Week Twelve Newletter and Recipe

Greetings Friends and Members,
Summertime again, oh yeah!  Thank goodness for the return of decency as we move towards fall.  We're sure we're not alone in finding it incredibly hard to believe that school is about to start.  While we're not yet directly involved in the school year (Eli has a few more years of easy living), just knowing that school is beginning brings back a very palpable feeling.  One of us remembers a feeling of excitement, while the other remembers more of an "Egad-- how can this be happening to me" feeling (you can guess which of us felt which).
 
Out in the fields, things continue to look less than stellar.  Despite this really perfect stretch of weather, most crops don't appear to be responding as one would hope.  A lot of damage has already been done and, well, we've talked about that plenty.  Some little signs of positivity can be found in the baby beets and carrots.  Despite the facts that (1) they've been in the ground almost two months and (2) they should be harvestable according to the seed catalog "Days to Maturity", they are putting on new green growth.  Hopefully they'll hang in there, as we know how much our carrots are loved.  They're still a few weeks away from harvestable even if this great weather continues.
 
The main other action on the farm has been getting the onions out of the ground.  They apparently didn't mind the rain and it looks to be a bumper crop.  If you take a peek into the first greenhouse you'll see what we mean.  We grew a lot of onions with the intent of having them be a staple in our winter share, which we've officially cancelled offering this season as a result of crop loss due to the rain.  We'll shoot for offering a Winter Share in 2009.  In the meantime, we may have some storage crops for sale if your root cellar has room for more at the end of the season.  We'll keep you posted.
 
This week's share:
Lettuce, squash & zucchini, onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, corn (? we're surprised more ears aren't showing up on our 7 foot tall plants.  We haven't given up, but we're wondering if the excessive water has impacted our corn production), greens (?)
 
U-Pick:  Flowers, beans, herbs, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos
 
Take care,
D, E, & e
 
RECIPE:   This is a recipe that we enjoy as told to us by Jay Volger (the Pizza guy!).  It features sun gold cherry tomatoes, garlic, and basil in an uncooked sauce over pasta.
 
Cook pasta of your choosing.
While it is cooking, slice a generous amount of sungold cherry tomatoes in half, peel several cloves of garlic, and coarsely chop some fresh basil.  When pasta is cooked, drain and transfer to a large bowl.  Add tomatoes, basil, and press in the garlic. Then, add appropriate amount of olive oil, salt, and fresh grated parmesan.  Toss lightly and serve immediately.  Use your judgment to adjust proportions to taste.  This dish tastes like summer itself.  Enjoy!!