White House Gardens Week #13, September 9, 2010

Once again, we finished packing your boxes early, thanks to helpers Pam & Paul Thielo, Mary Fulton, and Albina Schapel.  We even got an extra vegetable in your share: potatoes that were already dug (today), but take extra time to weigh and bag.  Thank you, helpers, very much.  I thoroughly enjoyed having you help me Thursday evening. 

Which brings me to something I have been thinking about this year.  Many CSA’s require their members to participate in the planting and harvesting at sometime during the season.  When the CSA concept was first established in Japan, shareholders formed a group, sought out a farmer, acquired the land, decided what they wanted to grow, and organized the distribution of the vegetables.  That is how the concept was first introduced in this country by Robin Van Eyn.  It has evolved since the early  eighties into more of a marketing tool where the farmer does most or all of the work. 

Next year I am going to offer “working shares”; each shareholder will be required to work a few hours during the season.  There will be a schedule for the entire season and everyone will be required to work a shift or two, probably consisting of 3-4 hours per season.  Several of you have already volunteered your time, and I am very grateful for your help.   Working shares will help to keep the cost down as I won’t have to hire as much outside help.  There will be more on this later.  I will also be sending out sign up information for next year in a few weeks. 


The fall crops are coming along nicely.  There is less weed pressure this time of year, and everything looks very fresh and green.  The spinach is coming up very slowly.  The soil may have been too warm last week for it to germinate.  The tomatoes may be at their end, not too many good ones left on the vines.  The heirlooms are still looking good, so we will have a few of them for a couple of weeks. I have been disappointed in the paste tomatoes this year.  They look like they are ripe, but inside they still look unripe.  If anyone has received any that they are unhappy with, please let me know.  This variety is one I have never grown before and I have trouble telling when they are ripe. 

Tomatoes  One quart of hybrids and a couple of red, yellow, or orange heirlooms.  Yes, the heirlooms are ugly and much of it needs to be cut away sometimes, but their flavor is usually superior to hybrid tomatoes.  But this year, I think all the tomatoes are a little watery and somewhat tasteless. 

Sweet Peppers  Long, Italian frying peppers called Carmen, yellow Flavorburst, and/or red block peppers.  Carmen is very sweet when red, I love this pepper.  It produces very well in our short summers.  All the peppers are doing very well this year due to the warm weather.  Red peppers are fully ripe green peppers.

Eggplant  Recipe included in the newsletter
Lettuce  Romaine type
Onions  Yellow
Carrots
Potatoes  Kennebec variety.  According to the seed catalog, these are the best for making French fries.

Below is a recipe for stewed tomatoes with eggplant.  My sister has made this and it is very good.  She made a few changes:  doubled the butter, added garlic just as the onions were finishing cooking, and added a splash of white balsamic vinegar at the end.  I personally don’t think it’s necessary to purge the eggplant of water with the salt soak when the eggplant you have is so fresh.  That step is usually necessary when the eggplant is old and bitter.