Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!

this week’s veggies

• salad greens* - remembrance

• lettuce - remembrance

• herbs - rotating dill, basil, parsley - remembrance

• tomatoes - stick and stone and remembrance

• cucumbers - stick and stone and remembrance

• cooking greens - rotating kale/chard - stick and stone

• scallions - stick and stone

• watermelon - stick and stone

ROTATING —————————————

• sweet peppers - remembrance

• cabbage - remembrance

• shishito peppers - mostly mild, about 1 in 20 is hot -- stick and stone

• tomatillos - stick and stone

• eggplant - stick and stone

this week’s fruit bowl

• Yellow Nectarines - Bittner-Singer, Appleton, NY

• White Nectarines - Bittner-Singer, Appleton, NY

• White Peaches - Bittner-Singer, Appleton, NY

this week’s Remembrance cheese

• Mozzarella - delicious paired with fresh tomatoes and basil ;)

• or choose - Feta - the crumbly salty classic - ltd availability, FCFS

preorder and pickup

PICKUP THIS WEEK 8/7-8/10:

pre-ordered peaches and chicken

PICKUP NEXT WEEK 8/14-8/17:

PEACHES — Beckens — Pickup next week (8/7-8/10)

updates from the farm & friends…

PAYMENT PLANNERS, PAYMENTS ARE DUE 8/15

All payments are $125 ($62 for HFFA members). Pay online here, pay via cash or check (to Full Plate Farms, PO Box 6898, Ithaca, NY 14851 or brought to your free choice pickup) or pay via SNAP/EBT at GreenStar and send us a copy of your receipt. Find more payment plan info here.

on our plates…

Share what you’ve been cooking, we’re always glad to know, and eager to pass along. Just email Molly. Find this week’s ingredients in bold.

Tomato Grits with Corn, Bacon & Peppers

by Sara May. DIETARY INFO: gluten-free, contains dairy and meat (both optional)

• 1 large tomato

• ½ cup stone-ground grits or polenta (such as Farmer Ground Flour’s polenta)

• Kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper, to taste

• 4 ounces thick cut bacon (such as Wixom Farm’s) OR 4 oz tempeh bacon

• 5-6 scallions or 1 small onion

• 1 ear corn

• 1 jalapeno (upick) OR 2 shishitos (upick) /1 small sweet pepper

• 2 tablespoons sour cream (optional)

• ¼ cup soft herbs (upick parsley, mint, basil, tarragon, cilantro or a mix)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place a box grater inside a shallow bowl. Grate tomato against the large holes of the grater until all that remains is flattened tomato skin and stem; discard. 

2. Place grated tomato pulp and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan and add a healthy pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Stream in grits, whisking vigorously. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer.

3. Simmer grits, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, while you assemble the rest of the dish. The mixture will start to feel dry and a little sludgy, add a tablespoon of water to loosen and continue to simmer. (You will probably have to repeat this step a few times) Grits will take about 30 minutes to cook fully, so start them first while you cook bacon and chop the remaining vegetables.

4. Slice bacon into ¼” pieces. In a large skillet, cook bacon until browned and crispy on both sides. Remove bacon from rendered bacon fat with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to blot. Carefully pour off most of the bacon fat into a heat-proof container, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet. (If using tempeh bacon, you’ll have to add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to crisp it in the pan and an additional tablespoon of oil to saute the veggies.)

5. Chop veggies: thinly slice the white bottoms & green tops of scallions. Remove kernels from the ear of corn. Remove seeds and ribs of pepper and small dice.

6. To the skillet with the reserved bacon fat add the scallions, corn kernels and diced peppers. Saute until slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir cooked bacon into the vegetable mixture. 

7. When the grits are creamy and soft, stir in sour cream (optional, but adds a lovely tang!). Season with kosher salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Divide grits between two bowls and top with the bacon-vegetable mixture. Garnish with assorted herbs.

Cuke season continues, here’s more ideas…

• Cucumber Salads: make it creamy or spicy or vinegar-y or with tomatoes

• Cucumber Kvass

• Quick Pickles

• Mayo, sliced cuke and salt on some Wide Awake toast is a perfect summer snack

• use them as a vessel for dips or crunch on them all by themselves!

• add them to water or a cocktail

More in-season inspiration…

• Tomatillos (also in u-pick!), upick hot peppers: Tomatillo Salsa

• Shishito peppers (also in u-pick!): Blistered Shishitos are the classic!

• Tomatoes, herbs: Tomato Tart or try tomato pie, recommended by a member!

• Tomatoes, peppers, cukes: Gazpacho

• Eggplant: Grilled Eggplant with Feta

• Eggplant lends itself well to flavorful dips! Try Brinjal Pickle (Indian Eggplant Relish), Eggplant & Goat Cheese Dip, or Eggplant Caviar

• Cucumber, tomato, garlic, upick parsley & mint: Tabbouleh

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

BEHIND THE BARN: So many flowers—zinnias, amaranth, scabiosa, marigolds, more! Plus, perilla and cutting celery. Maybe even a handful of okra.

PERENNIAL GARDENS: Oregano, mint, chives, sage, etc. continue steadily.

CREEKSIDE GARDEN: Basil and Rosemary looking nice at the back end of the garden. Tomatillos and some peppers have started and there may be a handful of cherry tomatoes starting to ripen (dig deep in those plants!).

AT THE YOUTH FARM PROJECT

THE MAIN GARDEN (atop the hill across the street from the barn) has SO MUCH beautiful basil! There’s also lovely perilla, green corriander and cutting flowers too! Note: Tomatoes and peppers are rebounding nicely from early-season deer nibbles but still need more time to grow and ripen.

Perennials continue in front of the greenhouse (mint, bee balm, oregano, etc.)

AT PRESS BAY COURT - the cutest lil Mini U-pick!

A handful of cherry tomatoes, a bit of basil and a smattering of flowers