Summer Share 2011- Week 13

Cantaloupe, Honey, Heirloom Tomatoes, and more

I hope you enjoyed your BLT week last week. I know I did. I’ve had lots of requests for extra bacon this week. There will be bacon for sale at the back of the truck.

As for this week’s bag, we have several sweet treats. First, everyone will be getting 1 lb of clover honey. We also have small, yellow doll watermelons. These are small, round watermelons about 4 lbs each. They have sweet yellow flesh.

We also have some nice cantaloupes this week. The cantaloupes this year have been fantastic. We are going to pickup fresh cantaloupes twice this week because the best cantaloupes must be harvested when they are “full slip.” This means that the stem practically pulls out itself when it is ripe. All you have to do is nudge the melon to shake it from the vine. The good part – awesome flavor. The bad part – they have a very short shelf life. Be sure to carve your melon in the first 3 days and get it in the refrigerator.

Heirloom tomatoes are also coming in this week. These are tomatoes that are from seeds that have been passed down for generations, often hundreds of years. The fruit on these tomato plants are often very colorful and mis-shaped. They are ugly, tasty treats. The flesh is very soft and juicy. Heirloom tomatoes are rarely seen in grocery stores because they are so difficult to handle and they have such a short shelf life. These tomatoes, like all tomatoes, should be handled carefully and not refrigerated. We will package them in a brown paper bag at the table. Please be sure to get a bag when you check-in.

For the Large CSA subscribers, we have some very special treats this week and next. I’m completely blowing the budget this week and next, so for a few weeks in September the large add-ons will be a bit smaller.

This week larges will receive a 12 oz jar of brussel sprout relish. This product is produced by Ann’s Raspberry Farm from Fredrickstown OH. They came up with the recipe last year and entered it into the “Good Food Award” competition in San Francisco. This competition had 7 categories, including pickles (that’s what the relish was considered), with over 350 applicants. The competition required that the products not only taste good, but that they were produced in a sustainable manner using local and organically produced inputs. Ann’s Raspberry Farm grows their own brussel sprouts for this product and their neighbors grow the onions.

At the Good Food Awards, the brussel sprout relish won in the pickles category! Not only is this an awesome accomplishment, but they were also the only entry from Ohio to win. Congrats. This relish will be paired with some fresh cream cheese from Mayfield Road Creamery. Try the relish on crackers with cream cheese, on a sandwich, or as a spread on bruschetta topped with fresh chopped tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Extra brussel sprout relish will be for sale at the back of the truck for $9 per jar.

Below are the full contents of this week’s bag:

Small CSA:
1 yellow doll watermelon
2 ct eggplant, some mixed colors may be included
1 quart hot hungarian peppers
1 lb clover honey
1 medium canteloupe
Approx 1 lb heirloom tomatoes (about 1 large or 2 small)
2 summer squash
1 pint mixed baby sweet peppers
Quarter Peck Golden Supreme apples (about 5 to 6 apples, very crisp, yellow apple)
Approx 1 lb slicing tomatoes

Large CSA: the small package plus the items below
1 8 oz container fresh cream cheese from Mayfield Road Creamery
12 oz jar brussel sprout relish
2 ct zucchini
Approx 1.5 lb red fortune plums

Vegetarian and Vegan Substitutes: not necessary this week