Week 9 - U-Pick season is upon us!

Welcome, August! Welcome, u-pick favorites: flowers, peppers, tomatillos, herbs and more are here. Here are some u-pick garden FAQs:

Can I visit the u-pick? If you’re a Full Plate CSA member, YES! During any daylight hours. (not open to public, not included in Side Dish CSAs)

Does is cost extra? No, unlimited u-picking is included in your membership :)

Where is the u-pick? See a map of the Stick and Stone and the Youth Farm gardens

What’s in it? So much! Flowers, herbs, tomatoes, peppers and more. Scroll down for weekly u-pick updates, and/or see an overview here.

Anything else I should know? BYO scissors, containers, and sunscreen. No dogs allowed. Do not block farm roads or play on farm equipment. Enjoy!

this week’s veggies

cabbage - variety: mermaid’s tale - remembrance
broccoli - remembrance
cucumbers - remembrance
tomatoes - stick and stone & remembrance
sweet corn - stick and stone & remembrance
scallions - stick and stone
eggplant - stick and stone
shishito peppers - mostly mild, about 1 in 15 is hot - stick and stone

ROTATING ————————————-

celery - remembrance
summer squash - stick and stone
green beans - stick and stone

Salad greens are suffering in the heat, we’re giving them a week off to recharge—in the meantime, enjoy some summertime slaw!

crops are our best estimate & may change a bit after harvest. rotating means harvest will be enough for some, but not all locations this week; we’ll get each crop everywhere soon! *salad greens rotate btwn field greens, spicy mix, lettuce mix, arugula, baby kale & tatsoi

fruit bowl this week

peaches - beckens
blueberries - emmi farms

this week’s Remembrance cheese

RFOC - Remembrance Farm Onion Chive - a flavor filled favorite. Delicious all on it’s own, perfect for cheese and crackers (maybe w/ a slice of tomato?!)

preorder and pickup

PITTED TART CHERRY PICKUP THIS WEEK, 8/3-8/6

APRICOTS - order now to pickup this week, 8/3-8/6 - Bittner Singer Orchard

Order Apricots

BLUEBERRIES - order now to pickup this week, 8/3-8/6 - Grindstone & Emmi

Order Blueberries

PEACHES - pickup NEXT week, 8/10-8/13 - Beckens

Order Peaches

HEIRLOOM TOMATOES - pickup this week, 8/3-8/6 - Remembrance

Order Tomatoes

CHEESE & YOGURT from Remembrance. Orders placed today to be filled next week.

Order Cheese & Yogurt

updates from the farm & friends…

LAST CIRCUS CULTURE PERFORMANCE AT PRESS BAY

Come for your CSA, stay for the show! Last chance to catch this wonderful and FREE circus performance. 6-7pm in the Press Bay parking lot this Thursday

on our plates…

Cucumbers & Feta with Almond Dukkah by Sara

The heat of August is upon us, and sometimes even the thought of turning on the oven for dinner is simply unbearable. Lately I find myself craving cool, crunchy salads, and no vegetable fits this bill better than cucumbers. Combined with a creamy feta spread and scooped up with flatbread, this salad is air conditioning in food form. Dukkah is a popular Middle Eastern condiment consisting of whole spices, nuts and herbs.

For the almond dukkah (This dukkah recipe will make more than you need– try leftovers on eggs, or use it as a dip for good bread and nice olive oil)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
2 ounces roasted, salted almonds
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
Feta spread & assembly:
8 ounces cucumbers, cut into bite-sized wedges
½ teaspoon kosher salt
4 ounces Remembrance Farms feta cheese, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese
1 tablespoon heavy cream, plus more as needed
¼ cup soft herbs (parsley, mint, basil, tarragon, cilantro or a mix), finely chopped
Garlic naan or gluten-free flatbread, for serving
Extra virgin olive oil, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

In a small frying pan, toast the sesame, coriander, cumin and fennel seeds until just fragrant, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat and immediately transfer seeds to a mortar & pestle or a food processor. (Reserve pan for heating flatbreads) Add almonds, salt and pepper and pound or pulse to a coarse but uniform consistency. If using a food processor, reserve for making the feta spread– no need to wash in between.

To assemble:

Place cucumber wedges in a strainer set above a large bowl and stir in ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Allow to sit at room temperature while you assemble the feta spread.
Place feta crumbles, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon heavy cream in food processor and pulse until smooth. (You may have to add another tablespoon of heavy cream to reach a spreadable consistency). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Gently warm naan or gluten-free flatbread in skillet until just pliable. Remove cucumbers from the strainer and discard any water that may have leached out. Toss with fresh herbs.
To assemble, schmear a healthy dab of feta spread across half of your plate. Top with herby cucumber wedges. Sprinkle dukkah over the cucumbers and feta, and top with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve with warmed flatbreads.

U-Pick Gardens

open 7 days/week during daylight hours. unlimited use. for Full Plate vegetable share members only. see more u-pick info and maps!

AT STICK AND STONE FARM (see map)

Abundant parsley, thai basil, basil and perilla, and some cherry tomatoes in the creekside garden. So many flowers, plus tomatillos and green hot peppers in the roadside garden. Elderberries are ripening behind the barn—get ‘em before the birds do! (reminder: do not eat raw elderberries)

AT THE YOUTH FARM PROJECT (see map)

CAUTION: stay away from mulch pile at YFP due to yellow jacket activity

The main garden is full of flowers and basil and some tomatoes too!