Spoutwood Farm
CSA Harvest Guide : Week 9
Todays Harvest
Today, everyone received: cucumbers, zucchini, patty pan, yellow squash, green onions, swiss chard, tomatoes, potatoes, and rosemary. Additionally- Baltimore, East York, and South York received eggplant. However, there is no need to fret Glen Rock, Cockeysville, and Hanover; soon there will be plenty of eggplant for your shares to even out the score.
Tomatoes, eggplant, and rosemary made their debut today; below is the usual chart describing these newcomers.
| Vegetable |
Description |
Washing / Storing |
General Use |
|
Tomato
(Sun Gold or slicing)
|
With the exception of Glen Rock, everyone received a bag a Sun Gold tomatoes. They are a golden-orange cherry tomato with a sweet/tart flavor. Glen Rock received the first harvest of our slicing tomatoes (varieties vary (please check back next week for a detailed description of all the tomatoes planted here at Spoutwood)). |
Tomatoes are sensitive to cold. Store them at room temperature, away from direct sunlight. If you need to speed up the ripening process; store them in a paper bag with a banana or an apple. If they are ripe and you need to slow them down, put them in the fridge in the butter compartment (it is warmer in there). Wash under cool water and pat dry before serving. |
Tomatoes are in an endless amount of dishes; either as the main flavor or supporting veggie. Here is a simple recipe that utilizes three items from your share this week: Purée tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and scallions together in a food processor and season with herbs and spices of your choice to make the refreshing cold soup, gazpacho. |
|
Eggplant
(Japanese or Italian)
|
There are two possible varieties of eggplant in your share; Japanese or Italian (a.k.a. Orient Express or Nadia respectively). Both have a dark purple, glossy skin and a cream colored spongy interior. Taste varies slightly between varieties, but expect a pleasant bitter taste with a soft, sponge like texture. |
Eggplants look hardy but are extremely perishable. They store best at tempertures around 50 degrees. Wrap them in plastic and place them in the crisper compartment of your fridge. Keep in mind that they spoil rapidly once the skin has been broken. Wash under cool water and pat dry before preparing. |
Eggplant parm is always a favorite. But, for something new try: mixing cubed baked eggplant with grilled peppers, lentils, onions and garlic and top with balsamic vinaigrette. |
| Rosemary |
Rosemary looks like a spring from a evergreen tree. It has an unforgettable pine-like smell. |
Keep rosemary wrapped in a damp paper towel and store it in the fridge. |
I keep hearing that rosemary is wonderful with tomatoes. Try adding it to a tomato sauce or use it as a seasoning. |
*Keep your eye out for the 'tomato breakdown' - possibly in next weeks harvest guide. It will describe all the varieties of tomatoes that we have planted. I hope it will be a useful reference to you; tomato season is just about to kick into high gear!
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CSA 
