Week #18, 2025
Tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes
Potatoes
Onions
Hot peppers
Green and red sweet peppers
Cucumbers
Zucchini
Basil
Pears
Kale
Lettuce
Apples - gravenstein for pie and sauce!!
Juvencio and I finished the onion and shallot harvest. It was a marathon but we did it. We worked together to pull and bunch them and then late Thursday night we hung them in the barn.. They still have the greens attached because they need to dry down. This process takes several weeks. This ensures the center of the onion closes off and then the onion will keep on your counter from 2-6 months depending on the variety. We grow about 15 varieties of onions and shallots. Shallots keep the longest (we ate our last ones in June). We will be giving you the shortest keepers first. You will get to try Alisa Craig this week. She is sweet and juicy. We grilled ours last night and it was delish. This is not a good storage onion so make sure to eat them before November.
Thursday was cool enough for me to transplant the overwintering broccoli and cauliflower. This was seeded in mid-June. It will grow slowly over the winter and be ready to harvest in March-April of next year. Just like onions these crops are long term investments. Taking over 6 months (in this case 9 months) from seed to transplant to harvest. We have to stay on top of weeding and covering in extreme weather. With the heat the next three days they will have to be hand watered in order to keep them alive.
Speaking of winter (on NOOOO!) It is a good time to sign-up for the Winter Share. We will harvest 8 times over the winter (November -> March) the cost is $400 and can be paid in check (take $16 off) or on line: https://www.finquita.com/shop/p/product-3-szb2y-gzh2r-3ly82-fmr8a . We have room for only 40 shares so don’t hesitate or you may not find room. Winter vegetables are special. They are full of leaves, salad fixings and alliums. They all get sweeter after the frost. We hope to have a wide variety of delicious veggies to keep you going during those months. We will have daikon radish, radicchio, arugula, spinach, endive, kale, cabbage, fennel, celery root, winter squash, parsley, dill, cilantro, green onions, shallots, onions, potatoes, lettuce, beets and more.
I seeded and transplanted many of the late fall and winter veggies in this week I have been home. Every night after work I was out there filling beds Juvencio prepped. We now have to finish the potato harvest to open up more space for the last winter crops. I will begin transplanting in the hoop houses in late August so they are packed for winter.
The Harvest festival is planned for October 14th. Make sure to mark your calendars and be ready to share delicious food and enjoy good company as we celebrate the bounty of Mother Earth.
Recipes to enjoy this week;
Chilled Cucumber and Tahini Soup with Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
From Falastin by Sami Tamimi
(Serves 4)
Spicy Pumpkin Seeds
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup/40 g pumpkin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chile flakes (I used Aleppo pepper)
1/8 tsp salt
3 large cucumbers (2lb 2 oz/1kg) peeled
1/4 cup/65 g tahini
2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more to serve
2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 tsp, then juice to get 1/4 cup/60ml
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup/10g dill, roughly chopped, plus a few fronds
3/4 tsp Aleppo chile flakes (or 1/2 tsp regular chile flakes)
3 1/2 oz/100g ice cubes
1 cup/20g mint leaves
1 cup/20g parsley, roughly chopped
salt and black pepper
1 tomato, cut into 1/4-inch/6mm dice (1/2 cup/80g)
To prepare the pumpkin seeds, put all the ingredients into a small sauté pan and place over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the seeds begin to color lightly and pop. Transfer to a bowl (or to an airtight container if making a batch) and set aside to cool.
Cut off a roughly 3-oz/80g chunk of cucumber and slice in half. Scoop out the seedy core and put this in a countertop blender (or a deep bowl if you are using an immersion blender), then finely chop the remainder into 1 1/2-inch/1cm dice. Set this aside. Roughly chop the remaining 2 cucumbers into 3/4-inch/2cm chunks and transfer to the blender along with the tahini, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, chopped dill, Chile flakes, ice cubes, half the mint, half the parsley, 1 tsp salted a good grind of black pepper. Blitz for about 2 minutes, until completely smooth, then keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Divide the soup among four deep bowls and spoon the reserved cucumber and diced tomato on top. Shred the remaining mint and sprinkle this over each portion, along with the remaining parsley, the dill fronds, the spicy pumpkin seeds, and a final drizzle of oil and serve.
Cucumber Crunch Salad with Tofu
DRESSING4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey or brown sugar
1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced or finely grated
1 small garlic clove, minced or finely grated
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
Hot sauce, chili paste, or chili crisp to taste
Water, if needed
ASSEMBLY 14- to 16-ounce package persian cucumbers (5 to 6)
1 scallion
3 tablespoons salted roasted peanuts, chopped small
1 package firm or extra-firm silken tofu (usually a 10- to 12-ounce package)
Toasted black and white sesame seeds (optional)
Make the dressing: Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. It’s going to taste pretty salty and robust if you use regular soy sauce (as I do) but don’t fret, it’s going to taste much milder when tossed with the cucumbers. Remove 3 to 4 tablespoons of the dressing (just eyeball it) and place it in a smaller bowl. Whisk a little soy sauce or water into this smaller amount to thin it; we want this small amount pourable.
Prepare the vegetables and tofu: Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then each half three more times into long wedge-shaped pieces (i.e. 6 long pieces per cucumber). Cut them into 1 1/2-inch lengths on a diagonal and add them to the big bowl with the dressing.
Finely chop the scallion, then add peanuts to the cutting board and chop them tiny with the scallions. Set aside.
Remove the tofu from its package and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut it into a grid of rectangles the height of the tofu block (see photo for reference).
Assemble and serve: Arrange half of the tofu on a serving plate and drizzle with half of the reserved, thinned dressing. Combine cucumbers and dressing and heap half on the tofu. Repeat with remaining tofu, reserved dressing, and dressed cucumbers and finish with the scallion-peanut mixture. Drizzle or dot chili crisp or hot sauce over, and finish with toasted sesame seeds for extra crunch, if you wish.
Eat right away.
Cucumber Raita Salad with Cherry Tomatoes
DRESSING1 cup (227 grams) plain, full-fat yogurt
1 garlic clove, peeled
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
Juice of half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon minced mild or hot fresh chile (I used a jalapeno)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, black or yellow mustard seeds or nigella seeds (I used black mustard seeds)
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves, divided
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, divided
Kosher salt to taste
ASSEMBLY2 long, English-style cucumbers (2 pounds total)
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium red onion, chopped small
Make the dressing by placing yogurt in a medium bowl and using a very fine grater to grate the garlic and ginger over it. Stir in sugar, lemon, chile, seeds, half of the mint and cilantro and season it with salt to taste. Set aside until you’re ready to serve the salad
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then each half three more times into long wedge-shaped pieces (i.e. 8 long pieces per cucumber). Cut them into 1 to 1 1/2-inch lengths on a diagonal and add them to a big bowl. Pile tomatoes and onion on top and when you’re ready to eat, mix half of the dressing with the salad. Sprinkle with remaining mint and cilantro and serve with extra yogurt dressing on the side.
Sesame Noodles with Cucumber
Serves 4, generously, and up to double that if served as shown, with lots of cucumber, peanuts and herbs
3/4 pound dried rice noodles (see notes up top)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus a splash to loosen noodles
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste or tahini (see note up top)
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated or brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic (from 1 medium-large clove)
Chili-garlic paste, to taste
1/2 pound cucumber, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, roughly chopped
A handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as mint and cilantro, for garnish
Cook noodles according to package directions and rinse with cold water to cool. Drain well. Drizzle with a tiny splash of toasted sesame oil to keep them from sticking until dressed.
Meanwhile, whisk sesame paste and peanut butter in the bottom of a small bowl, then whisk in soy sauce, rice vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil, sugar, ginger, garlic and chile-garlic paste to taste until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. It might seem a bit salty from the bowl, but should be just right when tossed with noodles.
Toss sauce with cold noodles.
Place a medium-sized knot of dressed noodles in each bowl, followed by a pile of cucumber. Garnish generously with peanuts and herbs. Serve with extra chile-garlic paste on the side.
Hot charred cherry tomatoes with cold yoghurt
The key words here are in the title: hot and cold. The beauty of this dish lies in the exciting contrast between hot, juicy tomatoes and fridge-cold yoghurt, so make sure the tomatoes are straight out of the oven and the yoghurt is straight out of the fridge. The heat of the tomatoes will make the cold yoghurt melt, invitingly, so make sure you have plenty of crusty sourdough or focaccia, to mop it all up. Serves four as a starter or mezze.
350g cherry tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
¾ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp light brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
3 sprigs thyme
5g fresh oregano, 3 sprigs left whole, the rest picked and roughly chopped, to serve
1 lemon – zest of one half shaved off in 3 wide strips, the other half grated
Flaked sea salt and black pepper
350g fridge-cold extra-thick Greek-style yoghurt
1 tsp urfa chilli flakes (or ½ tsp regular chilli flakes)
Heat the oven to 200C/425F/gas mark 7. Put the tomatoes in a baking dish that’s just large enough to accommodate them all snugly. Add the oil, cumin, sugar, garlic, thyme, oregano sprigs, lemon strips, half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are beginning to blister and the liquid is bubbling, then turn the oven to the grill setting and grill for six to eight minutes, until the tomatoes start to blacken on top.
While the tomatoes are roasting, mix the yoghurt with the grated lemon zest and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, then return to the fridge.
Once the tomatoes are ready, spread out the chilled yoghurt on a platter (with a lip) or wide shallow bowl, and make a few dips in it here and there with the back of a spoon. Spoon the hot tomatoes on top, as well as the pan juices, lemon peel, garlic and herbs, and finish with the remaining oregano and chilli. Serve at once with some good crusty bread.
Cold Cucumber Basil Soup Recipe
Cold Cucumber Basil Soup is one of my favorite cold soup recipes. It's a delicious vegan dish for a summer lunch or dinner -- the cool, refreshing cucumber with the aromatic, fresh basil is always a hit.
*This recipe serves four as an appetizer -- if you're serving it as a main course, double the recipe.
5 from 6 votes
PREP TIME 25minutes mins
REFRIGERATION 1hour hr
TOTAL TIME 1hour hr 25minutes mins
COURSE Appetizer
CUISINE American
SERVINGS 4
CALORIES 162 kcal
INGREDIENTS
1x2x3x
2 pounds cucumber (about 3 large cucumbers)
¼ cup water
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 small-medium garlic clove (about 1 teaspoon), peeled, root removed
¼ cup roughly chopped yellow onion,
2¼ cups loosely packed, fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
¾ teaspoon salt
1¼ teaspoons sugar
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the cucumbers. Peel the cucumbers, cut them in half horizontally and then lengthwise. Starting at one end, hold a spoon, round side up, and gently scrape downwards, to remove the seeds. Chop the cucumbers into several large chunks and place them in a powerful blender or a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.
Blend all of the ingredients. Add the water, lemon juice, garlic, onion, basil leaves, salt, sugar and a few turns of black pepper. Blend until you have a smooth mixture and then pour the soup into a large bowl.
Finish the soup with olive oil. Add the olive oil and stir to blend.
Adjust the seasonings. Add more salt, pepper and sugar to taste if necessary.
Chill the soup. Refrigerate the soup for at least an hour before serving. If you have the time, refrigerating it overnight is even better.