In your box:

• Basil
• Beans
• Carrots
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cucumber 
• Head Lettuce
• Summer squash
• Sweet Onion
• Sweet Pepper
• Tomatoes

Farm News

We spent the latter half of last week on the most rare of events for a farmer–a vacation! We loaded up and drove through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to a friend’s cabin about an hour south of the Mackinac Bridge. We spent four days with old friends from college, reconnecting and meeting everyone’s kids while swimming as much as we could in a beautiful lake. We came back feeling refreshed, even after an 11-hour drive back to the farm. I can see why normal people like vacations!

This week’s box

We are now into the prime of tomato season, and it looks like we should have a strong crop for the next few weeks. Many of our tomatoes are heirlooms, which taste delicious but do not travel well. Our tomatoes are fully ripened on the plant, so sometimes the fruits can start to split before or during harvest. If you have any tomatoes with cracks in them, just wash out the crack and eat it quickly before any fruit flies find it. We try to give only the best quality tomatoes, but even the short distance of travel between our farm and your kitchen can be a little stressful on them.

As we ramp up our tomato harvest, we do expect to have some extra tomatoes available for canning and freezing. If you would like to purchase extra tomatoes, we are offering 10 pound boxes of canning tomatoes for $30. Availability is limited to weeks when we have more tomatoes than we can stuff in the boxes, but we should have a surplus for the next 2-3 weeks. Just email me at foxandfawnfarm@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing a box or two.

Black Bean Chili

from The New Basics Cookbook

Ingredients:

• Olive oil, for cooking
• 1 small eggplant
• 2 small zucchini
• 1 medium onion
• 1 large red pepper
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 4 small tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tsp cumin
• 4 tsp chili powder
• Dash of cayenne
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 ear of corn, removed from the cob
• 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Sour cream and scallions for garnish

Directions:

1. Dice the eggplant, zucchini, onion, and pepper into cubes about 1/4 inch (the eggplant will cook separately; the other veggies can all be mixed together).
2. In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of oil, just over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the eggplant and cook until the pieces are just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in your largest pot, heat another tablespoon of oil over medium heat, and when it’s ready add the garlic, zucchini, onions, and peppers, and cook until the vegetables are soft and most of the water has evaporated (about 10 minutes).
4. While the vegetables are cooking, chop the tomatoes into 1/4 inch dice, and chop the basil and parsley if you haven’t already. When the vegetables are cooked, put the eggplant into the pot with the other veggies, then add the tomatoes, basil, parsley, stock, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Give the mixture a good stir and bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover the pot loosely and let it cook for about 30 minutes.
5. While the chili is cooking, dry roast the corn (we use the same skillet we used for the eggplant – just wipe it out with a paper towel and you’re ready to go). Heat the skillet (dry) to medium high heat, then add the corn kernels. Cook until they have started to brown and become fragrant (8 minutes), then remove to a bowl.
6. When the chili has been cooking for about 30 minutes, stir in the corn, beans, and lemon juice, and let it cook at a simmer for 15 minutes more. Serve, garnished with sour cream, green onions, and cheese, if you like. 

Coming up

Next week, we are expecting cherry tomatoes, lettuce, red onions, potatoes, summer squash, cucumbers, garlic, pepper, beans and tomatoes