You may have noticed that this year a lot of our brassicas are coming to you full of holes. The cabbages last week were pretty small and looked a bit like they had been blasted with buckshot. The leaves of the salad turnips and radishes have holes chewed through them, and the broccoli might be a little more yellow in places. (That doesn’t mean they aren’t delicious!) This is the sign of a pest the entire state has been dealing with this summer: the Flea Beetle.

While our normal run of maintenance spraying of Safer Soap on our brassicas usually takes care of flea beetles, this year in an effort to save our late season brassica harvest, we are bringing in the big guns, Neem Oil, Spinosad, and Pyganic.

Safer soap is an OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) certified insecticidal soap made of plant oils and animal fats that, when sprayed on plants with pests, penetrates the outer shell of specific insect pests and causes dehydration and death. We like Safer Soap because it DOES NOT kill our beneficial insects and it has zero residue. Neem Oil, Spinosad, and Pyganic are also OMRI certified and chemical free, but they are broad spectrum and they are harmful to all insects including the beneficial ones. This is why we really try to avoid using them and we never use them preventatively.  They are only for apocalyptic infections. Which this is.

It is important to clearly state that these organic sprays are not chemicals and can be consumed by people. They are not hard on the ground or surface water, nor the soil, but they are bad for all bugs. And in this case we need something that’s pretty bad for bugs otherwise we’ll be feeling pretty hungry this fall. 

So, a long note to explain why your brassicas especially might be looking a little less wholesome and a little more full of holes, what we are doing about it, and what this might mean for the fall. We are cautiously optimistic about the big guns. We are always optimistic.

Also, a final note that we have mentioned before and it bears remembering now: plant damage and imperfections are about the surest sign you can have that there were no chemicals involved in the growing of your food.

Vegetable CSA Harvest List

Every week, we include this section which includes what we think will be coming out of our fields and hoop houses for Wednesday pick up. Keep in mind, that we send this email on Sunday and we harvest Monday & Tuesday for our Wednesday CSA. Sometimes we are spot on, but other times, we discover that we have more of something else and substitute that.

Our foundation vegetables this week will include: we have decided that choosing foundations by Sunday usually leaves us all disappointed. It is really hard to know until we harvest what we actually have in the fields. Instead, we are pivoting to just making sure that the list is adequate. But, here is a hint, the recipes will usually reflect what we *think* we might have quite a bit of 

Other Vegetable Options will probably include:

Recipe Corner

Every week I try to send along a few recipes that utilize the meats and vegetables in your CSA share. Check out the recipes below for some inspiration!

There are no proportions here, so you are free to season as you desire! The most important step here is planning ahead and letting the zucchini cool fully before pureeing it, giving it a chance to sweat out any excess liquid.

1. Cut zucchini in half or quarters, depending on the size. You want all the zucchini in the pan to be roughly the same size.
2. Steam the zucchini for about 5 minutes, until tender. Transfer to the refrigerator until completely cooled.
3. Purée the zucchini in a food processor. Drizzle in melted lard or olive oil to help the zucchini fully puree.
4. Add your favorite guacamole ingredients — I like onion powder, garlic powder, chopped cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt.
5. If it doesn’t have the right mouthfeel, add additional lard or olive oil (avocados are naturally fatty and zucchinis are not, so this added fat really helps).

***We have experimented in the Farm Kitchen with freezing zuccamole and are quite excited. After defrosting our experimental round, we found that it retained its flavor, color, and texture. Consider putting some of this up in your freezer in pint containers for the is winter! Imagine: mid-winter tacos with fresh and light zuccamole on top! Or nachos. Or chips and salsa. Or enchiladas. Or … you get my drift.***

INGREDIENTS
1 large bunch of chard (any type)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 large cloves of garlic, sliced
½ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 cups cooked farm beans
1 tsp red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash the  chard well and chop the leaves into large pieces, and  the stem into smaller pieces and. Keep them separated.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add  the chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes, making sure it doesn’t burn.
3. Add the chopped chard stems and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently
   Add the leaves, toss well and cook until it starts to wilt about, 6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using).
4. Add the cannellini beans. Gently mix well together and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, until the beans are hot.
5. Add the vinegar and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
6. OPTIONAL: consider adding chopped bacon or ham to this to make it a 1 pot meal.

INGREDIENTS
2 bunches beets (approx 3.5 cups pureed)
4 cups cooked beans
1/2 cup olive oil (or lard, if making them vegetarian isn’t a concern)
1 cup caramelized onions, finely chopped
1 cup corn flour, plus additional for rolling
2 tablespoons chopped herbs
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove the beet stems, peel the beets, cut into chunks. Place them in a food processor and puree until the beets resemble grated beets. Remove the beets to a large bowl.
3. Puree the beans until almost fully pureed. You want to see some bean bits in there, but the mixture can be lightly chunky. Remove the beans to the bowl with the beets.
4. Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
5. Scoop the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls, rolling them with a little corn flour to help them keep their shape.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (we highly recommend that lard you just got in your CSA)
1 small onion, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano (or whatever herb you want: basil, thyme, marjoram, etc.), or 1 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup white wine, or chicken broth
1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 medium summer squash, or zucchini, halved and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and oregano and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add wine (or broth) and bring to a boil. Add green beans, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add summer squash (or zucchini) and tomatoes and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.