When we are making decisions about
how much of each type of vegetable to grow, to offer you a season long ‘share’
of produce, a lot of thought and energy goes into selecting the best varieties
or cultivars of each crop. There are thousands of varieties of sweet corn,
tomatoes, and peppers. Not so much for okra or kohlrabi. We must source organic
seeds if the varieties we like are available. If they are not commercially
available, then our certifier will allow us to use seeds that have not been
treated with a fungicide/ insecticide or are produced through genetic
engineering techniques. (There is a tremendous amount of scrutiny about this
issue during our annual organic certification review process.) This also limits
our selection, but organic seed companies contract with organic farmers around
the country to produce the seeds, so supply is slowly growing each year, but we
still have to get our orders in early each spring to secure the varieties that
suite both you the customer, and us the farmers.
The varieties of vegetables you find
at the super market are selected by the produce distributor that has a contract
to supply retailers and food service processors. They have been actively
selecting varieties that hold up well to shipping and long shelf life. Genetic
engineering has been performed on many of these as a way to fix the shelf life
issue, or be sure there is no trace of insects on the product, but they do not
have to tell you that. Not only do they select varieties for looks not taste,
the farmers that grow them can only sell the portion of the crop that meets the
strict size and shape criteria set by those distributors. This means a high
percentage of the crop is wasted because it does not meet specifications.
So, we have our old standby
varieties that we know perform well for us in the field and you in your
kitchen. Some taste great but they have a low germination rate, produce low
yields, may have inconsistent maturity patterns, or one of a whole host of
production considerations we must take into account. Some meet our production
standards but get low ratings in the kitchen for taste, color, size and the
like. Each year we try some new ones to see how well they grow in our soils and
climate with our system, and how well they taste. We are fortunate to have
friends around the country that have a similar philosophy on variety selection
and we compare notes with them at the winter conferences we try to attend,
during the ‘meeting season’.
It is generally known that varieties
that do well in the Deep South are not the same ones that do well in the upper
Mid-West. Here in Scott County, Central Kentucky, we can have a spell during
the growing season that resembles the South, hot and humid. We can also have
spells that are similar to the upper Mid-West, cool and rainy, often in the
same month. This presents a unique challenge to our selection process, and is
one reason we try a small amount of a few new ones each year, looking for that
new ‘old standby’.
Sweet corn is particularly problematic
as there are not a lot of organic seed varieties available. Those that are, are proving to be
inconsistent from year to year in growth habit and vigor. Most conventionally grown corn seed is
encased in a fungicide coating that prevents the tender seed from rotting when
the soil temperature is much-lower-than-ideal in early spring. It also discourages insects, grubs and worms
from feasting on the seeds. Treated seed
allows corn to get an early start resulting in sweet corn ready in late June or
early July. Organic seed corn is
untreated and needs a warm-enough soil temperature to get a good start, so you
won’t see it as soon as the conventionally grown.
This season has offered good
conditions for spring crops such as lettuces, leafy greens, root crops, and
cabbages. Frequent rainfall makes all
the difference compared to one year ago when we had record-breaking
temperatures in the 100°s, and had already set up irrigation pumps, pipes, guns
and hoses in May. Rainy conditions do
present a challenge in keeping pea pods and green beans clear of
discoloration. We don’t want to harvest
either one while they are wet, as they will ‘rust’. Rain splashes soil up onto the pods or beans,
and washing them after harvest also results in ‘rusting’ a few days later. This discoloration does not affect flavor or
freshness, but does affect appearance.
Sometimes we do need to harvest for you in the wet conditions, though. Tomatoes are slow to ripen this season as
they prefer days of sunshine over clouds, but we see lots of blooms, and many
green tomatoes, so they are not too far away.
Blackberries are loaded and usually start turning in mid-July; garlic,
onions, peppers and potatoes look good and we’ll be harvesting them over the
next few weeks.
It is necessary to begin thinking
about fall crops. We have already
planted sweet potatoes and winter squashes, along with heirloom corn for
meal. Lots more still to come!
In Your Share
Beets – organic
Broccoli – organic
Cucumbers
Green Beans - organic
Lettuce – organic
Summer Squash Medley
Collard Greens – organic
Purple Top White Turnips -
organic
Recipes to Enjoy
Toasted Zucchini Rounds, thanks to a friend of the farm for
sharing this recipe, makes a great appetizer or healthy snack.
1 lb zucchini or squash (about 2 medium)
1/4 C shredded Parmesan (heaping)
1/4 C Panko bread crumbs (heaping)
1 T olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with foil and spray
with cooking spray. Slice zucchini or squash into 1/4 inch thick rounds.
Toss rounds with oil, coating well.
In a wide bowl or plate combine Panko,
Parmesan, salt & pepper. Place rounds in Parmesan mix coating both
sides, pressing to adhere. The mix will
not completely cover each round, but provides light coating on each side.
Place rounds on a single layer on baking
sheets. Sprinkle any remaining Panko mix over rounds. Bake for about 22 to
27 minutes until golden brown. There is
no need to flip them during baking -- they crisp up on both sides.
Summer Squash Enchiladas, thanks
to a CSA member for sharing this recipe.
You can use salsa verde in place of enchilada sauce for a different
flavor direction. Serves 4.
12 corn tortillas
1 sm onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 C cooked black beans
1 T chopped fresh thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin powder
crushed chile flakes to taste
1 T olive oil
salt to taste
4 C chopped summer squash
1 jar enchilada sauce
Prepare the black bean and summer squash filling: Saute
half of a chopped onion and two minced cloves of garlic in 1 T olive oil over
low-medium heat. When the onions are tender, add the squash, salt and cook uncovered
until squash turns tender and barely starts to fall apart (10 minutes or so).
Add rinsed black beans and mix well. Let cook for a few more minutes. Remove
from heat and add cumin powder, fresh thyme and chili flakes. Mix well and
remove the filling to a serving bowl.
Preheat the oven to 375-380F. Lightly brush a rectangular
glass baking dish with oil spray. Warm
up the corn tortillas one by one. Take one tortilla. Add a tablespoon of the
filling in the center. Spread the filling vertically. Roll up the tortilla,
tuck it well and place in the baking dish. Repeat the process with each of the
12 tortillas. Spread sauce over the
tortillas. Spread cheese over the sauce. Bake for 15 minutes or so until the
cheese is melted. Serve warm with guacamole or sour cream and/or fresh cilantro.
Shredded Root Vegetable Pancake, adapted from Eating Well
1-2
large eggs, lightly beaten
¼ C
whole-wheat flour
3 T
chopped scallions or onions
1 T
chopped fresh dill or other favorite herb
1 T
prepared horseradish
½ tsp
salt
¼
tsp freshly ground pepper
4 C
assorted root vegetables, peeled and shredded (about 1 ½ lb), can use beet,
radish, carrot, turnip, parsnip, potato, kohlrabi or whatever root veggies you
happen to have
2
slices cooked bacon, crumbled (optional)
oil
sour
cream or yogurt, for garnish
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Whisk
egg, flour, scallions, herb, horseradish, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in vegetables and bacon (if using).
Brush
a pancake griddle, or heavy skillet with cooking oil, and heat. Place
about ¼ C vegetable mixture on the surface and press with the back of a spatula
to flatten into a 2- to 3-inch pancake.
Cook until crispy and golden, 1½ to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pancakes to the prepared baking
sheet. Continue with 2 more batches,
using the remaining oil and vegetable mixture.
Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until
done. Serve garnished with sour cream,
if desired.
Quick
ways to serve green beans from the Lexington Herald Leader:
Roasted
green beans and pecans:
Toss green beans and pecans with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400
degrees, tossing once, until beans are tender, about 12 minutes.
Green
beans with creamy basil dip: Blanch
green beans and serve with a mixture of pesto and mayonnaise.
Lemony
tuna and green bean salad: Chop
blanched green beans and olives. Combine with canned tuna, olive oil, fresh
lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Green
bean, tomato and bacon salad: Cook
sliced garlic in olive oil until golden. Toss with steamed green beans, halved
cherry tomatoes and cooked bacon.
Grilled
Cajun green beans: Toss
green beans with Cajun seasoning and a touch of olive oil. Grill over
medium-high heat until tender, 4 minutes.
Green
bean and feta relish: Chop
raw green beans and red onion. Mix with crumbled feta and red wine vinaigrette.
Serve over grilled meat or seafood.
Easy
pickled green beans: Save
a pickle jar and the brine, and fill with green beans. Let marinate at least a
day and as long as a week before serving.
Spicy
Asian green beans:
Toss steamed green beans with soy sauce and chili-garlic sauce (found in the
international aisle in most supermarkets).
