2024 CSA Farm Update: Week 8
Hello everyone and welcome to week 8 of the Katchkie Farm CSA! The past week was a great week for working on the farm. We had just a little bit of rain, with lots of sunshine and less humidity. Most of our crops seemed to be enjoying the weather as well. The sweet potatoes plants are filling in the rows nicely making a lush green carpet of leaves. A walk through the winter squash plants showed some nice fruits ripening. The cucumbers, however, have mostly succumb to bacterial wilt and downy mildew, which is very problematic this time of year. We do have one variety that looks like it will hold out for another week or so. We have also been keeping on top of our tomatoes by picking them twice a week in hopes of getting to them before the crows find them. Our fall cabbages, broccoli, cauliflower, and kale also seemed to enjoy the slightly cooler mornings as well and are showing steady growth. It is hard to believe, but our first seedings of fall radishes, and turnips will be seeded this week.
The world of tomatoes is a world like no other in the realm of vegetables. I cannot think of another vegetable that offers growers so many different choices. There are heirloom, beefsteak, paste, cherry, grape, and saladette tomatoes. Within those categories there are innumerable choices of color, flavor, shape, days to maturity, and disease resistance. In my lifetime, I would guess that I have grown nearly 100 different varieties. Believe it or not, they are all a little bit different. Even the same variety will show variation from year to year in terms of flavor, size, and productivity. At Katchkie Farm, we focus mainly on heirloom varieties because of their superior flavor. If I had to choose only one variety to grow here on the farm, it would be Tiffen Mennonite. It was first introduced into the commercial farming world in 1985 by Thane H. Earle through the Seed Savers Exchange. The tomato seems to have all of the wonderful flavor attributes of a Brandywine tomato, without the very finicky nature. This variety also really seems to like it here on the farm. It shows great vigor, leaves that are twice the size of other tomato plants, and a really good fruit set. Who could ask for anything more?
This week’s share will bring our first Adirondack Red Potatoes. They are a very flavorful potato with a slightly waxy texture that really stands out in salads and roasting. We will also have Ailsa Criag onions, which is an heirloom variety from Scotland names after the Ailsa Craig Island in Scotland. They are a fresh onion prized for their sweetness. After a few weeks’ hiatus, head lettuce will return to the shares. We have a wonderful green gem lettuce, that really stands up to the summer heat, while holding its sweetness and crunchiness.
Until next time,
Farmer Jon
Beet Tzatziki
Recipe from Embrace: Wellness
Looking for a dish that pops? When you add grated beets to tzatziki, it turns hot pink! This protein-rich Greek yogurt dip will surely get a lot of attention on the table. Serve with veggie sticks and slices of whole wheat pita.
Serves 4
In a large bowl, combine 1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt, the juice of ½ lemon, 2 Tb chopped fresh dill and 1 minced or pressed garlic clove. Grate ¼ English cucumber into a separate bowl and use your hands to squeeze some of the water out of the cucumber. Add the cucumber and 3 cooked, grated beets into the bowl with the yogurt (Try the Love Beets brand.). Mix to combine well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with a drizzle of olive oil and an extra sprig of dill on top.