9/11/24 - Meet your farmer: Sean

It’s been a busy last week as we are planting out more and more fall and winter crops. The farm looks stunning right now. We are highlighting another of our fabulous farmers that keeps this place rockin’ this week, Sean.

Sean has been farming with us for one and a half years now and that’s just some of his farming, he worked at a larger scale, organic farms in Connecticut & Pennsylvania for three years before joining us. Actually, we offered him a position after two years, and he deferred to stay closer to his girlfriend who was finishing nursing school. The next year, we offered him a job again and thankfully he accepted. They both moved out here & she works at Sutter Hospital.

Sean took on many higher level responsibilities quickly on the farm from being the restaurant liaison, managing irrigation, and managing our compost piles. He has produced the most beautiful compost we’ve had in years with his thoughtful love of soil. Sean has recently taken on the position of Harvest Manager. He makes the first call on what will go into your CSA box, manages the harvest and many other aspects of the farm. Sean has loved connecting with many of you and has been our primary vendor at the Santa Rosa Luther Burbank Farmers’ Market where the community loves him.

Sean also enjoys educating and has been working alongside Elizabeth in many of our education ventures this year and led his own tours and groups. In fact he loves sharing about the outdoors and nature. Prior to farming he was an outdoor educator for several year for teens and adults.

Outside of work, Sean stays active, whether that means playing pick up basketball with the farm crew or heading to the climbing gym. He is a cornerstone of the farm trivia team: Farmer Booty, bringing a wide range of useless knowledge every week. For many of us, we are in Eggplant and Tomato season. For Sean, it is college football season. Go Longhorns! Sean’s youthful energy and kind nature makes him a valuable friend and co-worker, who always loves a good laugh .

Coming out to the Farm

We’re continuing to look for ways to get you out to the farm this late summer. This week and next we’re offering Farm Walks Wednesday at 2pm and 5pm with Farmer Elizabeth and crew.

Come and see the beauty of the fields and also pick a few cherry tomatoes, sunflowers and other goodies.

Please give us feedback on if you like these and if there would be a better time. What if we held a standing First Wednesday of the Month Farm Walk?

Always, if you want to pick up your CSA box on the farm… email or text Elizabeth and we’ll leave it here for you.

Send our baskets back

Please send our boxes and baskets back to us… especially the green pulp boxes that have tomatoes in them. We use these to protect the tomatoes. Not only do we want to reduce packaging but right now our suppliers are out!

Also send back pint baskets we send Strawberries, Cherry Tomatoes and Shishitos in if they are clean.

Produce Notes & Recipes

This Week’s Box

Red Butter Lettuce

Mixed Tomato Quarts

Shishito Peppers (SR) OR Cherry Tomatoes (WC)

Eggplant (SR) OR Summer Squash (WC)

Basil (SR) OR Parsley (WC)

Strawberries (SR) OR Mixed Pears (WC)

Family: Red Cabbage & Corn

We had a change in the boxes this week from our “Anticipated Harvest” as we realized the Peppers are suddenly coming on more slowly AND we have a plethora of Pears that need to start going out to you. It became a little confusing so we broke up the box to Santa Rosa and West County.

Those in Santa Rosa are getting Shishito Peppers. We’ve given a few ideas around blistered Peppers, and although this is certainly yummy, you can use other ways too (although honestly most of these are blistered first):

• Add raw to salsa (great in a tropical salsa with mango, red onion, lime juice and cilantro);

• Shishito Pepper Pesto - either blister first or use raw, it adds a little heat to pesto;

• Add roasted or blistered shishitos to hummus for a smoky and spicy flavor;

• Blistered shishitos and green beans on toast;

• Add to a stir-fry (I saw one recipe for shishito, eggplant and shrimp stir-fry);

• Add to a curry;

• Tempura fried shishitos;

• There is a viral Spicy Corn and Shishito Salad that I’ve been wanting to try.

The Eggplant continue to roll in. Here’s a different idea:

Eggplant Grilled Cheese (CSA Member Ashley)

She says: This is easy and delicious.  My kids love it!

• Eggplant sliced in 1/8 - 1/4" slices - 2 per serving

• Olive Oil

• Salt and Pepper

• Cheese of choice - my favorites are Harvarti, Petaluma Creamery's Pesto Jack, Mozzarella 

• Prosciutto - usually two per serving

• Heirloom Tomato  - sliced - 1 per serving 

• Basil

1. Slice the eggplant.

2. Generously pour on olive oil and rub into the eggplant.  Thoroughly coating both sides.  Sprinkle some salt and pepper to both sides.

3. Heat grill - I use medium heat. Place all eggplant slices on grill and grill for about 5 minutes.  Flip all slices and grill for about 5 minutes.

4. Flip half of the slices and layer toppings - prociutto, tomato, basil, and cheese.  then top with remaining slices of eggplant.

5: Remove from grill when cheese is melted.

Did you over cook the eggplant?  No problem!  Put toppings on all slices and the eggplant will be malleable.  Fold into a taco and enjoy.

Hopefully you’re having fun with the different Heirloom Tomato varieties. If you have a favorite, let us know. We love the big orange ones, but also this year the little plain red slicers have been amazing. If you want a reminder of the varieties… look back to the emailed 8/7/24 newsletter.

The Tomatoes and so much more (Peppers, Dahlias…) are slowing down as we are having shorter and shorter days and they can feel that. We have had frost as early as September 5th, albeit the last three years it’s been in October (warming times). Frost can put a hard stop to all of those fruits so enjoy them now! We still have extra bulk boxes but shortly, we may decide to take out some of the rows of less abundant tomatoes to make way for winter crops.

Kebab Veggie Ideas

I like to cook them quickly and have small bite sized pieces so I cut everything to 1 inch squares. I add:

• summer squash (some folks like to par boil if you use bigger pieces so it gets done as thoroughly as the thinner veggies, I just cut ½ inch thick rounds)

• peppers

• sweet onion

• mushrooms - trumpet royales are my favorite here

• cherry tomatoes

• chicken, beef, lamb or baked tofu

I like to marinade it a little before grilling, especially if it includes chicken. I do something simple like tamari, apple juice and olive oil. Here is an idea for a herb and garlic marinade:

½ c olive oil ½ c lemon or lime juice

¼ c water ¼ c Dijon mustard

2 Tbs maple syrup 2 Tbs minced garlic

2 Tbs chopped basil leaves ½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Now grill, 5 min per side on medium and they’re fantastic! (Kid pleasers too!)

Grilled Summer Squash with Olives, Parsley and Lemon

4 medium squash, sliced into 1/2" thick disks or quartered, lengthwise

Olive oil, for brushing zucchini

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbs juice and 1 tsp zest from one lemon

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

3 Tbs black olives, preferably oil-cured, pitted and sliced in half

• Preheat grill 5-10 minutes, clean and oil grilling grate.

• Using a pastry brush, brush summer squash with olive oil on both sides, and season to taste with salt and pepper. When grill is hot, add zucchini slices and cook, covered, until zucchini is well-browned on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip slices and cook, covered, until zucchini is well-browned and tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer squash to a serving platter.

• Squeeze lemon juice and drizzle olive oil over zucchini. Sprinkle on olives, parsley and lemon zest and serve immediately.