CSA Week Five

I forgot to post this one last week, but Peter already posted the melon hopes story anyway!

News from the field:
Peter picked a peck of peppers, and then some. The colored peppers in the greenhouse have come in big time, so it is time for some colorful salsa or salad or sautéed fajitas.

I am hesitant to tell this story - because I don’t want to jinx it - but the heat so far this year means that the melons are looking good right now. Melons are tricky up here because they like a long, hot, dry season. And most Vermont summers are not long, hot, or dry. But we try each year because we love melons, and one in particular. We grow a French charentais cantaloupe-type melon that is about the size of a softball, and is sweet, sweet, sweet.

Last year, because of the cold and wet “summer” we had, we basically lost our whole melon crop. (Almost all the melons succumbed to a fungal rust disease that usually doesn’t affects melons until the end of the season, but came mid-season last year due to the weather.) We were heartbroken.

Despite our best efforts not to count our chickens before they hatch, we are beginning to get cautiously optimistic that we will have melons this year. The heat has been great for them, and the melon fruits are already baseball sized and beautiful. If you have any fingers to spare, please cross them for melons!

In the Basket:

Arugula - Elegant and peppery. Try the pasta recipe that’s attached!

Broccoli - Crunchy. Try roasted, pureed into soup, or steamed with butter.

Lettuce - Cool and green. A CSA basket staple.

Sugar snap peas - Eat them whole (take out the string) and raw or slightly blanched.

Sweet colored peppers - One CSAer (jokingly) asked if we add sugar to our veggies. These peppers might be why – they are super sweet and full of flavor!!

Cayenne pepper - Red and hot. Eat now or hang from a cupboard to dry.

New potatoes - They’re bigger than last week but still tender and moist. I like them best tossed in olive oil and roasted on a cookie sheet.

Sun gold or cherry tomatoes - Waverly (our daughter) adores these. So do I. Eat like candy, add to salad, or try the pasta recipe.