Dear Friends and Members,
We're guessing we're not alone in feeling that the novelty of the rather frequent and heavy rain has worn off.  It's hard to believe that just last Saturday we were racing around the fields on the tractor trying to get some fall crops seeded before the predicted big rains were to arrive on Sunday.  As it turned out, the rains came earlier than predicted (Saturday afternoon) and, aside from interrupting the seeding process, they're given us quite a mess.  Quite frankly, those puddles aren't all that much fun anymore.
 
A rough guess would be that we've gotten six or seven inches of rain since last Saturday.  Just when it seemed like things were on the way to drying out (as it seemed Friday and Saturday), along comes that "30% chance of showers" Saturday night to top off all of our puddles.  All we can hope for is an end to the rains and some sun and wind to dry it up.  As of this afternoon, we still have standing water in many places in our fields and many of the plants are showing the effects.  Luckily, we grow a lot of different crops in a lot of different places with multiple seedings and varieties.  So, chances are, and experience shows, that most things will recover just fine.  We've just got to keep our chins up 'till then (and if anyone is up to it, some dances pleading with the Sun spirits might not hurt either).
 
This week's share:  Lettuce, greens, squash & zucchini, cukes, cabbage or broccoli, potatoes, garlic (for real this week!, see recipe), scallions
 
U-Pick:  flowers, beans (see Recipe), herbs, cherry tomatoes (see Recipe)
See you on the farm,
D, E, & e

Recipe:
 
Green Beans Simmered with Tomato

2 tablespoons olive oil                        
1 large ripe tomato, diced (or a good sized handful of cherry tomatoes cut in halves)
2 small white onions, sliced into thin rounds                                                        
1-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped                   
1 pound green beans, tipped and cut into 2 inch lengths
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons chopped summer savory or dill
Salt and freshly milled pepper

 Heat the oil in a medium or large skillet, add the onions, and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic, beans, tomato, and enough water just to cover.  Simmer until beans are tender, then add the herbs and simmer 1 or 2 minutes more.  Timing will depend upon on the age and size of the bean.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot, tepid, or even chilled.

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