Zucchini is officially back in season! Since zucchini and most summer squashes are fairly quick growers, they are often among the first spring vegetables to make their way to the Farm Stand. We are excited to offer you both a green and yellow zucchini variety. They’re both tender with a nutty and mildly sweet flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked. Farmer Anne loves to pop them in the air fryer at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes for an easy side dish.

We spotted the first tiny fruits on our cucumber vines in the high tunnel this week! Did you know that cucumbers are in the Cucurbit family along with other crops like zucchini, butternuts, and summer squashes? This family thrives in warmer weather and is typically killed by frosts which is why you’ll see these crops in season during spring and summer. In order to make sure we have a steady supply of cucumbers for you throughout both seasons, we just planted another 100 feet of cucumber plants in the field last week! We hope you’re just as excited as we are for cucumbers to make their way back into season.

While a large part of what we do is to grow and harvest crops for our community, planting cover crops is an integral part in managing the health of our soil. Cover crops allow us to give sections of our farm a break from production while simultaneously improving the health and structure of the soil. We just planted one of the back sections with a cowpea cover crop for the season. As the cowpeas grow (above), they will fix beneficial nitrogen to the soil, reduce soil erosion, crowd out weeds, and eventually when they are mowed down, add organic matter to the soil.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Romaine, Red Romaine, Zucchini, Swiss Chard, Fennel, Beets, Carrots, Curly Kale, Dino Kale, Scallions, and Salad Mix.

Coming Soon: Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Peppers

We have three new pepper varieties making their way to the Farm Stand this weekend: banana peppers, aji rico peppers, and sweet Italian peppers. Banana peppers have a sweet, mild flavor that is incredibly versatile in all manner of dishes. Farmer Matt loves these pickled! Aji rico peppers have a sweet, fruity flavor and a medium heat level. They are great for adding to stir-fries or salsas. Sweet Italian peppers are perfect for snacking and pairing with your favorite dip. We also recommend roasting them and using them to make a batch of sweet pepper romesco (recipe here). 

Our recent planting of cucurbits is doing really well and should begin producing very soon. One of the varieties we’re excited about in this succession is tromboncino, an Italian heirloom squash that can be harvested young like a summer squash or mature as a tougher-skinned winter squash. Tromboncino squash has a unique appearance similar to a butternut but with a longer neck that is often curved. We plan to harvest our tromboncinos young so that you can enjoy them just like you would zucchini. We’ll let you know as soon as they make their way to the Farm Stand! 

Did you know that we use kaolin clay as a natural “sunscreen” for some of our newly planted crops during the summer months? The leaf structure of our cucurbits (cucumbers and squashes) is more delicate so these plants benefit from a dusting of kaolin clay before being transplanted. The clay provides sun protection while also disguising the plant’s scent which detracts pests. As you can see above, our newly planted cucumbers are benefitting from this natural sunscreen! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Long Beans, Okra, Roselle Greens, Slicing Cucumbers, Bitter Melon, Jalapenos, Serranos, Baby Poblanos, Banana Peppers, Aji Rico Peppers, and Sweet Peppers.

Did you know that our Self-Serve Farm Stand is always open and stocked with fresh produce for you? The great thing about using the Self-Serve option is that you can come whenever it’s convenient for you, day or night. The coolers are stocked daily to ensure you’re getting the freshest possible produce. Simply pick what you want, check yourself out on the IPad next to the coolers, then pay with your card! We have instructions posted next to the IPad for your convenience.

If you prefer chatting with us while you peruse what’s in season, you can always join us on Saturday mornings from 9am-noon. Our Saturday Farm Stand is a great way to talk to Farmer Matt and learn about what we’re harvesting and when your favorite crops will be making their way into season! Plus, you can ask about our favorite way to cook with all of the produce we’re harvesting, like long beans. Our favorite way to enjoy them at the moment is to saute them in a bit of butter and a glaze made of rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili paste, and honey. Yum! 

We just planted a succession of several different members of Cucurbits, one of our main summer crop families. The Cucurbit family includes warm season favorites like cucumbers, watermelon, zucchini, and squash. We focused our planting on some reliable late summer varietals like Armenian cucumbers, Korean melons, and zucchini. We also planted seeds for a winter squash called “Butterbaby'' that yields mini butternut squashes with a sweet and nutty flavor. We can’t wait to share these with you! 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Okra, Butternut Squash, Jalapeños, Shishitos, Korean Melons, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Long Beans, and Eggplant.