Another week with lots of fun, new summer crops becoming available! You will notice that the limited first tomatoes are in the swap section this week. The plants are not big enough to produce enough for everyone yet (we have to wait closer to the end of July for that) so in the meantime I put what is available in the swap for those eager for tomatoes. I just ask that you limit yourself to one tomato swap so that as many people as possible can enjoy these treats.
The crops have enjoyed some cooler, rainy days and have grown by leaps and bounds this past week. Early July is always a time of major growth in the gardens and things tend to look at their peak right now. Our beets have done particularly well and our first planting needs to be fully removed from the caterpillar tunnel so that I can plant a fall crop of zucchini and cucumbers. So there are lots of beets again this week, although they will be topped. As the beets get bigger and I need to harvest in bulk, I remove the tops to save storage space and because the tops lose their quality quickly. We will have more beets with greens in the near future but for now your beets will come topped. Stock up if you like to put some in the freezer or make pickled beets! I like to roast whole beets, cool, then peel and cube and put in the freezer. I use these pre-roasted beets as topping on salads in the winter or as a quick side dish reheated by quickly sauteing in butter or oil with some garlic and a splash of balsamic vinegar.
I visited Snyder's Heritage Farms this morning so we are fully re-stocked on turkey sausages, ground turkey, and certified organic maple syrup. I also purchased some turkey breakfast sausages as well this time for members to try.
