CSA Newsletter for August 16, 2014

Farm Update

The bounty of summer is
upon us, and we have been
enjoying it fully at our house!
Jane has especially been
loving the corn!

 Hi everyone!  As you've probably noticed, we've been having some unusually cold weather for August, which is having some positive and some negative affects on the farm.  The good news is that insect pressure has been a lot lower than it usually is this time of year.  The bad news is that the cool wet weather has been causing some disease issues for our outdoor tomatoes.  The coldframe tomatoes have been protected from the elements, but the outdoor tomatoes have been exposed to harsher weather than they are used to in August, which makes them more susceptible to disease.  We should still have plenty of tomatoes though, and we'll probably do some orders of canning tomatoes starting in a week or two.  We've been eating a lot of wonderful tomato dishes at home with the first of the tomato harvest.  Another exciting thing this week is that Fred got a potato digger at the farm!  It's old and simple and inexpensive, but it will save a lot of harvest time, which is always welcome.  The pigs have been really happy lately, and they are starting to look a lot chubbier.  Soon they'll start eating ridiculous amounts of food until they meet their end in October.  We're officially halfway through the CSA season, and this is when we enter the most abundant part of the year.  Enjoy!

What to Expect in Your Share

Fred has been drying the newest planting of red
onions, and they should be ready for the shares
this week!

• Choice of broccoli or beets
• Choice of carrots or large salad mix
• Choice of frisee, kale, chard, or basil
• Choice of tomatoes or potatoes
• Snap beans for everyone!
• Choice of cucumbers or summer squash
• Onions for everyone!

Veggie Spotlight: Tomatoes

Red cherry tomatoes on the vine.

There are few garden plants more popular than the tomato, and it is one of the most widely eaten vegetables in the world. However, this widespread use of the tomato as a food has really become a lot more prevalent since the 19th century. Before this it was thought by Europeans to be poisonous, and it was often used for more ornamental purposes, both on the table and in the garden. The tomato’s origin is still debated in academic circles and is thought to either have come from modern day Peru or somewhere in Mexico. However, most of its early recorded use is in Mexico where evidence of its cultivation dates back to 500 BC. From then until the very early 1500s the tomato was only found in the Americas, but after Spain began its exploration and exploitation of the Aztecs and their land, the tomato soon made its way to Europe and quickly spread over the rest of the world. The first tomatoes that came over from Mexico to Europe were yellow, which remained the most common color of the early tomatoes in Europe.

You’ve probably also heard the debate over whether the tomato is a fruit or vegetable. Actually, it is both. Botanists consider it a fruit, because it forms from the ovary of a flower. However, it is considered a vegetable to horticulturists, due to its annual growing culture and lower sugar content than other fruits.  The tomato foliage does have mild toxins; however the fruit has very little, and you would have to eat a lot of tomato foliage to get ill. The fruits vary widely in nutrient content and antioxidants, depending on variety and color. However, all tomatoes have a lot of vitamins A and C and contain the antioxidant Lycopene, which prevents cancer and heals the skin, especially from the effects of UV rays.

On our farm, the tomatoes start in the greenhouse as seeds planted in trays in mid-March. These seeds turn into fast growing plants that are transplanted into our coldframes. This usually starts in early May, although this year it was mid-late May due to abnormally cold temperatures. The plants that go in the coldframes are put into raised beds with plastic mulch. Stakes are put in the rows of plants every 8 feet. Then as the plants grow, lines of twine are put
tightly around the rows of plants to guide their growth upward so they are not sprawled over the ground. At the end of the season most vines are 10-15 feet long. The system we use for the tomatoes improves the quality and flavor of tomatoes. This time of the year, we only water the tomatoes a little bit, so they can concentrate the flavor and sugars of the fruit for better eating and nutrient value. When tomatoes are overwatered, the taste is less intense and the nutrients are more diluted. By only giving our tomatoes a little water, we sacrifice a little on total yield, but feel it is way worth it in flavor.
Though the tomatoes are later and a little less plentiful than in normal years, we now have our great tasting tomatoes back in full swing. We hope you enjoy this tomato season!

Recipes

Texas Toast Tomato Sandwiches are just one of
great recipe ideas this week!

Just in case you're looking for some new ideas for your tomatoes, here are 33 Recipes for Fresh Tomatoes from Southern Living.  Or you can slice them up and put them on salads, add them to pasta sauces, or stack a fried egg and a tomato slice on some toast for a quick snack.  There are so many great things to do with tomatoes, so I hope you enjoy them to the fullest while they're here!