9/18/24 - Autumn is in the Air
Happy Autumnal Equinox! This weekend is the Autumnal Equinox, a very important milestone in our farming calendar…
…. and according to the calendar it will then officially be Autumn, although we consider the Autumn Equinox really the middle of the autumn season. This is the end of the season of harvesting the big tropical fruits (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers), and the beginning of fall crops. We harvested our first Winter Squash and set them to curing in the barn last week: first Red Kuri and next Delicata! And we took out our first bed of tomatoes Monday, red slicers, and replaced with a new planting of Rainbow Kale that will take us well into 2025! As an early crop of Basil is coming out of the hoop house, we’re seeding Spinach and January carrots!
We can really feel the shortening day lengths. As a crew we’re often noting, is it us or are fruits & flowers suddenly coming on more slowly. Yes, the dahlias and rudbeckia are coming on more slowly but so are the peppers, tomatoes and more.
This is always an extremely full time of year as we are at high levels of harvest while simultaneously also getting the last of our large winter crops in the ground. Last week we finished getting our heading Brassicas (Broccoli, Cauliflower) in the ground with a few more Cabbage and Kohlrabi to go! This is a race against day length, not temperature, so it’s a hard date based on Earth’s path around the sun. From just before Equinox, any large Brassicas we plant will fail. If it’s a drought year (ie fewer clouds and more sun) those planted until September 15th may come to fruition. If it’s a cloudy (and hopefully rainy) winter, then they will not have enough sunlight to overwinter. Currently long-term forecasts and the Farmers’ Almanac are calling for another wet winter.
Additionally, this week is usually the date of our first killing frost… that said, the last three years it’s been well into October. We’ll see what this year brings!
Announcing First Wednesdays Farm Walks
We really enjoyed getting several of you out to the farm last Wednesday and are looking forward to today. Last week we had several families with young kids enjoy strawberries while adults and older kids enjoyed picking dahlias, celosia and other flowers.
We’re going to continue this in an effort to offer you a more intimate glimpse into the farm. Each month, as the seasons progress, will have something new. So October 2nd might have the ability to harvest and take home some Winter Squash from the fields.
Since this is new we may be tweaking the timing. Please give feedback.
Soil & Health Forum
This Saturday is the Soil & Health Forum at Tara Firma Farms. Elizabeth will be presenting at 11am after Anne Biklé who wrote What Your Food Ate based on research she and others did on nutrient density in regenerative soils including ours (check out page on our website).
Tara Firma says The Soil and Health Forum is designed to further the discussion on healing the planet and its inhabitants, both present and future. The Soil and Health was a book that was published in 1947 by Albert Howard who studied the relationship between animal health (yes that includes us!) and the soil as he observed traditional Organic agriculture systems in India. We simply couldn’t imagine a better name or inspiration than one of the true pioneers of Organic/regenerative agriculture.
Soil and Health will be a place for people to meet in community, nature and learn from each other. This year will be an action packed one day event as well as an online event live-streamed from the barn. Camping spots are available and Organic meals prepared from our produce will be provided. We hope you can join us for the day and network with our community.
Produce Notes & Recipes
This Week’s Box
Panisse Lettuce
Mixed Tomato Quarts
Cherry Tomatoes (SR) OR Shishito Peppers (WC)
Summer Squash (SR) OR Eggplant (WC)
Asian Pears (SR) OR Strawberries (WC)
Surprise Herb: Dill, Cilantro or Basil
Family: Red Cabbage & Corn
As summer is still in full swing, there’s not much that’s new in the box until frost. We’re just continuing to roll with the summer fruits so we’re throwing in a couple new ideas for Eggplant, Summer Squash and Tomatoes.
Herb Surprise: We kept hoping to do a bigger rotation of Dill and Cilantro but the plants just are petering out…. So we wanted to get some of them out to you. About 1/3 of you have Dill or Cilantro. Everyone else has a first cut on a new bed of Genovese Basil.
All pears for Santa Rosa boxes are Hosui Asian Pears this week. When we first moved on the property we had a mini orchard of many a variety of pear and apple and Hosui was our favorite so over the last few years we’ve planted many a Hosui tree. They are still young but have some great fruit. These are amazing eaten plain or sliced onto salads or with cheese.
Eggplant Caprese with Grilled Tomato & Basil Vinaigrette (via past CSA Member Torina Feyh from epicurious.com)
On the Grill:
1-2 eggplants, trimmed, cut crosswise into ½” rounds
olive oil
1 large tomato (about 4 oz)
For the Dish:
⅓ c chopped fresh basil plus sprigs for garnish
1 Tbs white wine vinegar
¼ c olive oil
2 (7-8 oz) balls fresh or buffalo mozzarella cheese, drained, thinly sliced
2 pounds (about 4 lg) heirloom tomatoes (preferably assorted colors), thinly sliced
Prepare barbecue (med heat). Arrange eggplant slices on baking sheet. Brush both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until slightly charred and tender, turning occasionally and moving to cook evenly, about 5 minutes. Transfer to foil-lined baking sheet. Grill plum tomato until skin is charred and split, turning often, about 5 min. Transfer to sheet with eggplant and cool.
Core plum tomato; place in blender. Add chopped basil, vinegar and ¼ c oil. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl.
Note: Eggplant and dressing can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temp.
Overlap eggplant slices, cheese slices, and heirloom tomato slices on individual plates or large platter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle salad with dressing and garnish with basil sprigs.
Tornia says it’s nice with grilled bread: Take good bread, grill, brush with olive oil and rub with garlic clove, and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Summer Squash Vegan Tacos (HolaJalepeno)
3 Tbs olive oil
1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb mixed summer squash, quartered and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 tsp ground cumin
10-12 corn tortillas
Pico de Gallo , for serving
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
Sauté onion and garlic. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering add onion and garlic and season with salt. Cook until just starting to brown.
Char summer squash. Add squash mix with the onions and garlic and then let cook undisturbed until squash is browned in a few spots on the side that is touching the pan. Stir and char on the other side. Stir in cumin and season again with salt.
Warm tortillas. Meanwhile, heat a dry medium frying pan over medium heat. Once warm, add tortillas one at a time, toasting lightly on both sides. Transfer tortillas to a clean kitchen towel or tortillero to keep warm.
Serve. Once squash is nicely browned, stir in cilantro. Taste and add more salt if needed. Transfer to a warm bowl and serve with tortillas and pico de gallo.
Notes
Make-ahead: This summer squash filling is best eaten right away but any leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stove top until warm.
Summer squash: Use zucchini, yellow squash, patty pan squash or a combination. Look for small to medium-sized firm squash for the best flavor.
Pico de gallo: Make homemade or swap for your favorite store-bought salsa.
Charring the squash: Don't be afraid to use high heat and keep the stirring to a minimum when charring the squash. You want it to be nicely browned on the outside but still have some bite.
Families this week have Broccolini and Toscano Kale.
A last reminder to keep sending your packaging such as pint and quart boxes back to us and to leave your boxes at your pick up sites.