Week 8!
Welcome to week 8! And the first week of August. Folks who have been with us for a while have heard the August blog entry once (or twice, three times) in the past but August 1 is an important day here at Naked Acre Farm. For one, it is a symbolic turning the page to a new chapter in the season. It is as if we have been climbing, climbing, climbing since April and on the last day of July, we summit the mountain. This is both a physical and mental climb in all the labor and planning that takes place to start the growing season and as we reach this date, this summit, after a brief rejoicing, we can start down the other side of the season. August is a month of letting go, the crops are established, the weeds have been dealt with (or not in many cases), most of the greenhouse seeding is done, and this part of the season is about maintenance and bringing stuff in.
As a way to have an actual benchmark on this somewhat arbitrary August 1 date, in 2017 Genica and I held a small wedding ceremony on our newly purchased 40 acre property here on Centerville Rd to commemorate our relationship with each other and our families, with the land, and the annual cycle we were beginning together. So, every year we acknowledge this date with a celebration: of our love, of this place, and of the perennial summit of the mountain. On Sunday we went for a mountain bike ride, had brunch together, and just sat down for a while. It was spectacular.
On to the share!
A little different this week:
a bag of arugula - it has some bite so if you don’t like heat, if you cook it the heat will disappear
a bunch of carrots
a summer squash and a zucchini
a pint of green beans - the first of the season. I love these! They take a very long time to harvest but they are super crunchy and tasty. I recommend raw but you can also sauté them briefly in butter or oil for a quick and small side. Salt and pepper of course.
a pound to a pound and a half of tomatoes
a bunch of scallions - theses are getting bigger but the flavor is all there. One member made scallion pancakes recently - I will pass the recipe along. Use them as you would onions for a milder taste. We added them to some tomatoes with cilantro and a hot peppers for a quick salsa or pico de Gallo.
and lastly fennel. Such a beautiful and misunderstood crop. You can eat the leaves, chop them for a little added anise or licorice flavor. I wanted to have it in the share for you all a couple time. I had imagined a roasted squash/zuke dish. Here is a veggie dish for a side or a main dish. Basically roasted fennel with cheese and bread crumbs. Here is an even easier recipe for sautéed fennel and garlic. And if you want to take a deep dive, here is a page Genica tracked down. 68 recipes for inspiration! Or you can use it for decoration - see photo below!
Fennel Decor at a members house!!
Our “Naked Acre” wedding before anything was here. August 1 celebration 2017.
Wedding day 2017!!
Thank you all for another great week!! I look forward to what August has to bring for us all. Have a wonderful week!!