Pick List:
Heirloom Tomato - Yellow Carmen - Onion - Peaches! -
Melon - Corn - Basil - Cukes - Cayenne Pepper - Sunflower
KITCHEN SHARE:
ROSEMARY RHUBARB SAUCE- for toast or ice-cream or yogurt, etc..
The harvest is in serious full swing! I feel like all the crops are coming on at once and I have zero time to process for winter (i.e. can, freeze, dry, etc…). During these times I am so grateful for our staggered plantings and all the 100’s of varieties of tomatoes intended to produce during different times of the season. Please do not do as I do and put off your canning adventures until the day before the first frost- get on it hasta pronto. If you are amped on winter storage, know that we sell vegetables in bulk for a discounted rate through our farmstand- most notable is our deal on tomato seconds. Curious about that price? See next week’s newsletter (mostly because it is Wednesday morning at 6am and i do not have that info on me)- you can also call the farmstand or email info@edgewaterfarm.com for any wholesale inquiries.
In other news, there is a cultural change of seasons happening over here. School season is upon us and we are losing- what feels like- half of our staff. One of the good folks heading back to school is Pete Jaarsma. Pete has been working at the farm since he was a sophomore in high-school. Pete is an absolute peach of a human and he has grown up so much since he arrived on River Road. Best part about Pete? His consistency- always shows up on time, always asks what more he can do, and always comes to the field with the sunniest of dispositions and a story to tell. Also noteworthy, Jaarsma packs his lunch with a mason jar of milk. He is heading into his Junior year of college at UNH, we miss him already.
Much love to all the crew heading back to school and abroad! We really appreciate all the good energy they put into the season.
TIPS - TRICKS - RECIPES:
What you need:
3 peaches (2 diced, 1 sliced) 2 tablespoons butter, at room temp
1/2 – 3/4 cup maple syrup, according to taste (or ~1 cup sugar) 1 egg
1 cup of flour, sifted 1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
What to do:
+ Grease a square or round baking dish (the original recipe calls for a 9-inch pan, but an 11-inch dish worked just fine, too—just keep an eye on the time.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
+ Dice two peaches, removing the pit. For the topping, slice the third peach into thin slices and set aside.
+ In a large bowl, by hand or by mixer, beat softened butter and maple syrup or sugar. Add the egg and beat until well mixed.
+ In a different bowl (or if you’re as lazy as I am, right on top of the liquid ingredients), sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well. (If using maple syrup, the batter will be slightly runny, if using sugar, it will be quite thick. Both will turn out just fine after baking. Carry on.)
+ Mix diced peaches into the batter.
+ Spread batter into your pan.
+ Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and arrange peach slices in as pretty a spiral as you can manage.
+ Bake the cake until the edges pull away from the pan and it’s a rich golden brown (if you use syrup instead of sugar, your batter will be browner from the get-go, so account for that), about 60 minutes.
serves 6
notes: I opt for white balsamic vinegar because it doesn’t impart a dark colour onto the bread. Feel free to use the darker, regular balsamic vinegar if that’s what you have though. The flavour is quite similar.
croutons:
4-5 cups tore up pieces of bread 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
salad:
1 big shallot, peeled and thinly sliced 4-5 cups chopped tomatoes
2 peaches, pitted and roughly chopped 1-2 cups of greens
2 big sprigs of basil, leaves finely sliced (reserve some whole leaves for garnish if you like)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the tore up bread on a large, parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat bread evenly in the oil. Bake for 15 minutes, flipping croutons at the halfway point to promote even browning. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Place the chopped tomatoes, peaches, kale and basil in a large bowl. Drizzle the oil and white balsamic vinegar on top and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add the cooled croutons and toss once more.
Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes or so so that the bread can soak up the juiciness from all the veggies and fruit. Serve with a big sprig of basil on top if you like.