Week 8: August 1 - August 4
Reminder: We’ll be doing a tomato tasting this afternoon from 3-5pm if you’re interested in trying some of the different tomato varieties we’re growing this year!
We talk a lot about the external factors we rely on as farmers - rain, heat, sunlight. When these elements don’t show up in the proper amounts at the proper times, we’re forced to improvise and augment. There’s one natural necessity on the farm that we augment from the start, though, to ensure optimal conditions for our crops: Pollinators.
Tucked away out of sight on the farm, the apiary is an incredibly important hub of activity. Our new beekeeper Joe (who is taking over from Danny who moved up north to Duluth this year) has spent the summer catching swarms and building hives, creating the optimal conditions for the bees to thrive. From their perch up on the hill above the fields, they spend their days zipping down to the farm and buzzing from flower to flower, ensuring great pollination on crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash. The bees are as important as any of us in the quest for incredible vegetables.
And, of course, they make honey! Joe is mindful not to overly tax the bees (they’re there for pollinating more than honey-making) but he says they’ve amassed a good crop this year. He’ll be extracting honey over the next couple of weeks, after which it will make its way into the farm stand and kitchen. Very exciting!
It's not all fun and games in the world of hymenoptera, though. If honeybees are the sweetest friends on the farm, they are matched by their unsavory cousins who have been pestering us in the recent hot weather. Yellowjacket wasps also dot the farm, building nests in open tunnel posts, roof edges, and even electrical outlet covers. Both Ashley and Chris have had run-ins with these jerks over the last few days - each ending in some stings and welts. We suppose they also have their place on the farm - they pollinate plants too (although not as well) and they're part of the overall ecosystem. But we'd be lying if we didn't admit that we hope the wasps chill out in the cooler weather coming up so we can get our work done in peace!
Have a stingless week,
Ashley, Chris, Hallie, and the 10th Street Farm Crew
In Your Bag This Week
Flavor Mix microgreens: Mild and tasty, these make an easy salad on their own or can add some color to any other salad. Try them on eggs or sandwiches – or anything, really! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Beets: These earthy beauties are good in sweet and savory roles alike. Boil, roast, or grate into baked goods! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Walla Walla Onion: A beautiful sweet onion ready for fresh eating or caramelizing! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Summer Squash: Green zucchini or yellow squash - delicious sautéed, grilled, or baked. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Tomatoes: One of the standouts of the summer! Store on the counter - never in the fridge!
Red Norland Potatoes: Great for summer potato salads, grilled or roasted. Store in a dark, dry place.
Peppers (shishitos for half shares, bells for full shares): These early peppers are tasting amazing. Shishitos make the perfect appetizer, while green or purple bells add freshness to any dish. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Head Lettuce (half shares): Beautiful crisp lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Kale (full shares): Hearty yet still tender, the kale is tasting great this summer. Maybe time for some kale chips? Store in a bag in your fridge.
Arugula microgreens (full shares): Zippy micros to add a little flavor to whatever's on your plate! Store in your fridge.
Cucumbers (full shares): Crunchy and refreshing, chop up for a salad, add to sandwiches or just eat raw! Store in a bag in your fridge.
What should I make with what’s in the bag?
We’ve been informally calling this potato salad week, since we’ve got the first potatoes of the season in! This week you’ve got Red Norlands in your bag, which are perfect for a fresh potato salad. There’s the classic potato salad, of course, or its vinegar-forward german cousin. But if you want to try something new, we love this roasted potato salad with cherry tomatoes - we made it with potatoes roasted over a campfire recently and it quickly entered our rotation.
This summer has been full of simple, delicious, one-bowl salads for us. This week we’re going to try this spicy corn and shishito salad. Full shares can easily substitute their bell peppers for shishitos here! This roasted beet salad with goat cheese, walnuts & honey-dijon vinaigrette sounds absolutely amazing, as well - hard to go wrong with any of those ingredients.
If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way. We're always looking for new things to cook and who knows, maybe it'll make its way into an upcoming newsletter!
We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Please bring your bag back next week so we can re-use them! Thanks!
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