CSA Week 13: October 1 Farm Event!
Farm Share Newsletter - September 3, 2023
Housekeeping
Mark your calendars!
We will be having a CSA members appreciation event at our farm on October 1. We'll be sending out a formal invite soon, but if you're already pretty sure you'll be there, send us an email at tiantianfarmwa@gmail.com anyway. It'll help us plan. Family are welcome (however you define it). Non-family plus ones are also welcome for solo people.
The mid-season survey is still open for anyone who wants to take it. Click here! Your responses have been enormously helpful. We've heard from people who think the share is A) too much for their family and B) not enough for their family. Thanks to your responses, we are thinking about how a half-share option might look next season AND what kinds of bulkier crops we could fit into our plan.
We've also heard from those of you who have trouble parking at Ballard. It is too late in the season to switch up our system this year, but next season we will attempt to find a more convenient pick-up location. (It would help us too, as we have to pay market fees on CSAs picked up at market.)
This Week's Share (L to R, top to bottom):
-Eggplant
-Carrots
-Parsley
-Slicing tomato (Moskvich or Momotaro)
-Bok Choy
-Garlic
-Sun gold cherry tomatoes
-Mizuna
-Green Thai bird chilis
-Mini Asian pears from Kurtwood Farms
-Chrysanthemum greens
Summer's Gradual Fall
Other than Saturday's gasp of heat, the Earth is tilting into the bittersweet time of the year in the Pacific Northwest when cooler days make you cherish the sunlight. Tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers are all slowing down. Winter squash are set and beginning their ripening process. We're flipping market crops into cover crops and planting under cover for our first attempt at winter production. We're starting to learn that this is the time of the year when we start to feel a creeping sense of burnout, but we're getting bette at managing with recharge days.
New this week: Mizuna, I think! We typically grow this Japanese-associated mustard in small quantities for our stir-fry mix, but, having run out of other seeds for our mix, I seeded a half bed of it about a month ago. A very delicate green with a hint of spice, I like using it raw in salads or as a garnish.
We planted Thai bird chilis outdoors a little late, and they are taking a while to ripen up. They might not. The good news is green thai chilis, while milder, can still add a subtle spice to any dish, as well as a pop of color.
And right out of left field comes flying three small Asian pears. They arrive from the generosity of Kurt Timmermeister, owner of Kurtwood Farms. I used to milk cows for Kurt before he retired from dairy farming and cheesemaking after a dozen years. A short drive away from our farm on Vashon island, Kurt's property is dotted with unique orchard trees that he's planted throughout the years as a food-lover. Among those trees is a Sichuan peppercorn tree that he lets us harvest for our markets. (Coming to a box soon!) While I was harvesting on Saturday, I asked him whether he had any fruit that he would not be able to personally make a dent in. He pointed to his pear tree, whose base was carpeted by fallen golden globes. Kurt has not thinned his tree this year, so the pears will not get to the size you're used to seeing at Ranch 99 or H Mart or Uwajimaya. But they're still delicious. Give them a day or two to ripen. They're ready when their pigment begins to turn a little brown.
Member Photo of the Week: Vanessa's Shiso on Lox
Okay, so this photo is actually from a couple weeks ago. I really like this photo, however, because it answers a question that many of you have had: How do I use shiso? I admire Vanessa's ingenuity here. I believe you will receive shiso at least one or two more times, so next time give "shiso on [insert food here] sandwich a try."
Recipe Of the Week: Hetty McKinnon's Char-Siu Eggplant
Outsourced this week after CSA member Lauren posted a beautiful photo of this preparation on her Instagram. I don't have that photo because I believe it was a part of one of those ephemeral Instagram stories, but believe me when I say it looked really delicious.
'Til Next Week,
Steven