Tempel Farms Organics: CSA Week 5

The pond that we dug last spring is being put to use this season. A diesel pump is drawing water from the pond through many hundreds of feet of hose that feeds to our new traveling sprinkler which is set up to irrigate our lower fields. This is a great relief to now be able to irrigate our lower fields while simultaneously being able to water our other fields by using the water from the well.

Although we are able to irrigate from our dwindling aquifer and pond we'll still be behind in keeping up with the growing needs of our crops. We hope that Mother Nature can step in soon!

Below Chris manages the new sprinkler on our chard, kale and broccoli crops.

This week's CSA is for all members. Please remember to bring back any wax boxes to your pick up site

as we are able to reuse them. Once again, pick ups are on Thursdays from 4pm until 7pm.

Thank you!

Your vegetable harvest this week...............

Baby Corn

Field Cucumbers

Yellow Crookneck Squash

Orange Carrots

Fennel Bulbs

2 lettuce heads

Fresh Parsley or Sage

Fresh White Onions

Your fruit harvest this week..........

Peaches

Blueberries

Red Skin Plums

Blackberries

Your fruit is from our trusted farmer, Mick Klug Farm, St. Joseph Michigan.

The farm in your kitchen..............

Warm days are still with us, here are a few recipes to quench your thirst and light up your grill.

Fennel! This aromatic, crunchy, slightly sweet anise flavor is great in salads tossed with lemon juice or grilled with onions. It makes a great pair with avocados and citrus fruit. The stalks of the fennel are great in soups and the leaves can be used as an herb on your salad.

The White Onions this week have a strong pungent flavor and would be great grilled with your fennel.

Baby corn? Yes, we are just as surprised as you are. With the challenges of intense heat and dry weather this variety of sweet corn has taken it's course and grew at only 8 inches tall and produced an ear. Once you take off the husk, remove the silk and you'll be able to eat the entire ear of corn including the cob. It is incredibly tender that you can cut them into pieces and add them to a raw salad. We stir fried it with carrots the other night with yellow squash and garlic, simple and delicious!

Blackberry Gin Fizz Picture and Recipe from Smittenkitchen.com

Adapted from Bon Appetit

For 2 tall drinks

1/4 cup fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup (4 liquid ounces or just shy of 3 shots) gin
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from two juicy limes)
Club soda
2 sprigs sweet basil or 2 thin lime wedges (for garnish)

Purée blackberries and sugar in a blender until as liquefied as possible. Strain purée through a fine-mesh sieve or tea strainer into two tall or collins-style glasses; discard seeds in sieve. Divide gin and lime juice between glasses and stir to combine. Add ice to glasses then top each with soda and a sprig of basil or wedge of lime. (Might need another quick stir to combine.) Share with someone you like.

Grilled Peaches with Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream from thekitchn.com

serves up to 12

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon bourbon
6 peaches, halved (with pitts removed)
olive oil

Whip the cream in an electric mixer, adding the sugar, vanilla, and bourbon as it starts to thicken. Continue whipping until soft peaks form, about 4 or 5 minutes. Refrigerate.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush a very light layer of olive oil on the cut side of each peach half. Put the peaches face down on the pan, then cover with a medium sauce pan turned upside-down to create a dome over the peaches. Our sauce pan covered about 4 peaches, so you can cook them in batches depending on how big your grill pan and sauce pan are.

Cook peaches for about 6 to 8 minutes, until there are distinct grill marks and the peaches feel warmed through and slightly softened. Remove from pan (they may stick a tiny bit), flip over, and top with a big dollop of whipped cream.

Cucumber Blueberry Smoothie from Martha Stewart Recipes