It’s week 10 and we are beginning to see a convergence of the seasons not only on the farm, but in the shares as well. Squash in August? I guess so! Our warehouse is a funny site to see right now with tomatoes and watermelon on one end of the building, winter squash on the other end, apple inventory beginning to build, and coolers filled with the summer’s bounty of cucumbers, zucchini, sweet corn and more. Pumpkins are on the list to harvest later this week, and that is just bizarre to me.

 

As we began talking about pumpkin harvest yesterday, I made sure to remind our crews that the parking lot cannot be transitioned to a fall staging area until after the State Fair. We have too many wagons of sweet corn coming back to our warehouse from the field over the next few weeks that the lot needs to remain open and easily accessible for the crews to bring the corn back, unload, and get it placed in the coolers to keep it fresh. So, we shall see how long my reminder lasts because sooner rather than later, our large open parking lot becomes a staging area for pumpkins, squash, and other fall items as our warehouse is full of summer produce at this time. It’s really crazy to think the seasonal transition has official begun around here.

 

Let’s jump into the shares this week:

Sweet Corn: The best of the best is here for you all this week. I had the opportunity to have this for dinner on Monday night and it was delicious. Turns out that growing up on a farm and having to try hundreds of varieties of sweet corn throughout my life, I’m a bit picky when it comes to corn. In my honest opinion, this is the best corn of the season. If I were you, I’d keep it simple this week: boil it and enjoy it with a little bit of butter and salt. Heck, I don’t even know if you need the butter and salt the flavor was so delicious. Add a BLT on the side and you’ve got yourself the perfect summertime dinner.

 

Roma Tomatoes: Chopped up and mixed with some chopped onions, fresh cilantro, a bit of lime juice, and a can of black beans gives you an excellent salsa to enjoy with some chips or tacos this week. This is a great option if you are entertaining and need a little appetizer before the main meal is ready. Quick and easy, but full of flavor, you can’t go wrong.

 

Grape Tomatoes: The plan for my grape tomatoes this week is to roast them alongside broccoli and serve with some fish or chicken for dinner. Simply toss the broccoli and grape tomatoes in some olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

 

Broccoli: If roasted broccoli isn’t your jam, cut it up and enjoy it raw as an afternoon snack with some fresh carrots and maybe some hummus or ranch.

 

Carrots: I like to peel mine as soon as I get them home to ensure I use them that week. Sometimes I will even roast them right away and toss them into a container in the refrigerator so I can just grab them for lunch as I’m running out the door in the morning. Again, if you don’t feel like turning on the oven with these hot temps, enjoy them raw as a mid-day snack.

 

Onions: I love the size of the onions right now. The small ones make it so easy to use the entire onion up without having to store it in the refrigerator. Chopped and added to some fresh salsa will be the plan for the yellow onions, while the red onion will probably be added to a BBQ Chicken pizza this coming weekend. Give this recipe a try if you’re looking for something delicious. And no, I don’t make my own crust at this time of year, the crust from the can works just fine for this recipe.

 

Canary Melon: I like to cut it up as soon as I get it home and enjoy it for dessert or even for breakfast with a little bit of cottage cheese.

 

Potatoes: This past weekend I was away and made my first foil packed potatoes of the summer. They were delicious, so I think I might have to do that again. Chop the potatoes, add some chopped onions, a few small pads of butter, sprinkle of salt and better, and wrap in foil. I recommend making the packets smaller in size as they cook faster. Place them on the grill and cook until potatoes are soft, typically 30-45 minutes. I served them alongside brats and burgers, but really you can add them to just about any meal.

 

Spaghetti Squash: I will admit it, I think it’s a bit early for winter squash, but as we have learned, we have no control over the ripening of crops, so I guess squash season has begun. This will store for 3-4 weeks if you aren’t quite ready to enjoy it, leave it in a cool and dry place until you’re ready to cook it. I like to use it as a pasta substitute, so I bake it face down and then serve with some spaghetti squash and a bit of mozzarella or parmesan cheese. You can turn the squash into pizza boats or a casserole as well. Be creative and try something new!

 

There you have it, some ideas to help you cook your way through the box this week. Do your best and try to stay cool over these next few days. I know it’s not officially fall, but with the State Fair starting this week, I keep reminding myself to soak up every ounce of summer we have left. These next two weeks are a bit crazy around the farm as we basically turn into a 24-hour operation as we accommodate the fair and deliver at midnight, but it’s what we do, and we somehow get it done. We are truly blessed to have the incredible team that we do, they are simply the best.

 

Until next week,

Jenna