What’s in my box this week?

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: mixed bouquet

This is the last day of fresh flowers until the season starts next spring!

Veggie Tips

Butternut Squash – Butternut squash is so versatile – see our website and there are even more ideas on this list or this list. Butternut soup is great, but there’s lots more you can do. You can eat it with every meal, even breakfast (sweet or savory) and dessert, and it can be even eaten raw, though roasting, the most popular way to make it, will yield the sweetest results. Roasted squash can be added to anything, including a salad or risotto with collards. The seeds can be roasted too, just like pumpkin seeds. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. Cut squash can be stored in the fridge, ideally left whole but also in cubes, for several days. More storage tips here.

Collards – We love collards, kale’s heartier cousin, and hope you do too. You can use collards anywhere you’d use kale, just perhaps cook or massage a little longer. Collards can be eaten raw (make a salad with roasted squash or peanut sauce or a pesto) or cooked. Some people like making collard wraps (raw or blanched) – the size of these leaves would be great for that. Some cooked collard ideas: a simple sauté, collard oshitashi, Korean style, Ethiopian gomen, a soup with your butternut, braised with coconut milk (add butternut!), and pasta. Don’t discard the stems! They can be used in the same dish, just cooked a little longer, or can be eaten raw, or make a special recipe (pickled or braised). See our website for more ideas – including risotto and a stir-fry with your squash.

Green Beans – Green beans don’t need much to taste great. You can eat them raw, or they are very simple to cook. They can be lightly cooked (quickly blanched, steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, roasted, grilled, or braised) and go well with any sauce or flavor additions (a few ideas here), and with most other produce – try the Recipe of the Week, braised with winter squash or a salad with radishes! We have lots of excellent recipe ideas on our website. Store in the refrigerator in a bag; they will last longer in a plastic bag.

Melon – We’re almost at the end of a very tasty melon season! 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.

Radishes – You’re getting French Breakfast radishes this week! Compared to many radish varieties, the roots are fairly mild, but if you want to mellow them even more, you should cook them. Roasting, braising, stir-frying, and sautéing (which goes well with toast – with cheese or an egg) are all good choices. Or make a salsa or add thinly sliced radishes to tacos, salads, and soups! Additional ideas here. A CSA member recommends this pickle recipe. Don’t toss your radish greens! They are looking beautiful right now and are tender and sweet. They can be cooked or enjoyed raw – treat like you would arugula. They make a good addition to a salad, pickled or made into a pesto or chimichurri. Store the leaves and roots in the refrigerator in a bag and separate the greens from the roots.

Shishito Peppers – Shishito peppers, despite their appearance, generally aren’t spicy but be warned: later in the season, they can develop some heat, so you’re likely to encounter at least one! They are most commonly blistered in a skillet with oil and salt (we’ve got a recipe on our pepper page and this page has some sauce ideas) but you can also grill, broil, fry (tempura too), steam, or roast them for approximately 10 minutes at 450 degrees. They are great enjoyed plain with just a little salt or simple sauce but shishitos can also be added to other dishes – see the Recipe of the Week or you can make eggs, quesadillas, hummus, noodles (this recipe if you like peanut sauce), or made into crostini. If you’ve got last week’s kabocha, you can braise your shishitos and squash. Or make pickles with raw or blistered peppers! Additional recipe ideas here. Store in the refrigerator in a bag, ideally in the crisper drawer or plastic bag to keep in some moisture; they are fine to keep in the waxed paper bag if using within 3 days.

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, you can make butternut/summer squash tacos, pasta with zucchini sauce, a stir-fry, quick pickles, or quesadillas. Check out our website for more ideas and this website has a few more.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Veggie Tips

Butternut Squash – Butternut squash is so versatile – see our website and there are even more ideas on this list or this list. Butternut soup is great, but there’s lots more you can do. You can eat it with every meal, even breakfast (sweet or savory) and dessert, and it can be even eaten raw, though roasting, the most popular way to make it, will yield the sweetest results. Roasted squash can be added to anything, including a salad or risotto with collards. The seeds can be roasted too, just like pumpkin seeds. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. Cut squash can be stored in the fridge, ideally left whole but also in cubes, for several days. More storage tips here.

Collards – We love collards, kale’s heartier cousin, and hope you do too. You can use collards anywhere you’d use kale, just perhaps cook or massage a little longer. Collards can be eaten raw (make a salad with roasted squash or peanut sauce or a pesto) or cooked. Some people like making collard wraps (raw or blanched) – the size of these leaves would be great for that. Some cooked collard ideas: a simple sauté, collard oshitashi, Korean style, Ethiopian gomen, a soup with your butternut, braised with coconut milk (add butternut!), and pasta. Don’t discard the stems! They can be used in the same dish, just cooked a little longer, or can be eaten raw, or make a special recipe (pickled or braised). See our website for more ideas – including risotto and a stir-fry with your squash.

Green Beans – Green beans don’t need much to taste great. You can eat them raw, or they are very simple to cook. They can be lightly cooked (quickly blanched, steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, roasted, grilled, or braised) and go well with any sauce or flavor additions (a few ideas here), and with most other produce – try the Recipe of the Week, braised with winter squash or a salad with radishes! We have lots of excellent recipe ideas on our website. Store in the refrigerator in a bag; they will last longer in a plastic bag.

Melon – We’re almost at the end of a very tasty melon season! 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.

Radishes – You’re getting French Breakfast radishes this week! Compared to many radish varieties, the roots are fairly mild, but if you want to mellow them even more, you should cook them. Roasting, braising, stir-frying, and sautéing (which goes well with toast – with cheese or an egg) are all good choices. Or make a salsa or add thinly sliced radishes to tacos, salads, and soups! Additional ideas here. A CSA member recommends this pickle recipe. Don’t toss your radish greens! They are looking beautiful right now and are tender and sweet. They can be cooked or enjoyed raw – treat like you would arugula. They make a good addition to a salad, pickled or made into a pesto or chimichurri. Store the leaves and roots in the refrigerator in a bag and separate the greens from the roots.

Shishito Peppers – Shishito peppers, despite their appearance, generally aren’t spicy but be warned: later in the season, they can develop some heat, so you’re likely to encounter at least one! They are most commonly blistered in a skillet with oil and salt (we’ve got a recipe on our pepper page and this page has some sauce ideas) but you can also grill, broil, fry (tempura too), steam, or roast them for approximately 10 minutes at 450 degrees. They are great enjoyed plain with just a little salt or simple sauce but shishitos can also be added to other dishes – see the Recipe of the Week or you can make eggs, quesadillas, hummus, noodles (this recipe if you like peanut sauce), or made into crostini. If you’ve got last week’s kabocha, you can braise your shishitos and squash. Or make pickles with raw or blistered peppers! Additional recipe ideas here. Store in the refrigerator in a bag, ideally in the crisper drawer or plastic bag to keep in some moisture; they are fine to keep in the waxed paper bag if using within 3 days.

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, you can make butternut/summer squash tacos, pasta with zucchini sauce, a stir-fry, quick pickles, or quesadillas. Check out our website for more ideas and this website has a few more.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Veggie Tips

Butternut Squash – Butternut squash is so versatile – see our website and there are even more ideas on this list or this list. Butternut soup is great, but there’s lots more you can do. You can eat it with every meal, even breakfast (sweet or savory) and dessert, and it can be even eaten raw, though roasting, the most popular way to make it, will yield the sweetest results. Roasted squash can be added to anything, including a salad or risotto with collards. The seeds can be roasted too, just like pumpkin seeds. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to use. Cut squash can be stored in the fridge, ideally left whole but also in cubes, for several days. More storage tips here.

Collards – We love collards, kale’s heartier cousin, and hope you do too. You can use collards anywhere you’d use kale, just perhaps cook or massage a little longer. Collards can be eaten raw (make a salad with roasted squash or peanut sauce or a pesto) or cooked. Some people like making collard wraps (raw or blanched) – the size of these leaves would be great for that. Some cooked collard ideas: a simple sauté, collard oshitashi, Korean style, Ethiopian gomen, a soup with your butternut, braised with coconut milk (add butternut!), and pasta. Don’t discard the stems! They can be used in the same dish, just cooked a little longer, or can be eaten raw, or make a special recipe (pickled or braised). See our website for more ideas – including risotto and a stir-fry with your squash.

Green Beans – Green beans don’t need much to taste great. You can eat them raw, or they are very simple to cook. They can be lightly cooked (quickly blanched, steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, roasted, grilled, or braised) and go well with any sauce or flavor additions (a few ideas here), and with most other produce – try the Recipe of the Week, braised with winter squash or a stir-fry with green beans! We have lots of excellent recipe ideas on our website. Store in the refrigerator in a bag; they will last longer in a plastic bag.

Melon – We’re almost at the end of a very tasty melon season! 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.

Mizuna – Mizuna is a member of the mustard family but is much more mild and sweet than some of the other mustard varieties. It is often incorporated into salad mixes and enjoyed raw but can also be cooked. Use it like you would arugula! Like spinach or arugula, mizuna will shrink quite a bit when cooked and is best added at the end of cooking to wilt, no long cooking required. For a few ideas: a greek salad, miso soup, or a salad with apples, peanuts, tomatoes, grilled squash, or quinoa. It can also be pickled. Store in the refrigerator in a bag that will keep it from wilting. More recipe ideas on our website.

Shishito Peppers – Shishito peppers, despite their appearance, generally aren’t spicy but be warned: later in the season, they can develop some heat, so you’re likely to encounter at least one! They are most commonly blistered in a skillet with oil and salt (we’ve got a recipe on our pepper page and this page has some sauce ideas) but you can also grill, broil, fry (tempura too), steam, or roast them for approximately 10 minutes at 450 degrees. They are great enjoyed plain with just a little salt or simple sauce but shishitos can also be added to other dishes – see the Recipe of the Week or you can make eggs, quesadillas, hummus, noodles (this recipe if you like peanut sauce), or made into crostini. If you’ve got last week’s kabocha, you can braise your shishitos and squash. Or make pickles with raw or blistered peppers! Additional recipe ideas here. Store in the refrigerator in a bag, ideally in the crisper drawer or plastic bag to keep in some moisture; they are fine to keep in the waxed paper bag if using within 3 days.

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, you can make butternut/summer squash tacos, pasta with zucchini sauce, a stir-fry, quick pickles, or quesadillas. Check out our website for more ideas and this website has a few more.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: marigolds

Veggie Tips

Cherry Tomatoes – Cherry tomatoes, like their larger counterparts, should be stored on the counter at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. We’re harvesting grape tomatoes this week – red and gold. If you want some ideas, check out our website. If you’re cutting a large amount of cherry tomatoes in half, definitely use this “hack”.

Grapes – 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 (with zucchini and couscous, or roasted squash). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake. One more idea – a few years ago, a CSA member wrote “Tonight we had tofu sautéed with curry paste, fish sauce, GRAPES, and cilantro with rice.  Boy was it good.  Savory tofu, sweet grapes, spicy curry.”

Kabocha Squash – We love kabocha squash for its rich, sweet taste, almost like a sweet potato. It is excellent roasted (add to salads), and can also be simmered, cooked in soups and curries, steamed, stir-fried (make pad faktong, a Thai stir-fry), pan-fried, grilled, braised, and more. It can even be made into chips or hummus or add to pasta with your cherry tomatoes! You can swap kabocha for pumpkin (or kuri) in any recipe and it makes excellent desserts. Additional recipe ideas on our website. The skin is edible and does not need to be removed. The squash in your box this week may have some bumps on the outside. These are purely cosmetic and don’t impact the taste or quality of the squash, though perhaps skip eating those. Kabocha can be stored in a cool, dry place, and they will last quite a while, up to 4 months, but make sure to check for scratches or nicks in the skin – those won’t last as long!

Leeks – 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 many great ideas on our website. A few other ideas: braised with kabocha and tomatoes, kabocha soup, pasta or gnocchi with cherry tomatoes, or zucchini soup, pasta, or fritters.

Melon – This week you’re getting a Piel de Sapo, which will hopefully be as good as  the one Paul described in the News from the Farm! Note that we harvest our Piels at peak ripeness, so don’t wait too long to enjoy! And don’t wait for an aroma to know it’s ready to eat; these melons have thick skins and don’t release a fragrance. You can store your melon for a few days at room temperature, or in the refrigerator. Sliced Piel de Sapo is a common and refreshing snack and dessert in Spain, but you can also make a salad or even a tart. Additional ideas here and on our website.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week for a Spanish tortilla recipe (to go with your Spanish Piel de Sapo melon) recommended by a CSA member. See our website for more cooking ideas.

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, you can bake them with your cherry tomatoes (or add lentils) or make winter+summer squash tacos, “bread lasagna,” pickles, focaccia, or a salad. Check out our website for ideas and this website has a few more.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: cosmos

Veggie Tips

Garlic

Grapes – 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 (with zucchini and couscous, or roasted squash). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake. One more idea – a few years ago, a CSA member wrote “Tonight we had tofu sautéed with curry paste, fish sauce, GRAPES, and cilantro with rice.  Boy was it good.  Savory tofu, sweet grapes, spicy curry.”

Kabocha Squash – We love kabocha squash for its rich, sweet taste, almost like a sweet potato. It is excellent roasted (add to salads), and can also be simmered, cooked in soups and curries, steamed, stir-fried (make pad faktong, a Thai stir-fry), pan-fried, grilled, braised, and more. It can even be made into chips or hummus or add to pasta with your tomatoes! You can swap kabocha for pumpkin (or kuri) in any recipe and it makes excellent desserts. Additional recipe ideas on our website. The skin is edible and does not need to be removed. The squash in your box this week may have some bumps on the outside. These are purely cosmetic and don’t impact the taste or quality of the squash, though perhaps skip eating those. Kabocha can be stored in a cool, dry place, and they will last quite a while, up to 4 months, but make sure to check for scratches or nicks in the skin – those won’t last as long!

Melon – 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. Hopefully your melon will be as good as the one Paul described in the News from the Farm! If not, sprinkling a little salt can help enhance the flavor, or use cut up melon (frozen or not) in a smoothie.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week for a Spanish tortilla recipe recommended by a CSA member. See our website for more cooking ideas.

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, you can make winter+summer squash tacos, “bread lasagna,” pickles, focaccia, one-pot pasta, or a salad. Check out our website for ideas and this website has a few more.

Tomatoes – This week you’re getting Early Girl tomatoes; while they’re less flashy than the heirlooms, they have amazing flavor and are a lot heartier. Near the end of the season, they get small in size (like a very large cherry tomato) but mighty in flavor, rivaling any coastal “dry farmed” Early Girl. 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.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: cayenne peppers

Much like safflower, the peppers are a multi-purpose crop. We primarily grow them for using floral arrangements (bouquets and wreaths) but they can be eaten too, fresh or dried. They’re an excellent drying “flower.” If you keep them out of water, they’ll dry naturally over time – no hanging needed. You can hang upside down, like any other drying flower, or you can dry them on a string, or there are other methods, especially if keeping them for culinary purposes – this guide provides a good starting point.

Veggie Tips

Garlic

Grapes – 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 (with zucchini and couscous, or roasted squash). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake. One more idea – a few years ago, a CSA member wrote “Tonight we had tofu sautéed with curry paste, fish sauce, GRAPES, and cilantro with rice.  Boy was it good.  Savory tofu, sweet grapes, spicy curry.”

Kabocha Squash – We love kabocha squash for its rich, sweet taste, almost like a sweet potato. It is excellent roasted (add to salads), and can also be simmered, cooked in soups and curries, steamed, stir-fried (make pad faktong, a Thai stir-fry), pan-fried, grilled, braised, and more. It can even be made into chips or hummus or add to pasta with your tomatoes! You can swap kabocha for pumpkin (or kuri) in any recipe and it makes excellent desserts. Additional recipe ideas on our website. The skin is edible and does not need to be removed. The squash in your box this week may have some bumps on the outside. These are purely cosmetic and don’t impact the taste or quality of the squash, though perhaps skip eating those. Kabocha can be stored in a cool, dry place, and they will last quite a while, up to 4 months, but make sure to check for scratches or nicks in the skin – those won’t last as long!

Melon – 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. Hopefully your melon will be as good as the one Paul described in the News from the Farm! If not, sprinkling a little salt can help enhance the flavor, or use cut up melon (frozen or not) in a smoothie.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week for a Spanish tortilla recipe recommended by a CSA member. See our website for more cooking ideas.

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, you can make winter+summer squash tacos, “bread lasagna,” pickles, focaccia, one-pot pasta, or a salad. Check out our website for ideas and this website has a few more.

Tomatoes – This week you’re getting Early Girl tomatoes; while they’re less flashy than the heirlooms, they have amazing flavor and are a lot heartier. Near the end of the season, they get small in size (like a very large cherry tomato) but mighty in flavor, rivaling any coastal “dry farmed” Early Girl. 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.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: cayenne peppers

Much like safflower, the peppers are a multi-purpose crop. We primarily grow them for using floral arrangements (bouquets and wreaths) but they can be eaten too, fresh or dried. They’re an excellent drying “flower.” If you keep them out of water, they’ll dry naturally over time – no hanging needed. You can hang upside down, like any other drying flower, or you can dry them on a string, or there are other methods, especially if keeping them for culinary purposes – this guide provides a good starting point.

Veggie Tips

Garlic

Grapes – 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 (with zucchini and couscous, or roasted squash). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake. One more idea – a few years ago, a CSA member wrote “Tonight we had tofu sautéed with curry paste, fish sauce, GRAPES, and cilantro with rice.  Boy was it good.  Savory tofu, sweet grapes, spicy curry.”

Kabocha Squash – We love kabocha squash for its rich, sweet taste, almost like a sweet potato. It is excellent roasted (add to salads), and can also be simmered, cooked in soups and curries, steamed, stir-fried (make pad faktong, a Thai stir-fry), pan-fried, grilled, braised, and more. It can even be made into chips or hummus or add to pasta with your tomatoes! You can swap kabocha for pumpkin (or kuri) in any recipe and it makes excellent desserts. Additional recipe ideas on our website. The skin is edible and does not need to be removed. The squash in your box this week may have some bumps on the outside. These are purely cosmetic and don’t impact the taste or quality of the squash, though perhaps skip eating those. Kabocha can be stored in a cool, dry place, and they will last quite a while, up to 4 months, but make sure to check for scratches or nicks in the skin – those won’t last as long!

Melon – 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. Hopefully your melon will be as good as the one Paul described in the News from the Farm! If not, sprinkling a little salt can help enhance the flavor, or use cut up melon (frozen or not) in a smoothie.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week for a Spanish tortilla recipe recommended by a CSA member. See our website for more cooking ideas.

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, you can make winter+summer squash tacos, “bread lasagna,” pickles, focaccia, one-pot pasta, or a salad. Check out our website for ideas and this website has a few more.

Tomatoes – This week you’re getting Early Girl tomatoes; while they’re less flashy than the heirlooms, they have amazing flavor and are a lot heartier. Near the end of the season, they get small in size (like a very large cherry tomato) but mighty in flavor, rivaling any coastal “dry farmed” Early Girl. 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.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the Week: cosmos

Veggie Tips

Garlic

Grapes – 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 (with zucchini and couscous, or roasted squash). Or you can bake with them, like a galette, or cake. One more idea – a few years ago, a CSA member wrote “Tonight we had tofu sautéed with curry paste, fish sauce, GRAPES, and cilantro with rice.  Boy was it good.  Savory tofu, sweet grapes, spicy curry.”

Kabocha Squash – We love kabocha squash for its rich, sweet taste, almost like a sweet potato. It is excellent roasted (add to salads), and can also be simmered, cooked in soups and curries, steamed, stir-fried (make pad faktong, a Thai stir-fry), pan-fried, grilled, braised, and more. It can even be made into chips or hummus or add to pasta with your tomatoes! You can swap kabocha for pumpkin (or kuri) in any recipe and it makes excellent desserts. Additional recipe ideas on our website. The skin is edible and does not need to be removed. The squash in your box this week may have some bumps on the outside. These are purely cosmetic and don’t impact the taste or quality of the squash, though perhaps skip eating those. Kabocha can be stored in a cool, dry place, and they will last quite a while, up to 4 months, but make sure to check for scratches or nicks in the skin – those won’t last as long!

Melon – 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. Hopefully your melon will be as good as the one Paul described in the News from the Farm! If not, sprinkling a little salt can help enhance the flavor, or use cut up melon (frozen or not) in a smoothie.

Potatoes – Remember to store your potatoes in the refrigerator and keep out of the light. See the Recipe of the Week for a Spanish tortilla recipe recommended by a CSA member. See our website for more cooking ideas.

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, you can make winter+summer squash tacos, “bread lasagna,” pickles, focaccia, one-pot pasta, or a salad. Check out our website for ideas and this website has a few more.

Tomatoes – This week you’re getting Early Girl tomatoes; while they’re less flashy than the heirlooms, they have amazing flavor and are a lot heartier. Near the end of the season, they get small in size (like a very large cherry tomato) but mighty in flavor, rivaling any coastal “dry farmed” Early Girl. 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.