Okra just made its way back into season this week! Okra’s arrival often signifies the official transition from cool season to warm season crops. It thrives in the heat of summer and produces reliably throughout the season, typically into early fall. Since we just started harvesting from our plants, there will be a limited amount available in the Grab-and-Go coolers this weekend. We have a mix of red and green varieties that are tender and perfect for grilling, roasting, frying, pickling, or adding to soups and stews.

Have you tried our newest eggplant variety Nigral? It’s more of a traditional blackish-purple Italian variety with an oblong shape. Smaller than the globe eggplants that are commonly available in grocery stores, Nigral has a sweeter flavor and becomes incredibly tender and creamy once cooked. It is perfect for classic Italian recipes like caponata, pasta alla Norma, and eggplant parmesan. Farmer Anne highly recommends this recipe for eggplant parmesan if you’d like to try it! You can find the eggplant, tomatoes, and basil for it at the Grab-and-Go coolers. 

After much anticipation, our two sweet pepper varieties have made it to the Farm Stand! Cornito peppers (below left) are oblong and have a sweet flavor that is great for snacking, grilling, roasting, or stir-frying. Lunchbox peppers (below right) are small in stature with a sweet flavor that is ideal for snacking on raw in salads, sandwiches, or paired with your favorite dip. You can now find both of these pepper varieties in the Grab-and-Go coolers along with our jalapenos, shishitos, poblanos, and bell peppers. 

In Season at the Farm Stand: Okra, Cherry and Slicing Tomatoes, Pickling and Slicing Cucumbers, Zucchini, Eggplants, Jalapenos, Bell Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Poblano Peppers, Cornito Peppers, Lunchbox Peppers, Carrots, and Basil

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.

Spring planting continued in the high tunnel this week with a few different pepper varieties! We’ve had great success planting our peppers in the high tunnel over the past couple of years due to the protection it provides from excess moisture. And, our hope is that it allows us to extend pepper season well into the summer since we will be able to install a shade cloth over the top. This round of peppers focused mostly on sweet varieties like Escamillo and Lunch Box. We also planted Shishitos and Poblanos and will be adding a few hot varieties within the next few weeks.

We are getting incredibly close to our first zucchini harvest of the season! As you can see in the photo below, our plants are just starting to form buds which means it’s only a matter of time before we’re able to start harvesting. Did you know that zucchini, along with all of the other squash varieties that we grow, depend on pollinators in order to produce fruit? Pollinators help to transfer pollen from the male blossoms to the female ones. Once pollinated, the tiny zucchini at the base of the female blossom is able to grow.

In addition to peppers, we planted the first succession of cucumbers (below). This round is made up entirely of slicing varieties and is split between the field and the high tunnel. Since cucumbers are vining plants, we’ll be adding trellis support for them soon. The trellis will allow us to take advantage of the vertical growing space and will make it much easier to harvest once the time comes. Even though we just planted these last week, we’re already seeing the first buds emerge!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Spring Onions, Salad Mix, Arugula, Kale, Collards, Swiss Chard, Kohlrabi, Fennel, Dill, and Marigold Bouquets

Coming Soon: Cucumbers, Zucchini, and Summer Squashes

Cherry tomatoes have made their way back into season! We’re harvesting a mix of Sungold and Black Cherry tomatoes from our plants in the high tunnel. Did you know that tomatoes store best at room temperature? The chill of refrigeration typically causes them to lose flavor and taste a bit bland. That’s why you’ll find our tomatoes next to the fridge at the Farm Stand rather than in it! Our cherry tomatoes are great for snacking and adding to salads. Farmer Anna loves to add a few cherry tomatoes to her salsa for the sweet flavor they impart.

The first varieties of sweet peppers have also made their way into season here on the farm! We have Islander peppers, the lovely purple bells you can see in the photo below along with sweet banana peppers. Since Islander is a bell pepper, it’s perfect for stuffing and baking. Or, you can saute it with some onions and serve it up alongside grilled chicken for a tasty taco filling like Farmer Anna recommends. Our banana peppers are great for pickling but they can also be chopped and added to stir-fries or salads.

We’ll have a special surprise for you at the Farm Stand next Saturday, May 13th, for Mother’s Day: cut flower bouquets! We’ll have bouquets made with a mix of zinnias and marigolds available for purchase during our Farm Stand that day from 9am-noon. These bouquets are a great way to bring some farm beauty home to enjoy. We’ll have a limited amount available so make sure to get there sooner rather than later!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cherry Tomatoes, Purple Bell Peppers, Banana Peppers, Cucumbers (pickling and slicing), Summer Squashes (Zephyr, Magda, and Zucchini), Bulb Onions, Leeks, Green Garlic, Celery, Kale, Collards, Cabbage, and Beets.

We’ve reached the point in the season where we can shift our focus to planting summer crops! Over the next couple of weeks we’ll be planting a mix of delicious summer varietals that will thrive in the gradually warming temperatures. The newly prepared beds that you see above will be planted with a mix of hot peppers, specialty cucumbers, okra, Korean melons, and eggplants. Which of these are you most excited to see return to the farm stand?!

Green garlic has made its way to the Farm Stand! Similar to spring onions, green garlic is simply immature garlic. As you can see below, it’s just beginning to form bulbs. Since it's still immature, the individual cloves haven’t fully formed so you can eat both the stalk and the bulb. Green garlic has a slightly less pungent flavor than mature garlic with flavor notes similar to a scallion. Farmer Anna recommends chopping it up and adding it to stir-fries or using it to make a garlic herb butter.

We noticed last week that our sweet peppers in the high tunnel are just beginning to get a blush of color. That means sweet peppers will be making their way back into season very soon! The variety in the photo below is called “Islander” and it’s the one we’re most excited about. It produces purple bell peppers with a mild, sweet flavor. We expect that we’ll be able to make the first sweet pepper harvest in the next week or two!

Join us in wishing Farmer Alex a fond farewell as she embarks on a new adventure in Florida! We are incredibly appreciative for all of the time and energy she gave to the farm over the past couple of years. Make sure to come to the Farm Stand on Saturday or our next Farm tour on May 20th to chat with Anna, our new Farm Lead, and our new team member Reuben!

In Season at the Farm Stand: Cucumbers (pickling and slicing), Summer Squashes (Zephyr, Magda, and Zucchini), Bulb Onions, Leeks, Green Garlic, Fennel, Celery, Collards, Cabbage, Lettuce Heads, Carrots, Turnips, and Beets.

We’re gearing up for our Community Market and Farm Tour this Saturday! Our Community Market will be held alongside our farm stand from 9am-noon on Saturday, February 11th. You’ll be able to shop our delicious produce in addition to items like baked goods, pickles, and jams from vendors in our Jordan Ranch community. And, several vendors will have specialty items for Valentine’s Day! At 10:30am, we’ll be leading our monthly Farm Tour so that you can see what’s growing on the farm and ask us any questions you might have. Both the market and tour are open to the public so we hope to see you there!

We’ll have the first kohlrabi of the season for you at the farm stand this weekend! This space-age looking vegetable is a member of the Brassica family and is one of our absolute favorites to enjoy! Both the bulb and leaves of kohlrabi are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. Kohlrabi has a crisp and crunchy texture with a flavor that tastes like a combination of broccoli and apples. Farmer Alex recommends shredding it and making a slaw with a citrusy vinegar-based dressing.

Our peppers are already germinating in the greenhouse which means spring isn’t too far over the horizon! Like tomatoes, peppers are a warm season crop. Our plan is to transplant them in the field and high tunnel in March. So far, we’ve focused on sweet/mild peppers like Carmen (an Italian frying pepper), Bangles (bite-sized snacking peppers), and Olympus (a red bell pepper). One variety that we’re particularly excited about is “Islander” because it yields purple bell peppers with pale yellow flesh.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Kohlrabi, Celery, Scallions, Sugar Snap Peas, Beets, Radishes, Turnips, Kale, Collards, Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, and Cilantro.

The high tunnel is fully planted and looking mighty verdant and lush! It is currently planted with a mix of cucumbers, tomatoes, and sweet peppers. To prepare for the summer sun, we’ve installed a shade cloth over the top of it that will allow us to provide UV and heat protection. Our high tunnel is an incredibly valuable part of the farm as it allows us to extend the season of certain crops by keeping them warm during the winter or cooler in the summer months. The reason we were able to extend our fall succession of tomatoes so long last year was largely due to our high tunnel!

We harvested the first sweet peppers out of the high tunnel this week! These peppers are a Cornito type that are typically about 3-5 inches long with a taper away from the stem end. They’re exceptionally sweet and versatile, making them perfect for roasting, stuffing, stir-frying, grilling (hello summer fajitas!), or snacking. Farmer Caitiin loves adding them to a batch of red beans and rice while Farmer Alex likes using them as a pizza topping or dipping them into hummus. You can snag your own sweet peppers at the farm stand!

Have you had the opportunity to try any of our slicer or cherry tomatoes yet?! This tomato season has been an abundant one but the swift arrival of summer means our plants are beginning to incur heat stress. This means that tomatoes will only be in season for a few more weeks before we bid farewell until the fall. That being said, we highly encourage you to stop by the farm stand and take full advantage of all of our tomatoes! Now is the perfect time to can a big batch of sauce, jam, or even ketchup! Here’s the recipe for a honey-sweetened tomato jam.

In Season at the Farm Stand: Amaranth Greens, Sweet Peppers, Delicata Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Zucchini, Cousa Squash, Cucumbers (pickling & slicers), Tomatoes (slicers & cherries), Carrots, Beets, and Scallions.

September 2nd, 2021

We transplanted our fall succession of tomatoes this week! As they grow we’ll be adding trellises for support and ease of harvesting. If all goes well, we should be able to begin harvesting these tomatoes in October. Here are the varieties we have planted: Sungold (a sweet golden cherry variety), Grand Marshall (a red slicing variety), Mountain Princess (a round red slicing variety), and Neptune (a reddish orange slicing variety).

We’re harvesting quite the variety of peppers at the moment. For peppers with a bit of heat, we’ve been harvesting Jalapeños and Padróns with Poblanos coming on in the next couple of weeks. As for our sweet pepper varieties (seen in the photo above), we’ve been harvesting Shishito, Carmen, Escamillo, and Jimmy Nardello peppers. Shishito peppers (the peppers on the right side of the photo) are mild with a citrusy and grassy flavor. Shishitos can be eaten raw but they develop a rich and smoky flavor when blistered, grilled, or roasted. A popular Japanese preparation is to make Shishito tempura or to simply blister the peppers and serve them with a soy or miso-based dipping sauce.

There are quite a few fruits and veggies just over the harvesting horizon that we are really excited to share with you. In the next week or two, we’ll be harvesting fresh cowpeas, baby arugula, baby mizuna, and baby mustard greens. We’ll also be harvesting radishes, baby kale, and butternut squashes. Our next succession of Sugar Baby watermelons should be ready in the next couple of weeks and slightly further out will be our Arava melons. We’re looking forward to having a lot more diversity during our harvests!

July 7th, 2021

Summer squash will be returning to the farm stand this weekend in the form of these beautiful Sunburst patty pan squash! This variety is a buttery shade of yellow with a spot of dark green on the blossom end. Just like the Patisson Golden Marbre Scallop we grew earlier in the year, the Sunburst has tender flesh that is mildly sweet. These squashes can be stuffed and baked or chopped and used in place of any recipe calling for summer squash. You’ll be able to pick up these beautiful squashes at the farm stand this Saturday from 10am to noon.

After much anticipation, our sweet pepper varieties are starting to mature which means we should be able to begin harvesting this week or next, weather permitting. Though sweet peppers can be eaten green, leaving them on the plant to fully mature allows them to develop their addictively sweet flavor. Here are the varieties we have planted: Jimmy Nardello (a long and thin red Italian frying pepper that is sweet and almost fruity in flavor), Escamillo (a yellow Italian frying pepper with a super sweet flavor), and Carmen (a red Italian frying pepper similar in shape and flavor to the Escamillo).

Planting has been a game of strategy lately as we try to dodge the rain. Amidst the dry moments over the past couple of weeks, we were able to transplant and trellis a summer succession of cucumbers and luffa. Luffa (commonly spelled “loofah”) is a member of the Cucurbit family along with squash and cucumbers. Luffa is most commonly used as a sponge but it can also be eaten if harvested young. When a luffa is allowed to fully ripen and dry out on the vine, the flesh will disappear leaving the fibrous “skeleton” which is then used as a natural sponge.

If you’ve ever wanted to get involved with the farm, we have the perfect opportunity for you: volunteering! If you’re interested in volunteering some of your time helping the team out with basic farm tasks, email us at JordanRanch@agmenity.com.

Being an anthropologist in a former life, every time I find a new-to-me fruit or vegetable, I look up its history and uses. Papaloquelite (or “papalo” for short) is native to Mexico and South America and is mainly used in salsas or as a garnish to tacos and other dishes. In Bolivia, it’s common to see vases of papalo on restaurant tables so that diners may pull off its leaves and season their food. For this recipe, papalo takes the place of cilantro in a quick and easy guacamole that is served atop sweet pepper and summer squash tacos.

Often simple is best when it comes to beautifully ripened summer produce. To intensify the flavors and bring out the natural sugars, beans and peppers are roasted at a high heat. They’re finished off with a sprinkling of homemade lemon tarragon salt to provide an herbaceous brightness to the dish. Simple and delicious!