Last week our hot weather crops finally started heating up. We picked the first of our peppers, outdoor cucumbers, and our outside tomatoes. The zucchini have been loving the hot weather as well. The melons are still small, but they are finally growing fast.

We also sent out the first of our carrots to our retail partners! If you or someone you know has been looking for our carrots, you can now find them on grocery store shelves around Duluth and at Super One in Cloquet.

Right now is kind of our “calm before the storm”. We spent a lot of last week weeding and hoeing things. Soon we will be so busy with harvesting, we won’t have time to deal with the weeds so now it’s extra important to stay on top of them. Most of them flower and put on seed really quickly thanks to the hot weather. If we don’t get the weeds out of the field before they drop their seeds, we will have an even worse problem next year.

We used some time last week to plant our final greenhouse items for the year, take down the fencing that holds up our peas, and get it put away so we can sow a cover crop on that field. Soon our attention will be shifting to garlic and onion harvesting and curing. Once the alliums come out of the field, we will be in full fall harvest prep. 

Normally in August, we have an open house at the farm. This year we have decided to hold this event a little later in the fall. If you don’t wait to wait that long to come visit the farm, you are always welcome to come out on a CSA day (Monday or Thursday mornings) to volunteer by picking and/or packing vegetables. We will also be harvesting garlic this week–probably on Wednesday. We planted more garlic than normal this year, so we would love all the extra help we can get. If none of these days work, feel free to call or email Janaki to set up a different time to come look around the farm. We love showing off all this beauty!

In your box this week:

Green beans – Beets – Broccoli – Carrots – Cucumbers – Onions – Parsley – Green Peppers – Jalapenos – Potatoes – Tomatoes – Zucchini

It’s green bean time! This French Green Bean Salad is one of my favorite ways to use up green beans and potatoes when I’m tired of my usual recipes. The bright vinaigrette with the fresh parsley makes this perfect for a hot summer day.

This time of year, Zucchini are in abundance. Your friends and neighbors are probably begging you to take some off their hands. If you’re looking for a fun and new way to use up some of that abundance, check out this Spicy Roasted Zucchini Dip. It’s perfect with crackers, veggies, or spread on a wrap.