August 17th, 2009. Week #11.

In your box this week:

1. Tomatoes — All are heirloom varieties except the small orange Sungold variety.  A few of the varieties I can remember off the top of my head:  Giant Syrian, Purple Russian, Tommy Toe, Zapotec Pleated.  Some of them may need a few more days to ripen, but would’ve gone bad if we would’ve tried to hold them until next week.  This is partly because heirloom tomatoes tend to have thin skin that splits easily, leaving a crack where mold loves to quickly grow.  Some might already have cracks or a few spots to cut away before using the rest.  We are very thankful to have rec’d an inch of rain over the weekend, but it also meant that we had to pick some of the tomatoes early before they burst open their skins with the sudden water intake.  Heirlooms have been bred for flavor instead of ease of shipping, so hopefully you will notice a range of tastes, textures, and colors.  They are best stored uncovered at room temperature.
2. Broccoli
3. Cauliflower
4. Cabbage
5. Kohlrabi
6. Carrots — the last of the colorful “Specialty” mix.  The rest will be orange, except for a small section planted with the “Sci-Fi Mix”
7. Red Onions
8. Beans
9. Lettuce/Mizuna/Arugula Mix
10. Parsley
11. Basil — best stored in a vase of water at room temperature.  Re-cut the bottom of the stems every few days.
12. Zucchini/Summer Squash
13. Cucumbers
14. Swiss Chard
15. Sweet Bell Peppers — some purple, mostly green.  Hopefully more colors coming soon.

Special thanks and happy birthday to our guest harvester, Dave!

And a huge thanks to working member Natalie, who is spending her last Monday of the season with us today.  (She is a preschool teacher and it’s back to school time already.)  Natalie has been a HUGE help and excellent company each Monday and we are thankful she could join us for a second season.  …Here’s hoping for a third next year??