Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Kale, Radish, Head Lettuce, Basil, Dill, Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Pickling Cucumbers, Sunflowers, Maybe Cucumbers, Bok Choy and/or Cabbage

The farm vibe has moved to late summer. Temps are a bit cooler, the days shorter but the summer flavors are still on! A tank top feels great in the sun...but my house stays cool all day and I need slippers inside. The summer squash it abundant and yummy...but I am wondering what the potatoes and carrots will look like when we dig them. This is the time of year I never want to wish away...but at the same time I know I can not sustain my current pace for the whole year. 
I wear a necklace this time of year that has a bee on it. It is my reminder to keep going for the hive. It would be easy to ignore some responsibilities, but it is the time of year to keep bringing in the harvest. It is the season of abundance and the abundance needs management. My bee necklace reminds me that my hive is depending on me. My family, our farm crew, you, our market customers. I want to keep moving, growing and harvesting for my hive. I know my time of rest will come.
After my initial stumble out of bed in the morning and getting going, I sometimes realize how lucky I am. I cut flowers as part of my job description!! I mean, seriously, how did I land this gig? I am breathing fresh air, feeling the sunlight, watching the bees, smelling the faint scent of sunflowers, seeing the blue sky, watching hummingbirds and cutting flowers!!! Okay...I have to concentrate enough to count every stem I cut, and those buckets get heavy to move. But the downsides are few.
I was having one of those "I'm so grateful moments" watching hummingbirds, flowers and LOTS of bees while I was walking a full bucket of flowers out of the field. In that exact moment I got stung. It only happens every few years, I have learned how to move my hands safely around in the flowers. (A year in a vineyard with black widows hiding on the vines taught me how to mindfully move my hands while working!) I happened to have irrigation boots on because we just watered. I think the bee fell off a flower in the bucket I had hoisted to my shoulder to carry and landed in my boot as I walked. Ouch. The thing about getting stung is, I was now marked. When I got stung the bee injected a pheromone into me to alert the other bees I was a problem. The last time I was stung, I ended up getting stung 2 more times that day. Ugh. Now I was a bit nervous as I completed the harvest.
Bees are amazing, the ways they are constantly communicating with each other to help the whole hive. In its final moment, the bee was alerting and protecting the hive.
I can relate to bees...they work together to collect ingredients and make food, they dance, they visit flowers, they work together for protection and safety.
I truly relish my idea of a "hive mindset" this time of year, it keeps me going. Our farm community is so important. I am not just shipping this food off to a warehouse. I can see your faces, watch your children grow and bump into you around town. While we are growing food for your benefit and health, we also reap the same rewards. On those slow mornings my bee necklace reminds me it is not just about me getting out of bed in the morning. I have a hive of people to feed! Thanks for bee-ing part of our hive!!!

Lunch on the Farm this week: Tomato and Summer Squash Stew, Summer Sauté over pasta 
Recipe Ideas: Yogurt Dill Dressing; Zucchini-Basil Muffins or Panzanella Salad

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Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Arugula, Collards, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Fresh Garlic, Sunflowers, Turnips, Fennel, Pickling Cucumbers and Maybe Cucumbers

It rained on Sunday night. Really rained, for a long time as I was falling asleep. The ground was wet in the morning and the puddles lasted well into the day. It thundered and lightninged for a long time too. It was beautiful, even though our brave shaking, whining farm dog disagreed. I think it is the first rain that was enough to actually water the Earth in Victor on a deeper level then the light showers we have received.
The cucumbers will be delivered with a bit of soil on them thanks to the lovely rain. Other items may have more soil then usual also. 
All the garlic has been harvested and moved to the storage shed to cure. Curing is the process of drying down the stalks so the bulbs will last all winter. This week will be the last of the fresh garlic. Make sure to use the fresh garlic up because it is not dried down and ready for long term storage. The garlic you receive a bit later in the season will be for long term storage.
This is the time of year the shares are BIG and need to be used soon. The soup we are having for lunch this week is one of my favorite ways to preserve the harvest. The recipe is really easy to change as needed, just stick to the spice and water amounts and add whatever veggies you have on hand. Fill the pot up to the top of the water line with various vegetables. This week I will put summer squash, collards, fennel, turnips and tomatoes in it. Make a big batch to use up your veggies if you need to. Then freeze it! You will be so glad to pull this colorful treat from your freezer in January. It is great over rice and arugula.
Jed told me this morning he calls this "freestyle cooking". I think in the recipe world it is just called seasonal cooking. It is time to improvise with what is abundant in the moment. I do have this belief that if something is ripe...it will probably taste good with the other items that are ripe at the same time. Mother nature really has designed the best menu. 

Lunch on the Farm this week: Curried Zucchini Soup and Pita Pockets with Tzatziki
Recipe Ideas: Creamy Zucchini- Cumin Dip; Zucchini Parmesan Crisps; Shaved Fennel Salad; Pasta with Fennel and Baby Collard Greens​

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Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Radish, Basil, Shell Peas, Head Lettuce, Pickling Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Bok Choy, Summer Squash, Sunflowers and maybe Cucumbers

We are at the point of the season where it seems all of our energies are going towards harvesting. It is becoming more challenging to keep up with the bounty the garden is providing, a great problem to have! Picking peas is very time consuming, but yields such a sweet reward. The garlic is calling us. It is ready to be pulled from the field and put in the shed to dry. We may have had a record sunflower and tomato harvest on the same day. We are running out of buckets to harvest into! The walk in refrigerator is so full that it feels like playing a puzzle game when we need to fit something else in there.
​I hope you can feel the ability of the Earth to nourish you right now. I hope you can taste how good all the fresh veggies are right now. It is a really great time to be an eater of food in the Tetons!
We woke up Monday morning to a rain shower and then it drizzled for about an hour. The day stayed cool and breezy, it was a big change from the constant heat we have been having. The forecast is calling for cooler temps, but nothing in the freezing zone. It seems like the garden will continue to grow and thrive as it has been all summer. 
Pickling Cucumbers? They are one of my families favorite garden veggies. You don't have to pickle them!! We like them because the skin is more tender and less bitter then a standard cucumber. Use them the same way you would any cucumber. We love them so much we eat them like apples. Did you know cucumbers are one of the few foods that actually hydrate you when you eat them? Most foods require more water from your body to digest then they actually give you, but cucumbers provide more water then you need to digest them. We take them with us on hikes as a snack. I can vividly remember my little ones sitting in their car seats eating cucumbers whole as we headed out for an adventure. Now as teenagers who are way cooler then me...they still look happy when we get the first pickling cukes of the year.

Lunch on the Farm this week: Polenta with Summer Squash, and fresh tomato sauce. Burritos with Idaho Salsa
Recipe Ideas: Turnip and Chard Soup; Roasted Hakuri Turnips with Israeli Couscous Salad, Lemon Butter Basil Turnips or Curried Zucchini & Swiss Chard

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Crop List: Cosmic Mix, Kale, Shell Peas, Parsley, Napa Cabbage, Head Lettuce, Tomatoes, Summer Squash, Turnips, Maybe Radish, Sugar Snaps and/or Sunflowers

The beginning of August is a mile stone on the farm. It marks Lammas, the traditional "beginning of the harvest season" and the peak of summer. Lammas, August 2nd, is the day in the middle of the Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox. In ancient times communities would gather to celebrate if it was to be a good harvest year. When things were looking bleak, the gathering would consist of planning how a community was to survive a winter with less food then hoped for. Sometimes it was agreed to plant more short season crops that could be grown quickly to boost the late fall harvest. Sometimes it was a joyous gathering and an excuse to take a break and be grateful for the upcoming harvest. Even though we can have a good guess of how crops are looking for the fall harvest, we still don't know if the crops will truly come to fruition. Drought, storms, freezing temps and hungry critters can still ruin a beautiful harvest. It is a time of being grateful for what we have, what is to come and to put good intentions out there for a bountiful harvest and stocked larder for winter.
For our crew, August 1st is the official halfway point in their season. We start May 1st and work until October 31st. We are so grateful for our coworkers. They work hard to plant, weed and harvest food for their community. They make us laugh, teach us things and quickly become friends. We truly enjoy the folks we work with. We are incredibly grateful for their willingness to be a part of our dream.
In an effort to introduce you to some of the workers I sent out some questions to them! Introducing the fabulous Roberta, Emma and Deb! These three work at jobs with lots of customer interface, so hopefully you have met them at some point.
Roberta is our truck driver and chore helper (she takes care of the animals in the winter so Jed has some nights off).
Emma works at the Driggs markets on Fridays.
Deb is the Tomato Queen (this important title has only been bestowed upon Deb, she manages and harvests all the tomato greenhouses) and she works at the People's Market on Wednesdays in Jackson.
Why did you want to work at Cosmic Apple?
Roberta: I wanted to work at Cosmic Apple because local organic agriculture is something I deeply value, and I’m of the persuasion that it may just save the world! I found the biodynamic practices both mysterious and intriguing. Also Cosmic Apple has been serving the people of the Tetons for nearly 30 years!  
Emma: To learn, to connect with awesome people, and to act on my deeply held beliefs about local food.
Deb: I’ve always loved gardening. I’m happiest when my knees are dirty. It may be genetic — I come from a long line of gardeners and farmers on both sides of my family.
Years/seasons working at Cosmic Apple?
Roberta: 4 years
Emma: Two at the market. I had a workshare (volunteer) years ago too.
Deb: 9 years
Favorite item we grow?
Roberta: Sunflowers, Tomatoes and Potatoes
Emma: Beans
Deb: It’s a toss up between Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes & Green Zebra Tomatoes
Favorite item you wish we could grow?
Roberta: Corn or Lychee! 
Emma: Pomegranates
Deb: If only . . . Sweet White Corn
The thing about farm work that is the most rewarding?
Roberta: Knowing that Cosmic Apple takes the time and effort to  build healthy soil to grow the most nutrient dense vegetables to share with our community. 
Emma:  Being a part of something I truly believe in.
Deb: I love seeing the excitement people have when they pick up their share or come to the market to buy veggies.  Plus I love working with all the young folks at the farm ‘cuz I’m old enough to be their grandmother.
The thing about farm work that is the most challenging?
Roberta:  When I used to work in the fields, the long term squatting to harvest and the heat of the sun midday were the most challenging for me. 
Emma: Grappling with the unjust, systemic problems that small farms are up against.
Deb: Trying to stay ahead of the weeds.
One thing you wish all the farm CSA members knew?
Roberta: their support is crucial, it allows the farm to continue working its magic.  CSA members role model mindful citizenship to their communities and the next generation! 
Emma: That I'm currently running for Teton County (ID) Commissioner and can be reached at 781-929-0148.
Favorite recipe on the Cosmic Apple Recipe page, or one we need to add?
Roberta: Leek & Potato Gratin
Emma:  Zucchini cakes and dill sauce!
(One to add: smashed turnips! Boil whole turnips until tender, then smash/flatten with a spatula on a towel and let drain 20 mins, then drizzle both sides with olive oil and salt and pepper and coat with grated cheese. Bake at 375 for about 10 mins per side until golden. So yummy!)
Deb: Sorrel Cream Sauce with Zucchini Cakes as a close second
Favorite farm job?
Roberta: Milking the cows! 
Emma: Keeping the Driggs market stand looking beautiful and chatting with the customers about recipes!
Deb: I got to milk the cows a few times and you really have to be totally present to them when you are doing it.  You get to let go of everything else in your life and just focus.  Very peaceful and centering. 
Something you want to learn more about or how to do at the farm?
Roberta: the Vortex Brewer! 
Emma: Caring for the cows.
Deb: When do I get to drive the tractor?
Something farm related that makes you happy/proud to be part of our crew?
Roberta: I love to help steward all the animals (cows, pigs, chickens, and Dumbledore the cat) through our harsh winters! 
Emma: How wonderfully well the soil is cared for! I am so grateful to the farm family and crew for your commitment to the holistic health of land, animals, and people.
What does our food do for you?
Roberta: The food provides real, healthy  nourishment and a remembrance of the infinite generosity of Mother Earth. 
Emma: It brings me joy, nourishment, and the freedom of being able to live more fully in line with my values. 
Is there a question I should have asked?
Roberta: Favorite Farm Animal or Pet? Cosmo the dog!! 
Emma:  What else do we do in the community? I'm on the boards of Teton Valley Housing and Teton Valley Community Recycling, and I'm a full-time mom to my two-year-old daughter, Poppy.

Lunch on the Farm this week: Zucchini Cakes
Recipe Ideas: Napa Cabbage Salad; Chimichurri Sauce (parsley page); Zucchini Frittata

Click the button below to access our collection of Cosmic Apple CSA inspired recipes!