Good Morning All,
Our apologies for the delay in receipt of our newsletter this week. We are juggling roles on the farm as we have to accomplish a million to do’s before the cool fall weather sets in. I was off doing deliveries, and unable to get on the computer until now.
So pleased to report we have melons this week! Just had a wee taste of one myself and it was quite delicious and well worth the wait. I’m including a link to a recipe today for a tasty watermelon and feta salad. If you aren’t one to dig into a whole watermelon, then this recipe is a great way to change things up and add a nice sweet and salty dish to a late summer meal. https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/watermelon-feta-salad-with-mint/
We are starting to wind down on cucumbers and summer squash. Though they have been prolific, the plants are suffering from insect pressure from the notorious squash bug and cucumber beetles. At the moment, many are wilting from exposure to powdery mildew that has spread rapidly with help from these little critters, which is a common problem in the curcubitae plants. Thankfully we still are getting some nice patty pans and a handful of others as some plants are very resilient to the pressures of bugs and disease. If you are looking for some new ways to use them, I would love to share the recipe I use most for zucchini (pan)cakes. It comes from the book Nourishing Traditions, which I am a big fan of. The recipe uses 4 eggs, which one can cut back on by 1 or 2 if they wish. Also, it calls for breadcrumbs, which if you do not have, can be substituted with flour. The batter should be the consistency of a thin cookie batter or a thick pancake batter. The more moisture you squeeze out of the zucchini, the faster they will fry. Here is the recipe: http://butterbeliever.com/25-days-of-nourishing-traditions-zucchini-cakes/ Though the photo in this link does not do these justice, they will ideally be a nice golden brown when done properly.
We are also so pleases to finally be offering beans! Though my back would beg to differ as I suffer from a combination of bean, and tomato picking back. It’s a tough time of year on our bodies, but with proper stretching and a variety of activities on the farm, we manage to get through and definitely feel we are reaping the rewards now of a long season of heavy work to get to this point.
We should be able to send along some winter squash in the next few weeks as some of the earlier varieties begin to ripen. It is with sadness that we see off two of our full time team members next week as they both head back to their respective schools. Sean and Hilary have given it their all this season: both first time farmers, they have taken to the farm work with relative ease, and some growing pains, as can be expected. We are going to be very busy around here without their help, but are extremely appreciative of the role each of them has played on the farm this season.
All Shares this Week include:
-Beans
-Kale
-Rainbow chard
-Patty Pan Squash
-Carrots
-Lettuce
-Cherry Tomatoes
-Garlic
-Melons
Medium Shares also Include:
-Eggplant
-Salanova Mix
-Extra Kale
-Extra garlic
-Parsley
-Potatoes
Here are also some of my favourite dark leafy greens recipes: https://eatmagazine.ca/swiss-chard-cabbage-rolls/ -this chard ‘cabbage’ roll recipe also comes with meat substitution if you wish, and this next recipe is akin to my fave kale salad: https://www.freshearthfarms.com/?p=1672 -it can be made ahead of time and even done the day before to let the dressing soak in to the tougher leaves of the kale.
Please enjoy your share this week, and we look forward to next week!
-Waratah Downs Organic Farm Team
