Week #12 Tuesday, Aug. 28th -Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007 Downloadable Word .doc for printing

In your bag
Melon, Cucumbers
Yellow Onions, Shallots
Peppers – Green bell, Anaheim, jalapenos.
Fennel, Broccoli*, Eggplant
Potatoes, Carrots
Tomatoes (includes red and/or green zebras)
Sungold Cherry or Black Plum Tomatoes
Cilantro, Parsley
*This is summer broccoli and has a strong flavor.  You’ll want to cook it rather than eat it raw. 

This Week's Recipes
Chocolate Beet Cake
Oven Potatoes with Fennel
Rich and Creamy Eggplant Soup
I’d love for you to send us some of your favorite ways to cook Spring Hill veggies so that I can share them with other members.

Next Week’s Bag
I had predicted purple beans and lettuce for this week and neither is quite ready. The cloudy weather slowed things down. We’ll have them for next week (I think). We’ll start picking the roma tomatoes.

Shallots
A number of you have requested shallots and now they are in your bag! They have done well and we’d love to hear how you like cooking with them. They are from the same family as garlic and onions but have a milder flavor and aroma. Some describe them as similar to a sweet onion with a hint of garlic. They are believed to have originated from Ascalon, a town in South Palestine. They will cook quickly and can be used in place of onions. They are a common ingredient in sauces and salad dressings.

Eggplant
I am feeling the need to apologize for so much eggplant – though for some of you it may be a treat.
We had considered not sending it this week. The fact of the matter is though, it’s ready and if we left it on the plant and waited a week or two, it would no longer be good. Try roasting it with other vegetables or give Eggplant Parmesan, Baba Ghanoush, or the yummy soup recipe from Sara Christensen on the back.

Farm News
The sunny weather over the weekend was a welcome relief to the string of rainy, cloudy, humid days. Unfortunately it wasn’t quite long enough to get the field work done. It’s been so wet we’ve been unable to get into the field with the tractor. We’ve been hoping to plant some fall spinach, arugula and turnips and there’s also a number of flats on the trailer of kohlrabi, broccoli raab and bok choy that are (not so patiently) waiting to be transplanted. Mike had begun the process of getting the ground ready for planting and transplanting on Sunday, and with a 20% chance of rain on Sunday night and Monday, we figured we had Monday to do the planting and transplanting itself. Well, that 20% chance of rain meant one inch for us. There’s a good chance of storms tonight so it looks like it will be several days before we can even think of the planting and transplanting that needs to be done. Please understand we’re not full out complaining here – we have needed the rain, and we are certainly thinking of the folks in southeastern Minnesota and southern Wisconsin. We’re just doing a little grumbling about the weather as farmers like to do from time to time.

This is the last week of our work crew. Lori will head off to Northland College and David, Maggie, Roy and Amber will all begin school next Tuesday. It’s been a good summer with all of them and of course we’ll miss their labor but we’ll also miss the fun of having them around.

We’ve been eating tons of raspberries and sending plenty home with the harvesters that are here on Tuesdays and Saturdays. They are a delightful treat – and the cause of Michael and I putting on our “winter weight” while it’s still summer. Oh, well ….

Next Week’s Harvesters
Tuesday, September 4th – Susan Davis, George Boody & Ann Risch, Bob Poore,
Hermann Weinlick & Paul Vanderford
Saturday, September 8th – Barb Ryan, Merilee, Karen, Kathy Steinberger & Jim Young, Beth & Pete McAllister, Joelle & Carson Hoeft