for next season, and a few herbs (coriander, dill), whose seed will be a great addition to our kitchen’s spice cabinet. Several bundles of dried plants, seed pods attached, are waiting on towels in the greenhouse, and should be processed next week.

After the jump, the recipes that I sent out. Click images to enlarge.

Root Vegetable Fries (from realsimple.com)

Ingredients:

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into sticks

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Toss the carrots in the oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast, stirring once, until golden brown and tender, about 30 minutes.

Serves 2.

Curried Eggplant with Tomatoes and Basil (from realsimple.com)

Ingredients:

1 cup white basmati rice

kosher salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

1 eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces

1 ½ teaspoons curry powder

1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed

½ cup fresh basil

¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt (preferably Greek), optional

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine rice, 1 ½ cups water, and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork before serving.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, eggplant, curry powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until the eggplant is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook just until heated through, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the basil. Serve over the rice with yogurt, if using.

Serves 4.

Heirloom Tomato Salad (from realsimple.com)

Ingredients:

5 heirloom tomatoes (in various colors), cut into ½-inch slices

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ pound mozzarella, cut into 4 slices

½ pound cherry tomatoes, halved if large

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 baguette

Directions:

1. Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper. Place a slice of mozzarella on each of 4 plates. Top with layers of the tomatoes.
2. Garnish each plate with some cherry tomatoes and ½ tablespoon oil. Serve with a crusty baguette.

Serves 4.