In Your Box:

  • Basil
  • Bok Choy
  • Carrots
  • Garlic, “Georgian Crystal”
  • Head lettuce
  • Onion
  • Red “Torpedo” Onions
  • Sweet pepper, “Lunchbox”
  • Tomatoes

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​Farm News

Last week brought the passing of one of the great visionaries of sustainable farming and living, Wendell Berry. Berry was an essayist, poet, and novelist, writing out all of his works with pen and paper from his farm in rural Kentucky. For a great look back at Berry’s legacy and inspiration, I recommend searching up Barbara Kingsolver’s remembrance in the New York Times.

Berry left behind more poems, essays, and fiction than I may ever finish reading, but my favorite works have been his novels. He manages to write about farming and farm communities with a blend of nostalgia and realism. He didn’t gloss over the harsh, unjust realities of agriculture, but looked back with an eye toward what lessons and inspiration we can gather from the past and prior ways of living. If you’re interested in Berry, a good starting point is his novel Jayber Crow.

 I started farming before reading Wendell Berry, but throughout my career his writings have been an inspiration, a challenge, and food for thought as I head out to the fields in the morning. He’s helped me to slow down, truly appreciate the art of farming and the culture of agriculture, and weigh my plans with an eye to the past and a healthy skepticism of technology and consumerism. Berry might not be the reason I started farming, but his vision is the main reason why I keep farming. His works have been an inspiration to emerge from winter hibernation and begin crafting the farm season every spring, and a reason to “Be joyful/though you have considered all the facts.”​

​This week’s box

Our sweet peppers this week are a colorful mixture of “Lunchbox” peppers, so named for their small size and snack-ability. Some of them resemble hot peppers, but there shouldn’t be any heat to them. They are great as stuffed peppers (see recipe attached) or just as a snack for raw eating.

This week we welcome back bok choy for the first time since the beginning of the season. We have a nice looking crop of bok choy and tat soi that we’ll savor into fall, alternating weeks with celery so we can fit all of these big crops into your box.

This week’s harvest of basil is the last of the year, unfortunately. If you can’t get to it right away, try standing the stems upright in a glass of water (just like flowers). This should keep the leaves fresh for a few days until you’re ready to enjoy it.​

​Carrot Noodle Stir Fry

GINGER SESAME SAUCE

  • 4 tablespoons each: rice vinegar and soy sauce 
  • 2 tablespoon each: cornstarch, dark sesame oil, and minced ginger
  • 2 teaspoon each: brown sugar and sriracha
  • 6 cloves garlic (finely minced)
  • Juice from 1 lime

THE CRISPY TOFU

  • 4 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 32 ounce package of medium tofu (cut into squares)
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce

THE CARROT NOODLE STIR FRY

  • 10 carrots
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 medium or 1/2 large head bok choy
  • Cilantro, lime slices, and sesame seeds (to serve)
  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the ginger sesame sauce ingredients.
  2. Dry the tofu with paper towels. Heat the coconut oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until it’s golden and crispy. Remove the tofu from the pan, place it into a small dish, and toss it with soy sauce.
  3. While the tofu is frying, use your spiralizer to make noodles from the carrots. You could also use a julienne peeler or cut the carrots into long, thin strips with a sharp knife.
  4. Heat the oil in a wok or a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the carrot noodles and baby bok choy and toss a few times. Cover the pan and let the noodles cook for about 2 minutes. Just when the noodles start to soften, add the ginger sesame sauce and toss to coat. Once the sauce thickens (in about 1 minute), remove the pan from the heat and stir in the crispy tofu. Serve topped with any or all of the garnishes.​

​Coming up

Next week, we are expecting onions, celery, head lettuce, radishes, tomatoes, pepper, chard and beets.​

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