This week we delivered the first round of shares for our Community Vegetable Share Program! We still have a few spots available so if you’re a Jordan Ranch resident you can sign up for the remaining 5 weeks’ worth of shares here. Shares are delivered every Tuesday from now through Tuesday, December 17th. Each share includes 5-7 produce items hand chosen and delivered directly to your home on Tuesday afternoons by farmers Matt and Anne. If you struggle to find time to make it by the Farm Stand, this is a great alternative since we bring your produce directly to you! If you’re a Jordan Ranch resident and would love to learn more, head here. 

Fall tomatoes have arrived at the Farm Stand! Since tomatoes store best outside the chill of the fridge, you’ll find them on the table next to the iPad. We have two cherry varieties (Cherry Bomb and Sungold) in addition to one slicing variety (Early Girl). These tomatoes have great flavor and we’ve been enjoying snagging some to snack on while we harvest. The cherry tomatoes are perfect for salads while the slicers make a great addition to sandwiches and burgers.

While the produce in our self-serve coolers is available 24/7, every Saturday our farmers set up on the porch for a more traditional Farm Stand. The tables are lined with a beautiful assortment of produce from the farm and our farmers are present to help with your purchases and answer any questions you might have, including recipe suggestions! This in-person Farm Stand takes place every Saturday from 9am-noon. Can’t make it? You are always welcome to pop by the coolers whenever it’s convenient for you. Simply choose what you need and pay with a credit card on the iPad. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cherry Tomatoes, Early Girl Tomatoes, French Breakfast Radishes, Hakurei Turnips, Red Beets, Arugula, Salad Mix, Dino Kale, Curly Kale, Mustard Greens, Collard Greens, Komatsuna, Baby Bok Choy, Swiss Chard, Baby Broccoli, Roselle Greens, Roselle Pods, Long Beans, Okra, Asian Eggplant, and Korean Melon.

The first Korean melons of the season were harvested this week! We highly recommend popping by the Farm Stand soon so you can try one. Both the skin and flesh are edible so there’s minimal prep required when eating one. Simply cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, and you’re good to go! Farmer Anna loves the Korean melons straight from the fridge as a cold and refreshing summer snack while Farmer Reuben prefers to sprinkle slices with a dash of tajin. You can also use them in salads, sorbets, juices, and smoothies.

Okra, a beloved summer staple, is back in season this week! We have a colorful mix of green and burgundy okra for you at the Farm Stand. Since okra prefers warm temperatures, it tends to perform very well for us throughout the summer season. That means you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy it! Farmer Anna’s favorite dish to make with okra is bamya, a Mediterranean stew. She includes okra, eggplant, and tomatoes in her version. If you’d like to make your own, try this recipe. 

Tomato season is fleeting so make sure to stock up the next time you’re at the Farm Stand! Due to the consistently high temperatures, tomato season will be over in the next couple of weeks. For the time being, we have limited quantities of cherry tomatoes, Caiman tomatoes, and green tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes are great for adding to salads or cooking down into a quick pasta sauce. The Caiman variety is a red slicer that works well on sandwiches, burgers, or the classic BLT. Green tomatoes make a great relish but they can also be pickled, fried, or cooked down into jam or chutney. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Korean Melons, Okra, Long Beans, Banana Peppers, Sweet Peppers, Limited Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Eggplant, Cousa Squash, Onions, Limited Leeks, and Cut Flower Bouquets (limited and only on Saturdays).

December 2nd, 2021

Our carrots are getting mighty close to the first harvest of the season! The easiest way for us to check on their growth status is to pull one out of the ground. That way, we can check for both size and flavor to get an idea for how much longer they might need. As you can see in the photo, these are still just a tad too small. We expect that they should be ready for harvesting in about two weeks.

The time has come to bid farewell to our cherry tomatoes until next year! Since their production is beginning to slow down, we’ll be removing them next week. Before we remove them, we’ll be offering a you-pick at our farm stand on Saturday from 10am-noon. You’ll be able to pick as many cherry tomatoes as you like and each pint you pick will be $3. This is a great opportunity to preserve some tomatoes for winter, whether you can them, dry them, or prepare them for the freezer.

Swiss chard just made its way back into season to join our diverse lineup of leafy greens. Swiss chard is a tender green with crunchy stems that come in a rainbow of different colors depending on the specific variety (which is why it’s often referred to as “Rainbow chard”). Chard stems can range from white to yellow to red in color. Both the leaves and stems of chard are edible and can be used in place of spinach in your favorite recipes. For a quick and tasty side dish, sauté the chopped leaves and stems with garlic and toasted pine nuts.

Currently In Season: Cherry and Slicer Tomatoes, Eggplant, Dill, Cilantro, Kale, Green Leaf Lettuce Heads, Salad Mix, Arugula, Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Napa Cabbage, Turnips, Icicle Radishes, and Fresh Cut Flowers.

October 28th, 2021

Coming in slightly ahead of schedule, broccoli and cherry tomatoes are back in season! We’ll have limited amounts of each available at the farm stand on Saturday from 10am-noon. The cherry tomatoes are a mix of Sungold (yellow) and Sweetie (red) varieties. We highly recommend roasting the broccoli florets and halved cherry tomatoes together on a sheet tray until caramelized. Toss the roasted veggies with your favorite cooked pasta, toasted pine nuts, and some grated parmesan for a quick and delicious meal.

Last week our carrots were germinating and this week it’s our beets! We direct-seeded the first succession of beets last week and noticed their sprouts popping up this week. Did you know that beets and Swiss chard are members of the same family? They both prefer cooler temperatures and can even tolerate light freezes (which is why we don’t grow them during the hot months of the year). These beets are a golden variety which is why their stem is yellow rather than red or magenta.

We’ve been planting some fun crops in the greenhouse for fall in order to increase the diversity on the farm. Here are some of the varieties you can look forward to this fall and winter:

• Burgundy Broccoli - a sprouting broccoli with beautiful dark purple buds
• Purple Cauliflower - the same cauliflower you know and love but with a brilliant purple hue
• Romanesco - a light green member of the Brassica family that forms heads like cauliflower and broccoli but with a visually striking fractal form

Currently In Season: Cherry Tomatoes, Broccoli, Kale, Hakurei Turnips, Shishito Peppers, Padron Peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Poblano peppers, Eggplant, Yellow Squash, Cucumbers, and Marigolds for cut flowers

As much as I love pasta, it can sometimes feel a little too heavy in the middle of summer. Spaghetti squash makes a great pasta stand-in that is both grain free and incredibly delicious. After being roasted the squash is scooped away from the skin and tossed with pesto, fresh tomatoes, and creamy cannellini beans.