*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the week: cosmos

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house, and change the water regularly (every other day is usually fine).

It's the last week of our 2023 flower season! Dried flowers and wreaths coming soon!

Veggie Tips

Bok choi - We love bok choi! It can be eaten raw (add to a salad, with turnips or corn), but it’s most popular in stir-fries, or soups. It’s crunchy stems and soft leaves make it a great sauté or stir-fry choice - and you can mix and match with other produce: corn (or add mushrooms and peppers), eggplant (like this recipe or this one), turnips. Peppers too, if you have some. CSA members have also recommended grilling their choi (no grill? use a cast iron)! If you do that, consider grilling your turnips. Lots more recipe ideas on our website.

Corn - Keep corn refrigerated and in the husk, wrapped in a plastic bag to keep it from drying out, and the sooner you use it the better because the sugars turn to starch over time and it won't taste as sweet. You can also cook and store the corn for later. Our corn is delicious and unfortunately the worms know it too. We strongly recommend you inspect the tips of your corn as soon as you arrive home and cut them off before storing if you do find a worm; that will reduce the amount of damage they can cause. 

We love eating corn raw and you can add it to a salad, but if you like it cooked, you’ve got several options - try these fritters with kimchi, soup, or pasta. If you're taking the corn off the cob see here for tips on the best way to do so. There are several great ideas on our website, with lots more ideas out there, like this site, and this site.

Eggplant - We grow a few different types 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 refrigeration (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 roasting them to make baingan bharta or baba ghanoush, or you’re making a soup or stew, like the Recipe of the Week. Eggplant is excellent roasted or grilled (add to sandwiches, salads or salsas - with corn, or a peach caprese), in stir-fries (including mixed with corn; use turnip greens or choi for the spinach), curries (including with corn, turnips, with Jamaican spices, or garbanzos and tomatoes), pasta, and in stews (with tomatoes, potatoes or beans). You can also steam it (this recipe too)! Additional eggplant ideas here - what are some of your favorites?

Hakurei Turnips – These farm favorites go by several names: salad turnips, Tokyo turnips, and Japanese turnips. They’re called salad turnips because they have a sweet flavor and taste good raw, though they can also cooked (roasted, sautéed, boiled, grilled, steamed, mashed). They have a sweet taste and thin, tender skins; you don’t need to peel. You can use them anywhere you’d use radishes, though they don’t have any of the heat of a radish. Don’t discard the greens; they are tender and soft, with a mild taste. You can cook the greens with the turnips (sautéed, pan-roasted, or oven roasted) or use them raw anywhere you’d use arugula or spinach. To store: remove the greens and store the greens and roots in separate plastic bags in the fridge. The greens will last a week the roots have a much longer shelf-life. Check out the recipes on our website - one CSA member told me she always makes the miso turnip recipe when she gets them in her box.

Melon - You can identify your melon by checking the photos and descriptions on our website. Melon storage depends on the melon type. Most melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results. If you don't like eating cold melon, bring them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons can 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). Melon juice is a refreshing beverage and you also can freeze cut melon to add to smoothies. We often just cut melons in half and eat them with a spoon, but if you want a recipe, check out our website. 

Onions 

Peaches - These are Summerset or Autumn Flame, both yellow, firm, freestone peaches excellent for eating fresh, or freezing or baking. Peaches are best stored on the counter, stem side down. If you want to speed up ripening, put them in a paper bag. These are both naturally firmer peaches, so don’t wait till they get too soft. If you need to slow down ripening, move them to the refrigerator, though extended time in a refrigerator can negatively impact their texture. We’ve got a few recipes on our website.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the week: a mixed bouquet

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house, and change the water regularly (every other day is usually fine).

It's the last week of our 2023 flower season! Dried flowers and wreaths coming soon!

Veggie Tips

Bok choi - We love bok choi! It can be eaten raw (add to a salad, with turnips or corn), but it’s most popular in stir-fries, or soups. It’s crunchy stems and soft leaves make it a great sauté or stir-fry choice - and you can mix and match with other produce like eggplant (like this recipe or this one), turnips. Peppers too, if you have some. CSA members have also recommended grilling their choi (no grill? use a cast iron)! If you do that, consider grilling your turnips. Lots more recipe ideas on our website.

Eggplant - We grow a few different types 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 refrigeration (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 roasting them to make baingan bharta or baba ghanoush, or you’re making a soup or stew, like the Recipe of the Week. Eggplant is excellent roasted or grilled (add to sandwiches, salads or salsas - with corn, or a peach caprese), in stir-fries (including mixed with corn; use turnip greens or choi for the spinach), curries (including turnips and okra, with Jamaican spices, or garbanzos and tomatoes), pasta, and in stews (with tomatoes, potatoes or beans). You can also steam it (this recipe too)! Additional eggplant ideas here - what are some of your favorites?

Hakurei Turnips – These farm favorites go by several names: salad turnips, Tokyo turnips, and Japanese turnips. They’re called salad turnips because they have a sweet flavor and taste good raw, though they can also cooked (roasted, sautéed, boiled, grilled, steamed, mashed). They have a sweet taste and thin, tender skins; you don’t need to peel. You can use them anywhere you’d use radishes, though they don’t have any of the heat of a radish. Don’t discard the greens; they are tender and soft, with a mild taste. You can cook the greens with the turnips (sautéed, pan-roasted, or oven roasted) or use them raw anywhere you’d use arugula or spinach. To store: remove the greens and store the greens and roots in separate plastic bags in the fridge. The greens will last a week the roots have a much longer shelf-life. Check out the recipes on our website - one CSA member told me she always makes the miso turnip recipe when she gets them in her box.

Melon - You can identify your melon by checking the photos and descriptions on our website. Melon storage depends on the melon type. Most melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results. If you don't like eating cold melon, bring them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons can 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). Melon juice is a refreshing beverage and you also can freeze cut melon to add to smoothies. We often just cut melons in half and eat them with a spoon, but if you want a recipe, check out our website. 

Okra - Okra is a polarizing vegetable but it’s well loved across the world, including the Capay Valley. We Full Belly folks LOVE okra and are excited to put it in your boxes this week - as is evidenced by an overabundance of ideas below! And it’s not too much - just half a pound. If you’re not a slime lover, definitely roast, grill (add to this pasta salad), or fry your okra. Or quickly sauté your okra on high heat (like in this recipe, this one, or this one). If you don’t mind a little bit of slime, then consider stewing or adding to soups or stews, including gumbo (lots of vegetarian options out there, including this nontraditional lentil one), bamya, or pinakbet. Blanching is also an option - especially common in Japanese recipes like this one. Okra goes SO well with all the other summer produce, especially tomatoes (like in bindi masala, this Egyptian dish, or this Burmese curry), and is a great addition to a succotash. It also goes well with eggplant (a curried stir-fry, caponata, stew, ratatouille, Sichuan stir-fry, or simple sauté, or with onions - sautéed, with spices and lemon, or roasted. It also makes great pickles - fermented or quick pickled (like this recipe or this one are two ideas). Additional cooking tips and recipe ideas here, here, here, and here. Store okra in the refrigerator in a bag in the warmer part of your fridge. Use sooner rather than later!

Onions 

Peaches - These are Summerset or Autumn Flame, both yellow, firm, freestone peaches excellent for eating fresh, or freezing or baking. Peaches are best stored on the counter, stem side down. If you want to speed up ripening, put them in a paper bag. These are both naturally firmer peaches, so don’t wait till they get too soft. If you need to slow down ripening, move them to the refrigerator, though extended time in a refrigerator can negatively impact their texture. We’ve got a few recipes on our website.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the week: a mixed bouquet

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house, and change the water regularly (every other day is usually fine).

It's the last week of our 2023 flower season! Dried flowers and wreaths coming soon!

Veggie Tips

Bok choi - We love bok choi! It can be eaten raw (add to a salad, with turnips or corn), but it’s most popular in stir-fries, or soups. It’s crunchy stems and soft leaves make it a great sauté or stir-fry choice - and you can mix and match with other produce like eggplant (like this recipe or this one), turnips. Peppers too, if you have some. CSA members have also recommended grilling their choi (no grill? use a cast iron)! If you do that, consider grilling your turnips. Lots more recipe ideas on our website.

Eggplant - We grow a few different types 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 refrigeration (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 roasting them to make baingan bharta or baba ghanoush, or you’re making a soup or stew, like the Recipe of the Week. Eggplant is excellent roasted or grilled (add to sandwiches, salads or salsas - with corn, or a peach caprese), in stir-fries (including mixed with corn; use turnip greens or choi for the spinach), curries (including turnips and okra, with Jamaican spices, or garbanzos and tomatoes), pasta, and in stews (with tomatoes, potatoes or beans). You can also steam it (this recipe too)! Additional eggplant ideas here - what are some of your favorites?

Hakurei Turnips – These farm favorites go by several names: salad turnips, Tokyo turnips, and Japanese turnips. They’re called salad turnips because they have a sweet flavor and taste good raw, though they can also cooked (roasted, sautéed, boiled, grilled, steamed, mashed). They have a sweet taste and thin, tender skins; you don’t need to peel. You can use them anywhere you’d use radishes, though they don’t have any of the heat of a radish. Don’t discard the greens; they are tender and soft, with a mild taste. You can cook the greens with the turnips (sautéed, pan-roasted, or oven roasted) or use them raw anywhere you’d use arugula or spinach. To store: remove the greens and store the greens and roots in separate plastic bags in the fridge. The greens will last a week the roots have a much longer shelf-life. Check out the recipes on our website - one CSA member told me she always makes the miso turnip recipe when she gets them in her box.

Melon - You can identify your melon by checking the photos and descriptions on our website. Melon storage depends on the melon type. Most melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results. If you don't like eating cold melon, bring them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons can 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). Melon juice is a refreshing beverage and you also can freeze cut melon to add to smoothies. We often just cut melons in half and eat them with a spoon, but if you want a recipe, check out our website. 

Okra - Okra is a polarizing vegetable but it’s well loved across the world, including the Capay Valley. We Full Belly folks LOVE okra and are excited to put it in your boxes this week - as is evidenced by an overabundance of ideas below! And it’s not too much - just half a pound. If you’re not a slime lover, definitely roast, grill (add to this pasta salad), or fry your okra. Or quickly sauté your okra on high heat (like in this recipe, this one, or this one). If you don’t mind a little bit of slime, then consider stewing or adding to soups or stews, including gumbo (lots of vegetarian options out there, including this nontraditional lentil one), bamya, or pinakbet. Blanching is also an option - especially common in Japanese recipes like this one. Okra goes SO well with all the other summer produce, especially tomatoes (like in bindi masala, this Egyptian dish, or this Burmese curry), and is a great addition to a succotash. It also goes well with eggplant (a curried stir-fry, caponata, stew, ratatouille, Sichuan stir-fry, or simple sauté, or with onions - sautéed, with spices and lemon, or roasted. It also makes great pickles - fermented or quick pickled (like this recipe or this one are two ideas). Additional cooking tips and recipe ideas here, here, here, and here. Store okra in the refrigerator in a bag in the warmer part of your fridge. Use sooner rather than later!

Onions 

Sugar Plums - The plums in your box this week are known by a few names, including prune 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 do not need to be soft to be good. They can be used in a savory salad (examples: with a lemon ginger dressing, tomatoes, or grilled with an apple) but are most commonly enjoyed baked or fresh (they make a great snack). If baking, you have so many options: a torte, cake, bars, focaccia, crepes, tart, clafouti (gluten free too), pie, cobbler, crumble, a German plum cake without or with yeast. 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.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the week: a mixed bouquet

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house, and change the water regularly (every other day is usually fine).

It's the last week of our 2023 flower season! Dried flowers and wreaths coming soon!

Veggie Tips

Bok Choi - We love bok choi! It can be eaten raw (add to a salad, with turnips or grapes), but it’s most popular in stir-fries, or soups (with noodles, noodles and squash, or tomato and squash). Its crunchy stems and soft leaves make it a great sauté or stir-fry choice - and you can mix and match with other produce like eggplant (like this recipe or this one), turnips, summer squash, or even grapes! Peppers too, if you have some. CSA members have also recommended grilling their choi (no grill? use a cast iron)! If you do that, consider grilling your turnips. Lots more recipe ideas on our website, or here.

Eggplant - We grow a few different types 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 refrigeration (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 roasting them to make baingan bharta or baba ghanoush, or you’re making a soup or stew, like the Recipe of the Week. Eggplant is excellent roasted or grilled (add to sandwiches, salads, or pasta), in stir-fries (including mixed with corn; use turnip greens or choi for the spinach), curries (including turnips and okra, with Jamaican spices, or garbanzos and tomatoes), pasta, and in stews (with tomatoes, potatoes or beans). You can also steam it (this recipe too)! Additional eggplant ideas here - what are some of your favorites?

Grapes - We’re harvesting Red Flame (red, seedless) and Black Beauty (black, with seeds) varieties. 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. Roasted grapes are excellent and they can be cooked in a number of ways. 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.” Other ideas: with eggplant (caponata, roasted, or soup), and zucchini (with couscous). 

Hakurei Turnips – These farm favorites go by several names: salad turnips, Tokyo turnips, and Japanese turnips. They’re called salad turnips because they have a sweet flavor and taste good raw, though they can also cooked (roasted, sautéed, boiled, grilled, steamed, mashed). They have a sweet taste and thin, tender skins; you don’t need to peel. You can use them anywhere you’d use radishes, though they don’t have any of the heat of a radish. Don’t discard the greens; they are tender and soft, with a mild taste. You can cook the greens with the turnips (sautéed, pan-roasted, or oven roasted) or use them raw anywhere you’d use arugula or spinach. To store: remove the greens and store the greens and roots in separate plastic bags in the fridge. The greens will last a week the roots have a much longer shelf-life. Check out the recipes on our website - one CSA member told me she always makes the miso turnip recipe when she gets them in her box.

Melon - You can identify your melon by checking the photos and descriptions on our website. Melon storage depends on the melon type. Most melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results. If you don't like eating cold melon, bring them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons can 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). Melon juice is a refreshing beverage and you also can freeze cut melon to add to smoothies. We often just cut melons in half and eat them with a spoon, but if you want a recipe, check out our website. 

Onions 

Summer Squash - You may receive green or yellow zucchini or yellow crookneck; they all have a slightly different taste but can be used interchangeably. Squash should be stored in the fridge (ideally in the crisper drawer), and in a bag (either the bag they come in or a plastic 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. Especially if using a plastic bag, 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, we’ve got lots of ideas on our website, including recipes with peppers and tomatoes. Other ideas: orzo with eggplant, apple muffins, a frittata, a farro bowl, or pickles.

*Click on produce above for Recipes

Flower of the week: cosmos

To keep your flowers at their best, keep the flowers out of direct sunlight, and preferably in a cooler area of your house, and change the water regularly (every other day is usually fine).

It's the last week of our 2023 flower season! Dried flowers and wreaths coming soon!

Veggie Tips

Bok Choi - We love bok choi! It can be eaten raw (add to a salad, with turnips or grapes), but it’s most popular in stir-fries, or soups (with noodles, noodles and squash, or tomato and squash). Its crunchy stems and soft leaves make it a great sauté or stir-fry choice - and you can mix and match with other produce like eggplant (like this recipe or this one), turnips, or even grapes! Peppers too, if you have some. CSA members have also recommended grilling their choi (no grill? use a cast iron)! If you do that, consider grilling your turnips. Lots more recipe ideas on our website, or here.

Eggplant - We grow a few different types 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 refrigeration (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 roasting them to make baingan bharta or baba ghanoush, or you’re making a soup or stew, like the Recipe of the Week. Eggplant is excellent roasted or grilled (add to sandwiches, salads, or pasta), in stir-fries, curries (including turnips and okra, with Jamaican spices, or garbanzos and tomatoes), pasta, and in stews (with tomatoes, potatoes or beans). You can also steam it (this recipe too)! Additional eggplant ideas here - what are some of your favorites?

Grapes - We’re harvesting Red Flame (red, seedless) and Black Beauty (black, with seeds) varieties. 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. Roasted grapes are excellent and they can be cooked in a number of ways. 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.” Or try cooking with eggplant: caponata, roasted, or soup. 

Hakurei Turnips – These farm favorites go by several names: salad turnips, Tokyo turnips, and Japanese turnips. They’re called salad turnips because they have a sweet flavor and taste good raw, though they can also cooked (roasted, sautéed, boiled, grilled, steamed, mashed). They have a sweet taste and thin, tender skins; you don’t need to peel. You can use them anywhere you’d use radishes, though they don’t have any of the heat of a radish. Don’t discard the greens; they are tender and soft, with a mild taste. You can cook the greens with the turnips (sautéed, pan-roasted, or oven roasted) or use them raw anywhere you’d use arugula or spinach. To store: remove the greens and store the greens and roots in separate plastic bags in the fridge. The greens will last a week the roots have a much longer shelf-life. Check out the recipes on our website - one CSA member told me she always makes the miso turnip recipe when she gets them in her box.

Melon - You can identify your melon by checking the photos and descriptions on our website. Melon storage depends on the melon type. Most melons can be stored on the counter, or in a cool spot, for a short period of time (a day or two) but we recommend keeping them in the refrigerator for best results. If you don't like eating cold melon, bring them up to room temperature just before eating. Once cut, all melons can 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). Melon juice is a refreshing beverage and you also can freeze cut melon to add to smoothies. We often just cut melons in half and eat them with a spoon, but if you want a recipe, check out our website. 

Okra - Okra is a polarizing vegetable but it’s well loved across the world, including the Capay Valley. We Full Belly folks LOVE okra and are excited to put it in your boxes this week - as is evidenced by an overabundance of ideas below! And it’s not too much - just half a pound. If you’re not a slime lover, definitely roast, grill (add to this pasta salad), or fry your okra. Or quickly sauté your okra on high heat (like in this recipe, this one, or this one). If you don’t mind a little bit of slime, then consider stewing or adding to soups or stews, including gumbo (lots of vegetarian options out there, including this nontraditional lentil one), bamya, or pinakbet. Blanching is also an option - especially common in Japanese recipes like this one. Okra goes SO well with all the other summer produce, especially tomatoes (like in bindi masala, this Egyptian dish, or this Burmese curry), and is a great addition to a succotash. It also goes well with eggplant (a curried stir-fry, caponata, stew, ratatouille, Sichuan stir-fry, or simple sauté, or with onions - sautéed, with spices and lemon, or roasted. It also makes great pickles - fermented or quick pickled (like this recipe or this one are two ideas). Additional cooking tips and recipe ideas here, here, here, and here. Store okra in the refrigerator in a bag in the warmer part of your fridge. Use sooner rather than later! 

Onions