Patty Pan and Pumpkins are Cousins
Members of the squash family range from big to
small, soft to hard, and almost every color of the rainbow. On the farm, these
cucurbits each have their own quirks. They are all pretty wimpy when it comes
to cold temperatures, high winds and pestilence, but since they are so good, we
grow a lot of them.
Generally, we consider the squashes to be in
one of two groups: soft or hard, which equates with summer or winter varieties.
We start planting the summer varieties—yellow, zucchini and patty pan squash,
along with cucumbers—in May, as soon as we can after all fear of frost is past.
We look at the long-range forecast on the first of May, and sometimes we gamble
a bit and go out early, but when the ground is relatively cold and the nights
get close to frosty, the plants are not happy, so we usually just wait a week
or so and then go with it. Since the seeds are fairly large, we can sow them
directly into the field, either into bare ground that can be mulched with
straw, or sometimes through rows of black plastic mulch, as it warms the soil a
bit. Sometimes we sow the seeds in the greenhouse to produce small transplants
that would be a couple of weeks ahead of direct-seeded plants, but since they
grow fast, they can get too big in just a few days and then have to be planted
by hand. The trick for winter, or hard, squash (spaghetti, acorn, butternut,
buttercup, kabocha, hubbard) is planting them in time for them to reach full
maturity before short days and cold nights start shutting them down. Pumpkin-planting
timing depends on the size of each variety and when you are selling them.
The summer-squash varieties grow relatively
erect, like small bushes, while the winter varieties and cucumbers are viny in
nature. When we grow them without mulch,
we can use tractor-mounted cultivation equipment to control weeds. When the big
leaves of the bushy types are about to brush up against the equipment and
break, we know it's time to stop tilling between the rows. Any additional
weeding will be done by hand. The leaves of the viny types are generally
smaller and lower to the ground, but when the stems start “running” out away
from the plant, we must too stop tilling them, as well.
Plants on plastic have trickle irrigation
available, and bare ground plants may need to be irrigated by the traveler, a
big sprinkler that rolls across the field, watering many rows in one pass.
One trait all cucurbit varieties share is their
male and female flowers. These flowers
are only open one day, and if a pollinator does not carry the pollen of the
male flower to fertilize the female flower, no fruit will develop. For this
reason, our beekeeping partner establishes colonies of hives adjacent to the
squash and melon fields. You can tell the difference between the flower types.
The male flowers are atop a thin stem, while the female flowers are supported
by a shorter, thicker stem that will actually develop into the fruit. When
harvesting squash blossoms to eat, if you only grab males, it should not reduce
harvest yields, but do leave a few for the bees.
The leaves and stems of most of these varieties
have rough protrusions that are scratchy while harvesting but also seem to
repel chewing insects. This doesn't make them immune to pest pressure. In fact,
cucurbits were the last crop for us to certify organic because of the insect
pressure this family of plants attract. The sucking insects can still extend
their proboscis past these structures and suck the juice from the succulent
plants. The spotted and stripped cucumber beetles are rather small, but they
tend to vector diseases into the plants, causing that familiar afternoon
wilting and ultimate death of the plant. We are partnering with University of
Kentucky researchers in evaluating fabric row covers that physically exclude
the various pests but foster healthy plant growth. A small hive of bumble bees
is actually installed under the cover to pollinate the crop.
Join
Mac on a walking tour of the farm to learn about the decisions we make in
growing wholesome food without systemic chemicals. Farming for Health and Flavor
takes place on August 16, 6 to 8 pm. CSA members are free, and others are $10.
Find details and preregister at www.farmingforhealth andflavor.eventbrite.com;
CSA members should call (859-621-0755) to reserve your space on the
tour.
In Your Share
Sweet Basil
Green Cabbage
Sweet Corn
Bell Pepper
Green Onions
Potatoes
Summer Squash
Heirloom Tomatoes
Beets
Garlic
Kale
Recipes
Roasted
Zucchini Burgers, adapted from Half-Baked
Harvest
CSA member Kristin clued us in to this
delicious-sounding recipe.
6 summer squash (mix of zucchini and yellow
squash), cut in 2-in. chunks
1 clove garlic
olive oil
salt & pepper
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
2 c. cooked quinoa
1 ½ c. panko bread crumbs
¼ c. fresh basil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a large, rimmed
baking sheet, toss summer squash and garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast 45-50 minutes, until squash is softened and golden all over, making sure
most of the moisture has been cooked out of the squash. Turn the tray around
halfway through cooking. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Pureé squash and garlic in a food processor. Put in
a large bowl with paprika, cayenne, quinoa, panko and basil. Combine.
Line a baking sheet with parchment. Pat the squash
mixture into 10-12 even-sized patties. The mixture will be sticky, but do your
best to form the patties. Once all the patties have been formed, place them in
the fridge to chill, at least one hour or up to 1 day.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add
about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Once hot, add 2-3 patties at a time
and cook until lightly browned, about 5-8 minutes. Flip and cook another 5-8
minutes or until firm. Serve on a toasted, artisan bun or over a salad.
Garden
Vegetable Panzanella, adapted from Food & Wine
5 c. ½-in. cubes of diced Tuscan bread, crusts
removed
2 T. red wine vinegar
salt & pepper
¼ c. extra-virgin olive oil
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-in. pieces
1 small cucumber—peeled, seeded and cut into
1/2-in. pieces
½ medium bell pepper (red, yellow, green), cut into
1/2-in. strips
1 celery rib, cut into 1/2-in. pieces
3 green onions, thinly sliced
4 oz. button mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
¼ c. torn basil leaves
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spread bread on
a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until dry but not browned. Let cool,
then transfer to a large bowl.
In a small bowl, mix vinegar with 1 teaspoon of
salt until salt dissolves. Slowly whisk in olive oil and pepper.
Dip your fingers in water, and flick them over the
bread several times, tossing it with your hands until lightly moistened. Add
tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, green onions, mushrooms and dressing.
Toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper, garnish with basil, and
serve.
Salsa
Sofrito, adapted from The New York
Times
Ingredient measurements in this quick-and-easy
recipe are left up to your own taste.
roasted peppers (recipe in last week’s CSA
newsletter)
onions, diced
garlic, minced
tomatoes, chopped
sugar
neutral oil
oregano
red-wine vinegar
Sauté chopped, roasted peppers, onions and minced
garlic in a neutral oil until onions are soft. Add chopped tomatoes and a pinch
of sugar. Simmer until the mixture is thick. Stir in oregano and red-wine
vinegar.
Serve over eggs for breakfast, as a taco fixin’ for
lunch, with grilled chicken breast for dinner or with tortilla chips as a
snack.
Garlic
Margherita Chicken and Zucchini, thanks to CSA member Kim for sharing
2 tsp olive, coconut or avocado oil (separated)
2 large garlic cloves, crushed (separated)
1 lb chicken breast, or tenders cut into
1" pieces
Sea salt, to taste
ground black pepper, to taste
1.5 lbs zucchini, cut into half moon shapes
1.5 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup fresh chopped Basil
Parmesan cheese
Preheat
skillet on medium heat add oil to coat. Add garlic and cook for just
10 seconds. Add chicken, sprinkle with
sea salt and pepper to taste. Cook for
8-10 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate and
set aside.
Cook
the zucchini the same way as chicken but for 6 minutes, adding tomatoes during
the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Add chicken back to skillet and stir just
to warm. Remove from heat, sprinkle with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese,
makes 4 to 6 servings.
