The Worm's Voice: Red Wiggler's CSA Newsletter
MONTGOMERY COUNTY FARM TOUR
This Saturday, July 25th, from 12-4, Red Wiggler will participate in the annual Montgomery County Farm Tour. Travel around the county to local farms, orchards and vineyards, and sample the delicious variety of MoCo agriculture. Red Wiggler will be open from 12-4 on Saturday only, but the MoCo Farm Tour runs all weekend. Check out the event website for a listing of participating locations.
30th ANNUAL HARVEST CELEBRATION
Speaking of fun farm events, tickets are now live for our 30th annual Harvest Celebration on Saturday, September 12th. This time around, we’ll be celebrating our 30th year, so the party will be extra celebratory! Ticket price includes food, drinks, live music, farm tours, and more. Guests will also enjoy a celebratory program highlighting the season and staff contributions. Harvest Celebration is always a festive, feel-good event, and this year, we hope you’ll join us!
IN THE SHARE
- Potatoes!
- Kale
- Cucumbers/Squash
- Tomatoes/Peppers/Eggplant
- Hot Peppers
PICK-YOUR-OWN
PICK-YOUR-OWN AVAILABILITY
Look for the BLUE flags on items ready to pick!
RED
Marigolds, Cilantro, Sunflowers, Lovage, Oregano, Chives, Lavender, Russian Sage, Thyme, Blanket Flowers, Bee Balm, Zinnias, Peppermint, Spearmint, Tarragon, Nicotiana
ORANGE
Lamb’s Ear, Pincushions, Parsley, Snapdragons, Sunflowers, Shiso, Statice, Basil, Lemon Basil, Thai Basil, Tulsi Basil, Nigella
PINK
Zinnias, Cosmos, Strawflowers, Marigolds, Gomphrena, Sunflowers, Dill, Cilantro, Celosia
YELLOW
Nicotiana, Calendula, Lemon Balm, Bee Balm, Sage, Yarrow
PURPLE
Heliopsis, Anise Hyssop, Fennel, Coreopsis, Rudbeckia
Need help or ideas? Just ask a RWCF Staff member or volunteer. We’re here for you!
RECIPES
VEG = Vegetarian DF = Dairy-Free GF = Gluten-Free
Caponata GF DF Veg
One of our long-time CSA customers mentioned this dish last Saturday, but I had never heard of it. She enthusiastically sang its praises, and then promised to send the recipe. Which she did. I hope you like it!
INGREDIENTS
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1/3 cup green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup mushrooms, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup olives, sliced
1.5 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
Salt & pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Place eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic, and oil in large skillet. Cover and cook gently over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
Chill overnight. Serve warm or at room temperature alone with crostini or crackers, or as part of an antipasti platter.
Cucumber Avocado Salad VEG DF GF
Sometimes, the path of least resistance really is the answer. That feels especially true with summer cooking–when it’s hot and humid out, it’s hard to feel motivated to try that new recipe or figure out how to cook that weird vegetable. This deliciously simple salad, adapted from NYT Cooking, is perfect for those kinds of days. Beyond having some ripe avocados around, there is no planning, no prep–in fact, the sooner you eat it after making it, the better!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 bunch chives, trimmed then sliced crosswise 1/4″ thick
- 1 pound cucumbers
- Kosher salt
- 2 very ripe avocados
- 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Handful of herbs such as dill, basil, mint or cilantro (optional)
DIRECTIONS
- Place chopped chives in a bowl of ice water to crisp.
- Peel the cucumbers in alternating strips and trim ends. If desired, halve lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut cucumbers into bite-size pieces, then transfer to a colander set in the sink. Toss with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside to drain for 5-15 minutes.
- Halve the avocados and remove the pits. Using a spoon, remove the flesh from the skins, then cut the flesh into ½-inch cubes. Transfer to a large bowl, add the lemon or lime juice and season with salt. Stir to combine.
- Shake the cucumbers in the colander to get rid of any excess moisture, then transfer to the bowl with the avocado. Drain and shake the scallions in the colander. Add the chives to the bowl. Chop and add fresh herbs.
- Stir the salad ingredients vigorously just until the avocado breaks down a bit. The cucumbers should be glossed with avocado but the majority of the avocado pieces should still remain cubed. Season to taste with salt, lemon and red-pepper flakes or hot sauce.