#11

Bella Dulce melon, a few weeks from harvest.

Arava melon one week from harvest.

       Im not sure if you were as disappointed by last weeks box as I was. my apologies if you were. I am sensitive to variety and felt that lacking last week. I am also a fan of novelty and to have nothing new on the menu left me a little sour.  So I am excited to tell you that there are some new items this week and on the horizon...but first... Have you see any of the perseid meteor shower? A good excuse to "space out" after the sun goes down, make a wish on  a shooting star... Everything under the sun is growing well but intense solar heat has put a hurtin on the crops. causing wilting, flower/fruit drop, leaf  burns, sunburn on fruits and has been challenging our farmers as well. Throw in a few fires erupting this weekend and sheesh! what a week.  the local radio station has done a nice job keeping the community informed and up to date on road closure, evacuation zones and where to go for food and shelter. The theme of crisis bringing folks together has come up. Its true. the urgency and necessity for support and interdependent community  is strong in emergency situations. sometimes stressful times can wear our protective barriers thin and we may rub eachother the wrong way while sometimes we let these barriers down by choice when times get tough and we pull together and realize our vulnerability and humanity and generosity takes over. I hope you all enjoy this weeks installment and share a meal with friends for goodness sake.

and on the virtues of patience...
come on melons! dont make us wait so long. the anticipation for melons is high right now. a good handfull are changing color but wont be ready this morn. ahh! next week expect the tropical flavored green fleshed  arava!
the soybeans and garbanzo beans are setting more fruit and looks like next week for them too. woohoo.

Asian Cucumber:Leonardis Organics. delicious thin skinned asian cucumber. satsuki madori. Jim has grown superior cucumbers. Jim was featured in the CAFF e newsletter this month and briefly mentioned us and our working together, thanks Jim and congrats. 

Sungold cherry tomatoes: BioFarm. The best tasting cherry tomato out there! very sweet flavor. bright tangerine orange color. Judith grows the best cherry tomatoes.

Italian Eggplant: BioFarm. Large dark purple glossy skin.  I was hoping to bring you the Listada de Gandia or the Rosa Bianca from our farm, but the squirrels and quail have been at it again, poking and chewing holes into these beauts. A barrier of some sort is needed if we are to enjoy these in the coming weeks. For now we can enjoy these beauts from Biofarm. Judith has been dealing with a lot of squirrel pressure as well this year and suggested the fence idea as well as getting a .22 rifle. I think with the increased extreme weather  we are seeing increased pressure from our furry friends looking for a meal in hard times.

Armenian Cukes: Full Moon. standing up to the heat like champs. thick skin to stay crunchy and ornate seed cavity to delight the eyes. in fact feeling hot or irritated? cut a couple cuke circles place them over your eyes for a minute and tell me you dont feel better. great chopped up in  a salad, juiced! (big hit this week-super hydrating, cooling and alkalizing). check the recipes from july 30 post. actually makes a great pickle too.

Jericho Romaine: Love Farm. Gadzooks. the fantastic romaine showing his/her head in this weeks box. a surprise delivery of Pineapple Tomatoes from Teale this week in your tomato bag.Teale tells me peaches will be coming soon. yippee!

Red slicer tomatoes:  Full Moon. Oregon Spring Bush is the name of these red tomato. Known for its sweet, juicy flesh, this is the premier early- season variety for areas with cool summer nights. and cool nights we do. this week for instance we topped out at 106.4 F in the early afternoon and before sunrise drop  to 48 F. this can throw summer crops off. off flavors, off ripening times, off mineral absorption. 
a nice plant canopy can hold radiating and stored heat off the soil and bear the less than perfect temp patterns. we irrigate regularly to establish deep roots vigorous and lush greenery, ample flower production and hopefully fruit set and once fruits begin to ripen we reduce water to develop stronger flavor.

Onion: Full Moon. harvested cured and ready for seasoning your meals. In  haste I trimmed some tops that were still green and not fully cured, if you find green rings at the top of the onion, either keep in fridge or use first as it will lose moisture quickly.

Dill: Full Moon. the Modern Herbal says:"... Dill possess stimulant, aromatic, carminative and stomachic properties." In laymens terms that means benefits the stomach, apetite, digestion and related gas. enjoy with easy confidence! make a sauce or dressing and garnish a bean dish, fish,  tofu or any meal. It is said that the oils are strongest before flowering, hence the tall stalks and prepubescent flower heads. heres more recipe ideas than one might try to shake a stick at. the champagne dill carrots sound good