This week there will be:

Cherry Tomatoes, Slicing Tomatoes, Potatoes, Onions, Garlic, Beans, Yellow Squash, Patty Pan Squash, Basil & Cucumbers!

Keep your basil like you would flowers in a cup or vase with water on the counter. Do not wash until you are ready to use.

This past week our area was updated from moderate drought to severe drought 🙁

We have been setting up irrigation for some of the crops over the past month. Most of the vegetables are located in a remote field with no water access. This means we have to haul water in a giant tank to irrigate from our well. Because we are trying to conserve water so our well doesn’t run dry we choose not to irrigate certain crops. It’s a tough choice but it must be done. The extreme heat we have gotten has done a lot of damage to some of the heirloom tomatoes, some varieties of cherry tomatoes, potatoes, beans, beets, almost all of the carrots & cucumbers. With the extreme heat and lack of rain in the forecast as a precautionary measure we stop seeding in the field (vegetables like radishes, arugula, turnips) and we do not transplant seedlings as they would need to be watered to frequently. So while some of our crops will see a loss or have already seen a loss, there will still be plenty of vegetables just not in mass quantities.

On a good note all of the garlic has been harvested and it looks great. Some of the onions have been harvested and cured and the remainder will be harvested this week. The Pumpkins and Winter Squash are in a great field located very close to the Charles River so the ground stays moderately moist and they don’t even realize the rest of the area is in a drought! The pepper plants are starting to produce and look healthy and vibrant. With the little amount of rain we have gotten in the past week we will start transplanting and seeding again.

Stuffed Patty Pan Squash

2-4 good sized patty pan squash

1 tomatoes, diced

1 onion, diced

1 cup of rice cooked

1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce

ground beef or sausage, optional

salt & pepper to taste

olive oil

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, divided

Heat oven to 375°. Cut the top off the patty pan squash and spoon out the seeds so that there is a nice cavity that can be stuffed. Place the squash in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour a little bit of olive oil in the cavity of each squash. Bake for 30 minutes. Mix the diced tomato, onions, rice, worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese & meat. Take squash out of oven and stuff the mixture in the cavity of the squash. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake for 1 hour.

Basil Pesto

3 cups fresh basil, packed

⅓ cup + 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

⅓ cup pine nuts

2 garlic cloves

½ cup grated parmesan

salt and pepper, to taste

Set aside 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Add all other ingredients to the food processor. Process the ingredients on low and continue to high as you slowly add the remaining amount of olive oil. Stop to scrape down the sides. Process for a few minutes until the ingredients create a creamy and smooth pesto. Use on pasta, pizza, sandwiches or freeze for later use.

Other Recipes of Interest

Patty Pan Squash Oven Fries

Patty Pan Tomato Bake

Tomato & Basil Pasta