What’s in my box this week?

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: Sunflowers + broomcorn

Veggie Tips

Eggplant – We grow multiple types of eggplant and you can view them all on our website, in addition to many excellent recipe ideas. The different shaped eggplants can have slight textural differences but can all be used interchangeably, just pay attention to the way you’re cutting them and keep these cooking tips in mind. While you’ll see suggestions not to refrigerate them we do recommend that you refrigerate (in a warmer section of your fridge, if possible – follow this guidance) in a bag to prevent them from getting squishy. Though if they do get a little soft or get some cold damage, they are still very salvageable, especially if you’re making baingan bharta or baba ghanoush. Eggplant has a very neutral flavor, so it goes with any sauce or flavor profile. It’s excellent roasted – see the Recipe of the Week. For a different flavor profile try this salad, which comes highly recommended by a CSA member or try this salad, described as “The Sheet-Pan Salad That Made Me Stop Hating Eggplant, Finally.” A CSA member recently shared that their favorite eggplant dish is roasted with a miso sauce, like this recipe. It’s also good in stir-fries (add peppers, leeks, or peppers and potatoes), grilled, or in stews, chili (add leeks too), and curries. This page has a rundown of several eggplant cooking methods and here’s a list with lots of tasty ideas. Additional eggplant ideas here – what are some of your favorites?

Grapes – We’re primarily harvesting Thompson seedless (green) or red flame (red, though some are more of a red/green mix) which are both seedless, but we grow several varieties and some have seeds! Grapes are stored best in cold, humid conditions, so keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it’s best to keep them on the stem and unwashed until eating. Frozen grapes make tasty and refreshing snacks (instructions here) and are a good way to not waste grapes that have gotten a little squishy, and you can add them to smoothies. You can also cook grapes – roasting can concentrate flavors and be used in dishes that are sweet (like oatmeal, or yogurt) or savory (brie or bulgur salad). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake.

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles. You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Leeks – These aren’t the leeks that we transplanted two weeks ago; these were transplanted a few months ago. They’ll smaller and more tender, some are more like a very thick scallion! Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves (more cutting and cooking advice here). People often don’t cook with the tougher green tops but these young leeks should be much more tender. If they are tough, don’t discard. You can braise them or save for veggie stock! Store leeks in the refrigerator, wrapped in a bag to retain moisture (and to prevent your refrigerator from smelling like leeks) where they’ll last for two weeks or so. Leeks are so versatile and can be used as the base for cooking any dish, but they can also feature more prominently in a dish. See the Recipe of the Week and the many great ideas on our website. A few other ideas: braised with eggplant and tomatoes or a tomato tart or crostata.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Peppers – We grow a number of different peppers, which you can check out on the pepper page on our website. This week you’re most likely to get pimento peppers. Some ideas: roasted with tomatoes, pepperonata (with heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, pasta, or beans and farro), or a caprese salad with your tomatoes. You can find many other recipes on our website.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: Sunflowers + broomcorn

Veggie Tips

Eggplant – We grow multiple types of eggplant and you can view them all on our website, in addition to many excellent recipe ideas. The different shaped eggplants can have slight textural differences but can all be used interchangeably, just pay attention to the way you’re cutting them and keep these cooking tips in mind. While you’ll see suggestions not to refrigerate them we do recommend that you refrigerate (in a warmer section of your fridge, if possible – follow this guidance) in a bag to prevent them from getting squishy. Though if they do get a little soft or get some cold damage, they are still very salvageable, especially if you’re making baingan bharta or baba ghanoush. Eggplant has a very neutral flavor, so it goes with any sauce or flavor profile. It’s excellent roasted – see the Recipe of the Week. For a different flavor profile try this salad, which comes highly recommended by a CSA member or try this salad, described as “The Sheet-Pan Salad That Made Me Stop Hating Eggplant, Finally.” A CSA member recently shared that their favorite eggplant dish is roasted with a miso sauce, like this recipe. It’s also good in stir-fries (add peppers, leeks, or peppers and potatoes), grilled, or in stews, chili (add peppers or leeks too), and curries (with grapes too). This page has a rundown of several eggplant cooking methods and here’s a list with lots of tasty ideas. Additional eggplant ideas here – what are some of your favorites?

Grapes – We’re primarily harvesting Thompson seedless (green) or red flame (red, though some are more of a red/green mix) which are both seedless, but we grow several varieties and some have seeds! Grapes are stored best in cold, humid conditions, so keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it’s best to keep them on the stem and unwashed until eating. Frozen grapes make tasty and refreshing snacks (instructions here) and are a good way to not waste grapes that have gotten a little squishy, and you can add them to smoothies. You can also cook grapes – roasting can concentrate flavors and be used in dishes that are sweet (like oatmeal, or yogurt) or savory (brie or bulgur salad). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake.

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles. You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Leeks – These aren’t the leeks that we transplanted two weeks ago; these were transplanted a few months ago. They’ll smaller and more tender, some are more like a very thick scallion! Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves (more cutting and cooking advice here). People often don’t cook with the tougher green tops but these young leeks should be much more tender. If they are tough, don’t discard. You can braise them or save for veggie stock! Store leeks in the refrigerator, wrapped in a bag to retain moisture (and to prevent your refrigerator from smelling like leeks) where they’ll last for two weeks or so. Leeks are so versatile and can be used as the base for cooking any dish, but they can also feature more prominently in a dish. See the Recipe of the Week and the many great ideas on our website. A few other ideas: braised with eggplant and tomatoes or a tomato tart or crostata.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Peppers – We grow a number of different peppers, which you can check out on the pepper page on our website. This week you’re most likely to get pimento peppers. Some ideas: roasted with tomatoes, pepperonata (with heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, pasta, or beans and farro), or a caprese salad with your tomatoes. You can find many other recipes on our website.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: Sunflowers + broomcorn

Veggie Tips

Eggplant – We grow multiple types of eggplant and you can view them all on our website, in addition to many excellent recipe ideas. The different shaped eggplants can have slight textural differences but can all be used interchangeably, just pay attention to the way you’re cutting them and keep these cooking tips in mind. While you’ll see suggestions not to refrigerate them we do recommend that you refrigerate (in a warmer section of your fridge, if possible – follow this guidance) in a bag to prevent them from getting squishy. Though if they do get a little soft or get some cold damage, they are still very salvageable, especially if you’re making baingan bharta or baba ghanoush. Eggplant has a very neutral flavor, so it goes with any sauce or flavor profile. It’s excellent roasted – see the Recipe of the Week. For a different flavor profile try this salad, which comes highly recommended by a CSA member or try this salad, described as “The Sheet-Pan Salad That Made Me Stop Hating Eggplant, Finally.” A CSA member recently shared that their favorite eggplant dish is roasted with a miso sauce, like this recipe. It’s also good in stir-fries (add peppers, leeks, or peppers and potatoes), grilled, or in stews, chili (add peppers or leeks too), and curries (with grapes too). This page has a rundown of several eggplant cooking methods and here’s a list with lots of tasty ideas. Additional eggplant ideas here – what are some of your favorites?

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles. You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Leeks – These aren’t the leeks that we transplanted two weeks ago; these were transplanted a few months ago. They’ll smaller and more tender, some are more like a very thick scallion! Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves (more cutting and cooking advice here). People often don’t cook with the tougher green tops but these young leeks should be much more tender. If they are tough, don’t discard. You can braise them or save for veggie stock! Store leeks in the refrigerator, wrapped in a bag to retain moisture (and to prevent your refrigerator from smelling like leeks) where they’ll last for two weeks or so. Leeks are so versatile and can be used as the base for cooking any dish, but they can also feature more prominently in a dish. See the Recipe of the Week and the many great ideas on our website. A few other ideas: braised with eggplant and tomatoes or a tomato tart or crostata.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Sugar Plums – The plums in your box this week are known by a few names, including prune plums, Italian plums, Italian plums, and are similar to damson plums. Regardless of what you call them, they’re delicious, and they are a freestone variety of plum, meaning the pits are easy to remove, making them an excellent choice for cooking and baking. They are a bit firmer and drier than other plum varieties and they have a sweet, brown sugar flavor. They are good raw too and do not need to be soft to be good. They can be used in a savory dishes or chutney but are most commonly enjoyed baked or fresh (they make a great snack). If baking, you have so many options:tortes, cakes, bars, focaccia, crepes, tarts, clafoutis (gluten free too), pies, cobblers, crumbles, or a German-style plum cake without or with yeast. Use your zucchini to make muffins! Roasted (plain or with ginger) or stewed plums are good with oatmeal and yogurt too. There are a few more ideas here. We can take back the plastic basket; you can leave it at your CSA site this week or bring it back in a future week. Plums can be stored on the counter for a few days but they will last longer if stored in the refrigerator in a bag.

Summer Squash – Squash should be stored in the fridge (ideally in the crisper drawer), and in a bag. The key is moisture management; you want to make sure that they don’t dry out, but they will spoil if there is too much condensation. You may want to move your squash to a plastic bag, but make sure one end of the bag is open for air circulation. Don’t wash your squash until you’re ready to use them. And when you are, check out our website for ideas. Want more inspiration? You can make a salad, soup with eggplant and tomatoes, pasta sauce,  pickles, quesadillas, or grilled cheese. Check out this list and this website for even more.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: globe amaranth (gomphrena)

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house. Change the water regularly; we recommend daily or every other day. 
This is a great flower for drying! For the best results, hang your gomphrena upside-down in a cool, dry place with good airflow. Keep it away from direct sunlight, which will fade the bright colors.

Veggie Tips

Cucumbers – We grow a few different types of cucumbers, you can see the varieties and get recipe ideas here. This week, we’re harvesting painted serpent cucumbers, also called striped Armenian cucumbers, picklers, and slicers. The painted serpents have thin skins that don’t require peeling, while the others have thicker skins that you may want to remove. There are infinite iterations on cucumber salads and we have lots of ideas on our website, plus many other tasty ideas. Or beat the heat with a cool cucumber soup (you can add melon too!) or a drink (water or agua fresca) .You can also cook your cucumbers in a stir-fry, or using any of these methods. More cooking ideas here, here and here. Cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator (but not in the coldest part), in a bag. You do want some airflow but they also need some humidity to avoid drying out and getting floppy and squishy. We recommend storing in a plastic bag that’s open on one end.

Grapes – We’re primarily harvesting Thompson seedless (green) or red flame (red, though some are more of a red/green mix) which are both seedless, but we grow several varieties and some have seeds! Grapes are stored best in cold, humid conditions, so keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it’s best to keep them on the stem and unwashed until eating. Frozen grapes make tasty and refreshing snacks (instructions here) and are a good way to not waste grapes that have gotten a little squishy, and you can add them to smoothies. You can also cook grapes – roasting can concentrate flavors and be used in dishes that are sweet (like oatmeal, or yogurt) or savory (brie or bulgur salad). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake.

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles (add cucumber too). You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week plus our website for more cooking ideas.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See the Recipe of the Week, and our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: globe amaranth (gomphrena)

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house. Change the water regularly; we recommend daily or every other day. 
This is a great flower for drying! For the best results, hang your gomphrena upside-down in a cool, dry place with good airflow. Keep it away from direct sunlight, which will fade the bright colors.

Veggie Tips

Cucumbers – We grow a few different types of cucumbers, you can see the varieties and get recipe ideas here. This week, we’re harvesting painted serpent cucumbers, also called striped Armenian cucumbers, picklers, and slicers. The painted serpents have thin skins that don’t require peeling, while the others have thicker skins that you may want to remove. There are infinite iterations on cucumber salads and we have lots of ideas on our website, plus many other tasty ideas. Or beat the heat with a cool cucumber soup (you can add melon too!) or a drink (water or agua fresca) .You can also cook your cucumbers in a stir-fry, or using any of these methods. More cooking ideas here, here and here. Cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator (but not in the coldest part), in a bag. You do want some airflow but they also need some humidity to avoid drying out and getting floppy and squishy. We recommend storing in a plastic bag that’s open on one end.

Grapes – We’re primarily harvesting Thompson seedless (green) or red flame (red, though some are more of a red/green mix) which are both seedless, but we grow several varieties and some have seeds! Grapes are stored best in cold, humid conditions, so keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it’s best to keep them on the stem and unwashed until eating. Frozen grapes make tasty and refreshing snacks (instructions here) and are a good way to not waste grapes that have gotten a little squishy, and you can add them to smoothies. You can also cook grapes – roasting can concentrate flavors and be used in dishes that are sweet (like oatmeal, or yogurt) or savory (brie or bulgur salad). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake.

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles (add cucumber too). You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week plus our website for more cooking ideas.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See the Recipe of the Week, and our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: globe amaranth (gomphrena)

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house. Change the water regularly; we recommend daily or every other day. 
This is a great flower for drying! For the best results, hang your gomphrena upside-down in a cool, dry place with good airflow. Keep it away from direct sunlight, which will fade the bright colors.

Veggie Tips

Cucumbers – We grow a few different types of cucumbers, you can see the varieties and get recipe ideas here. This week, we’re harvesting painted serpent cucumbers, also called striped Armenian cucumbers, picklers, and slicers. The painted serpents have thin skins that don’t require peeling, while the others have thicker skins that you may want to remove. There are infinite iterations on cucumber salads and we have lots of ideas on our website, plus many other tasty ideas. Or beat the heat with a cool cucumber soup (you can add melon too!) or a drink (water or agua fresca) .You can also cook your cucumbers in a stir-fry, or using any of these methods. More cooking ideas here, here and here. Cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator (but not in the coldest part), in a bag. You do want some airflow but they also need some humidity to avoid drying out and getting floppy and squishy. We recommend storing in a plastic bag that’s open on one end.

Grapes – We’re primarily harvesting Thompson seedless (green) or red flame (red, though some are more of a red/green mix) which are both seedless, but we grow several varieties and some have seeds! Grapes are stored best in cold, humid conditions, so keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it’s best to keep them on the stem and unwashed until eating. Frozen grapes make tasty and refreshing snacks (instructions here) and are a good way to not waste grapes that have gotten a little squishy, and you can add them to smoothies. You can also cook grapes – roasting can concentrate flavors and be used in dishes that are sweet (like oatmeal, or yogurt) or savory (brie or bulgur salad). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake.

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles (add cucumber too). You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week plus our website for more cooking ideas.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See the Recipe of the Week, and our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: globe amaranth (gomphrena)

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house. Change the water regularly; we recommend daily or every other day. 
This is a great flower for drying! For the best results, hang your gomphrena upside-down in a cool, dry place with good airflow. Keep it away from direct sunlight, which will fade the bright colors.

Veggie Tips

Cucumbers – We grow a few different types of cucumbers, you can see the varieties and get recipe ideas here. This week, we’re harvesting painted serpent cucumbers, also called striped Armenian cucumbers, picklers, and slicers. The painted serpents have thin skins that don’t require peeling, while the others have thicker skins that you may want to remove. There are infinite iterations on cucumber salads and we have lots of ideas on our website, plus many other tasty ideas. Or beat the heat with a cool cucumber soup (you can add melon too!) or a drink (water or agua fresca) .You can also cook your cucumbers in a stir-fry, or using any of these methods. More cooking ideas here, here and here. Cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator (but not in the coldest part), in a bag. You do want some airflow but they also need some humidity to avoid drying out and getting floppy and squishy. We recommend storing in a plastic bag that’s open on one end.

Grapes – We’re primarily harvesting Thompson seedless (green) or red flame (red, though some are more of a red/green mix) which are both seedless, but we grow several varieties and some have seeds! Grapes are stored best in cold, humid conditions, so keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it’s best to keep them on the stem and unwashed until eating. Frozen grapes make tasty and refreshing snacks (instructions here) and are a good way to not waste grapes that have gotten a little squishy, and you can add them to smoothies. You can also cook grapes – roasting can concentrate flavors and be used in dishes that are sweet (like oatmeal, or yogurt) or savory (brie or bulgur salad). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake.

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles (add cucumber too). You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week plus our website for more cooking ideas.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See the Recipe of the Week, and our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: globe amaranth (gomphrena)

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house. Change the water regularly; we recommend daily or every other day. 
This is a great flower for drying! For the best results, hang your gomphrena upside-down in a cool, dry place with good airflow. Keep it away from direct sunlight, which will fade the bright colors.

Veggie Tips

Cucumbers – We grow a few different types of cucumbers, you can see the varieties and get recipe ideas here. This week, we’re harvesting painted serpent cucumbers, also called striped Armenian cucumbers, picklers, and slicers. The painted serpents have thin skins that don’t require peeling, while the others have thicker skins that you may want to remove. There are infinite iterations on cucumber salads and we have lots of ideas on our website, plus many other tasty ideas. Or beat the heat with a cool cucumber soup (you can add melon too!) or a drink (water or agua fresca) .You can also cook your cucumbers in a stir-fry, or using any of these methods. More cooking ideas here, here and here. Cucumbers should be stored in the refrigerator (but not in the coldest part), in a bag. You do want some airflow but they also need some humidity to avoid drying out and getting floppy and squishy. We recommend storing in a plastic bag that’s open on one end.

Grapes – We’re primarily harvesting Thompson seedless (green) or red flame (red, though some are more of a red/green mix) which are both seedless, but we grow several varieties and some have seeds! Grapes are stored best in cold, humid conditions, so keep in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and it’s best to keep them on the stem and unwashed until eating. Frozen grapes make tasty and refreshing snacks (instructions here) and are a good way to not waste grapes that have gotten a little squishy, and you can add them to smoothies. You can also cook grapes – roasting can concentrate flavors and be used in dishes that are sweet (like oatmeal, or yogurt) or savory (brie or bulgur salad). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake.

Melon – We’re harvesting over 10 varieties of melons! Use the melon page on our website to ID your melon, or you can always ask us – though we’ll need a picture of the inside and outside. Melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we harvest them ripe so we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results and bringing them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons should be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days either cut up in a container or left whole and wrapped with plastic wrap or an eco-friendly alternative. Tip: consider sprinkling a small amount of salt on your melon, especially if it needs a flavor boost. Cubed melon can also be used in smoothies (fresh or frozen) and popsicles (add cucumber too). You can also make melon gazpacho – some recipes include grapes too.

Onions – Finding some black spots on your onions? That’s aspergillus, a harmless fungus that can develop on harvested onions. They are perfectly safe to eat, just wash off the black soot before using.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week plus our website for more cooking ideas.

Tomatoes – Tomatoes are best stored on the counter at room temperature, stem side down. The best temperature for storing tomatoes is 55 degrees, much warmer than the standard refrigerator. As a result, we only recommend moving your tomatoes to the fridge if they are really ripe and you’re worried about them going bad. And of course, always refrigerate cut tomatoes. See the Recipe of the Week, and our website for many more excellent recipe ideas. If you’ve got a recipe to recommend and share, let us know! Bulk boxes of heirloom, Early Girl, red slicer, and roma tomatoes are available to order now in the CSA Member Store, as are three pint baskets of cherry tomatoes. Note: we can’t reuse the cardboard boats, please do not leave them at your CSA site.