At Sunset Farm, we have the joy of growing food 365 days out of the year! Of all seasons, summertime produces more exotic vegetables and less varieties compared to Spring and Fall peak seasons. With a bit of creativity in the kitchen, summer veggies can be prepared in a multitude of ways that will help them remain exciting and new at each meal!

Check out some ways below that you can continue to enjoy our summer produce, as we wait for Fall veggies that will be seeded in just a couple of weeks:

• Okra - Try slicing length wise and baking or air frying for a non-slimy result - also great cooked with eggs or paired with a sticky rice

• Long Beans - These can be used in any traditional green bean recipe and are also great to cook and use as a veggie noodle or blanch and chop into a salad

• Squash - In addition to baking and sauteeing - try shredding this veggie into a breakfast hash and baked goods, or use a quick pickle recipe with your favorite spices for fresh eating

• Cucumbers - The best lettuce replacement for summer salads, and great in preserved foods like kimchi and pickles

Add a spark to your home by taking home our beautiful fresh flowers too! We have had a bumper crop of sunflowers this year, and plan to keep producing until we enter cooler months. These blooms are very dependent on longer daylight hours, as shown by their faces beaming toward the morning sun!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Zucchini, Korean Melon, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, and Flowers

This week we harvested 106 pounds of Korean Melon off of just one row! These mildly sweet and crisp fruits lived up to their reputation of being super productive in the summer season. Farmer Matt prefers to enjoy these personal-sized melons as a mid-day snack, especially on hot days! Also known as Chamoe in Korean, this melon is traditionally prepared in salads, kimchi, and as an appetizer.

Despite rising temperatures, the farm is vibrant with colors of deep green from Roselle and Cowpeas, sprinkled with a pop of color from beautiful flowers! We highly recommend taking advantage of the last days of summer with kiddos and enjoy a morning walk through the farm landscape. If you are interested in a more educational farm adventure, mark your calendar for our monthly Farm Tours that take place every fourth Saturday of the month!

Farmer Josie is also in the planning process for community events and programs on the farm this coming Fall! Adults and kids alike will have an opportunity to learn more about our sustainable growing practices we use to produce delicious food for the community, while also interacting with nature in fun and creative ways!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Banana, Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, Mad Hatter, and Poblano, and Flowers

These tiny blossoms in the fruit orchard belong to the Jujubee tree! Commonly coined as the "Texas Apple," Jujubees are small fruits with a thin skin and crisp apple-like flesh, only a bit drier and sweeter. This is the first fruit load for these trees and will likely be a smaller harvest. However, Jujubee trees can grow to be about 50ft tall and bear a significant amount of fruit!

After a whopping harvest of over 30lbs of cucumbers from our new variety called "Diva," we are excited to be planting more in our high tunnel this week! These cucumbers have a thin skin making them perfect for a summertime snack. Our favorite way to enjoy cucumbers on the farm is by including several slices in our water throughout the day - the perfect natural flavoring to encourage hydration on hot days!

Coming soon to the Grab-n-Go cooler are Cantaloupe and Korean melons! Stay tuned for updates as we wait for melons, zucchini, and a new variety of peppers to ripen. Be sure to stop by the Farm Stand this Saturday from 9am - 12pm to get your fill of summertime veggies and take home a beautiful flower bouquet!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Banana, Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, Mad Hatter, and Poblano, and Flowers

The unique shape and versatility in the kitchen has made Patty Pan Squash a fan favorite during the Spring and Summer season! Veggie lovers enjoy this squash prepared in many ways like dicing and roasting, slicing fresh into a salad, and coring the middle to stuff with your favorite meat or rice. We are also excited to restock the Grab-n-Go cooler with tunnel-grown cucumbers! These fruits are slender, long, and crispy - perfect for a summer salad or sandwich.

This week we also enjoyed a very small taste of orchard fruits that are in abundance and slowly ripening. Freshly harvested figs warmed by the summer sun taste like a spoonful of sweet jam! These early harvests are sparse and must be caught before the birds find them, but we are hopeful for bigger harvests soon that will be sold in the Grab-n-Go cooler!

Be sure to stop by the Farm Stand this Saturday from 9am - 12pm to get your fill of summertime veggies and flowers! In coming weeks we plan to fill the field with more beautiful sunflower varieties that will bloom in late summer. For now, the birds are feasting on many sunflower heads in the field that have made delicious seeds!

In Season : Patty Pan Squash, Cucumbers, Okra, Long Beans, Basil, Peppers : Banana, Shishito, Green Bell, Sweet Bell, Jalapeno, Mad Hatter, and Poblano, and Flowers

Reserve your spot now for the Farm Tour this Saturday from 10am - 11am! Participants will enjoy complementary coffee and breakfast items courtesy of the Jordan Ranch lifestyle team while learning how we grow food year round in the neighborhood! Participants will browse the beautiful fruits growing in our orchard and taste test in-season veggies like cherry tomatoes. End the morning by shopping at the farm stand stocked with delicious veggies and gorgeous flower bouquets!

Celebrate the first summer weekend with fun on the farm! Our Buds & Blooms Kids Farm Adventure is open for signups and will take place on June 6th from 9am - 10:30am. Kids ages 8-12 years old will enjoy a farm scavenger hunt, seeding their own vegetable plant, harvesting flowers and more! Sunset Farm is the perfect place to encounter nature, learn where food comes from, and let your imagination run wild!

Despite frequent rains that have made field work difficult, our vegetables, fruits, and flowers are still producing in abundance! New in the Grab-n-Go cooler are pickling and Asian cucumber varieties that are both great for fresh eating or slicing on sandwiches and salads. Our Spring greens like collards, kale, and chard have officially reached their productive potential and will soon be replaced with new crops like long beans, Asian eggplant, and more flowers!

In Season : Slicing Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Basil, Asian Eggplant, Italian Eggplant, Okra, Banana Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Green Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Green Onion, and Flowers

After two long months in the greenhouse, the day has finally come to plant our high tunnel tomatoes! With wind gusts up to 18 mph on plating day, we are thankful for our protected growing space that allows plants to thrive in optimal conditions with warmer soil, wind breaks, and controlled watering. This head start to tomato season should keep us on track to harvest our first cherry tomatoes by early to mid April!

Despite a drop in temperatures again, our newly planted summer squash fared well and should have gained cold tolerance in anticipation for any more cool weather. Our first round of slicing cucumbers is also ready to be planted this week. Similar to tomatoes, they are destined for the high tunnel where a trellis system is installed for these plants to climb to extraordinary heights! Stay tuned for crop updates as we share trellising tips and ways you can successfully grow Spring plants in your backyard garden!

While Spring planting is in full swing, our winter crops are still producing in abundance. Newly seeded carrots and spinach have germinated well, while scallion and fennel seedlings are growing quickly with warmer days. Our last kohlrabi crop for this season is ready for harvest! This unique veggie has a taste akin to broccoli, yet grows in a bulbous shape above ground making it great for chopping and roasting or shredding into salads or slaws. You can find it in the Grab-n-Go cooler or at the Farm Stand this weekend!

In Season: Carrots, Kohlrabi, Celery, Fennel, Green Onions, Parsley, Collard Greens, Curly Kale, Cilantro, and Dill