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Rain delay: Historic rainfall in May and June prompts a late harvest for some local produce growers - Crain's Cleveland Business

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Rain delay: Historic rainfall in May and June prompts a late harvest for some local produce growers  Crain's Cleveland Business

Most food distributors, farmers markets and grocery stores have found adequate supplies of local produce this season, but they've had to wait up to a month for ...

Week 15 from Valley Flora!

Beet Box -

Week 15 from Valley Flora! Melon this Week!
Thanks for eating locally from our family farm!
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What's Cookin' at the Farm...
  • Sweet September: Melons!
  • Eggplant Inspiration
  • Tamales this Week
  • Special Order Sweet Peppers
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What's In Your Share This Week:*
  • Red Onions
  • Cucumbers
  • Head Lettuce
  • Carrots
  • Tomatoes
  • Eggplant
  • Zucchini
  • Sweet Corn
  • Sweet Peppers
  • Hot Peppers
On Rotation:
(Some locations will receive it this week; others in a future week)
  • Cilantro
  • Basil
  • Dill
*Harvest Basket contents may vary between pickup sites in a given week depending on what's ripe and ready on the farm. Don't worry - if something is on the list but not in your tote, you'll get it soon!

The VF Crystal Ball - What might be in your share next week...
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers?
  • Corn?
  • Dill or Cilantro
  • Lettuce
  • Napa Cabbage?
  • Zucchini
  • Tomatoes
  • Eggplant
  • Peppers
Sweet September: Melons!
You might notice the absence of strawberries in your tote this week - the first time since June 10th. The picking gets slow this time of year - too slow for it to pencil out for us - so we are giving the berry patch over to the u-pickers and celebrating the arrival of a whole new ball of sugar: melon time! Abby's favorite cantaloupe, "Sarah's Choice," ripened up for us this week to soften the strawberry blow. And what a consolation prize it is! Fragrant, juicy, delicious, and quasi-miraculous given how close we are to the coast. This variety has risen to the top after years of Abby trialing and taste-testing dozens of different melons on the farm.
Sarah's Choice making us all grin at lunchtime...
The melons are a godsend because September is always bittersweet. Bitter as our kids return to school, like the songbirds flying south, and the farm becomes empty of their joyful soundtrack. Bitter as certain beloved summer crops, like cucumbers and strawberries, are on the wane and signs of senescence are all around: powdery mildew in the squash, potato vines dying back, a chill in the creek. And then, thank goodness, the sweet: melons, the promise of a good harvest of Delicata squash in a couple weeks, the orchard heavy with apples and Asian pears in the slanted evening light. It's always heart-breakingly beautiful at this time of year, moreso than other months - I suppose because we know subconsciously that the summer days are numbered.

But not to worry, Fall will rescue us from our end-of-summer melancholy, always in the nick of time, and I will remember how much I relish lighting the woodstove and making soup again.
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Eggplant Inspiration
I recognize that it's that time of year when some of you are struggling with eggplant. I personally made 4 large eggplants disappear on Monday night while making dinner for my family, so I'll admit I have to dig deep to walk a mile in an eggplant-haters shoes. That said, even though I can't really understand what it's like to be you, I CAN offer some extra support to help get you through this trying time. Here are a few ideas to survive the seasonal onslaught (BTW, we really did plant 33% fewer eggplant this year, but alas....):
  1. Recipes. It's not just about eggplant parm. Have you tried Baba Ganoush yet? Here's a self-described "epic" recipe for it, and it's totally freezable for later when there is zero eggplant in your life. Or this from a fellow CSA member: Grilled Eggplant with Harissa Vinaigrette. But my all-time favorite creative eggplant disappearing act is eggplant brownies. Really. Just google it. A CSA member turned us on to them last season when everyone was really getting buried in aubergine (you thought 4 eggplant was a lot.....). The creaminess of the eggplant makes for a moist, amazing brownie, and you get to claim a serving of vegetables while eating dessert.
  2. The Barter/Gift Economy. I know for a fact that there are a lot of eggplant fanatics in our CSA ranks, so if brownies can't even convince you to take your eggplant home, offer them up to a fellow member - perhaps in trade for some corn this week? You'll make someone's day.
  3. Remember, like all things Valley Flora, this too shall pass. Seasonality is our middle name. Hang in there. :)
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Tamales this Week
Tamales are going out in marked blue coolers this week. Be sure to take the bag that's labeled just for you! I'm thinking tamales with fresh sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes, onion, corn.....Mmmmmm-mmm.
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Special Order Sweet Peppers!
Pepper fans! It's time to order bulk sweet peppers! You can email Bets, the Grand Poobah of Pepper Production, and give her your NAME, PICKUP SITE, PHONE NUMBER and the QUANTITY and TYPE of PEPPER you want! They are $22 for 5 pounds, and you can choose from Stocky Red Roasters (that's the red Italian type pepper in your share this week) or a mix of her various roasters: Stocky, Gypsy, and Glow (the orange pepper in your share).
 
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The Farmstand is Open for Summer Hours!
 
Every Wednesday & Saturday (rain or shine)
9 am to 2 pm

Fresh Produce
U-Pick Strawberries & Flowers
Homemade Jam & Hot Sauce

Please bring your own bags and u-pick containers!

Directions to the Farm
For Recipes & Cooking Inspiration:
 
Valley Flora Recipe Wizard
Our own collection of recipes gathered over the years.
 
Epicurious
A vast collection of recipes, searchable by one or multiple ingredients
 
Full Belly Farm
Recipes from one of my favorite farms in California, pioneers of the organic movement since the 80s.

Farm Fresh to You
A storehouse of recipes, searchable by ingredient.
 
Helsing Junction Farm
A Washington farm that has a good collection of seasonal recipes geared toward CSA members.
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