Week 11; august 18, 2022

What’s in the box?

sweet corn
bell peppers
tomatoes
cucumbers
cilantro
parsley
onions
beets
broccoli (some smalls got cantaloupe instead or broccoli)
zucchini (large)
lettuce (large and medium)
beans(large and medium)

Notes on the box

This is the last of the sweet corn! If you’d like to save some for later, you can cut it off the cob and put it in a freezer bag and freeze it for later. No need for blanching.
If you are eating tomatoes fresh, store them on the counter with the stem end down (placed upside down on their shoulders which are firmer than their bottoms). If you are cooking with tomatoes, they are fine to place in the fridge. The fridge will affect the texture of the tomatoes and make them mealy. Not a big deal if you cook them, though.

Cosmic Wheel Creamery cheese shares

This week is fresh cheese curds and Moonglow. I love to have a veggie soup or chili and add some cheese curds in the bowl as a tasty semi melty garnish. Moonglow is similar to a gruyere style cheese. I like it shredded on a veggie frittata or on roasted broccoli. Or just a nice piece eaten as a snack while cooking dinner.

Recipes

Chimichurri made from your parsley and cillantro. A favorite on grilled meats or grilled zucchini or sweet corn!

Green Bean and Corn Almondine

on the farm

We are hitting that time of year where we watch the flowers turn into seed heads and see the fruits ripen more and more. Zucchini is mercifully winding down. We are planting more lettuces again and things that don’t need to be heat tolerant. The days are getting noticeably shorter, and we are getting the kids their back to school haircuts and new shoes. There’s still a lot of growing going on, but we are noticing the shift in the rhythm and feel of the days. Enjoying every bit of the Summer, for sure though!

Turnip Rock FarmerComment
week 10; august 11, 2022

What’s in the box?

Tomatoes! (Medium and large shares)
Bell peppers
Sweet corn
Watermelon or cantaloupe
Green beans
Onions
Celery
Zucchini
Cucumbers
Broccoli (medium and large)
leeks (large)

Notes on the box.

Keep your sweet corn in the fridge.

Tomatoes should be stored on the counter if you are planning to eat them fresh. If you plan on cooking with them, you can keep them in the fridge until you get to them.

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese.

This week I included our Circle of the Sun cheese aged 3 months and then aged over a year. It’s really fun to taste the same cheese side by side to see how the aging process changes the cheese. Circle of the Sun is an original cheese to our farm. It’s my favorite to eat and to make! I think that it best highlights the qualities of the milk and the pastures that the cows are grazing.

Recipes.

Smashed Cucumber Salad from Milk Street. Ben made this for lunch last week and it was SO yummy!

Classic Three Bean Salad Recipe

On the Farm.

BAM! summertime has hit the box in a big way. We have successfully deterred the raccoons from the sweet corn and we had some nice rain to fill out those kernels, so it’s finally to the size and quantity that we aim for. Hooray!
We are super excited about the launch of the St. Croix Valley Food Alliance! With a goal of strengthening and promoting a thriving, resilient, and equitable local food economy in the St. Croix River Valley. We are just getting started, but last night we went to the launch party hosted by Community Homestead that included great food, some new and familiar faces, and ideas being shared. It was a fun time, but a late night for us! I’ll share the sweet video that was made on a future newsletter.
Other than that, we are enjoying the abundance of Summertime! Otto and Sadie are at Farmers Union Camp this week, so it’s a little quieter here for the next few days!
Many thanks!

Next Week

last round of corn
broccoli
head lettuce
cillantro
parsley
peppers?
tomatoes
carrots or beets?
onions

Turnip Rock FarmerComment
Week 9; August 4, 2022

What’s in the box?

green top beets
carrots (medium and small)
celery
cantaloupe
watermelon (large)
garlic
sweet onions
sweet corn
cucumbers
zucchini
tomatoes (large)
kale
broccoli (some medium shares)

Notes on the box.

You can store your cantaloupe in the fridge until you are ready to eat it. When you want to eat it, you can have it cold, but if you let it come to room temp, more sweetness and the lovely floral flavors of the melon will come through more.
Remove tops of beets for storage. They are edible and you can prepare them the same as you would swiss chard or kale.
Store sweet corn in the fridge. The sooner you eat it, the better it will taste.
So happy to have more of this delicious celery. It’s got so much flavor. It’s best minced in your favorite salad or put into a mirepoix for your favorite sauce or soup.
The Garlic isn’t cured yet, but it’s quite yummy! It won’t store for a very long time like cured garlic will, but it will last for several weeks if you are slow at eating garlic.
The onions are sweet onions and great for salads or a big slice on a burger.

Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese.

This week we have fresh whole milk ricotta and our cows milk manchego, Antares. The ricotta should keep in your fridge for a solid week. You can go sweet with it by adding honey and roasted nuts or making ricotta pancakes, or you can go savory and have it in a pasta with zucchini, olive oil, and lemon juice. The Antares is a really popular one at market that has a strong finish that really lingers. It’s nice paired with roasted beets or kale or your favorite beverage.
Cheese next week will likely be two aged cheeses of the same variety but different ages to highlight the effect of the aging process.

Recipes.

Beet Ricotta Dip
Scrub and roast or steam several small or a couple large beets until tender. Allow to cool. Put beets and 1cup of ricotta, juice of one lemon, and a drizzle of oilve oil into food processor until smooth. Salt to taste. Garnish with lemon zest, a small scoop of ricotta, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with crackers, bread, or veggies to dip. A beautiful dip for a summer gathering!

Ants on a Log Celery Salad - a must try!

On the Farm.

This week was garlic harvest week on the farm. And the notable fruits of summer are coming on. Cantaloupe! Watermelon! Field Tomatoes are coming! Having some nice weather, but could use some rain to help things fill out. We are irrigating, but irrigation is never as good as rain. Enjoy your cantaloupe!

Next Week

more broccoli
beans
melons
celery
corn
green peppers?
tomatoes ?