Dearest Urban Eaters,
Scrap Yard Urban Farm will be PRESENT at the Kansas Grown Farmer’s Market this week! Wondered where we had gone for so long? So did we. Frankly, it’s been a hell of a summer and though we can’t quite pin down exactly what went wrong (most likely a combination of blossom drop, soil fertility issues, weed and pest pressure, and a stressed out farmer), we are slowly making things right again.
For starters, the tomatoes and eggplant are finally setting more blooms, and the summer squash is beginning to pick up the slack. I picked my first cucumber this morning, so hopefully it’s a sign of more to come. The world for Farmer Kim is starting to make sense again. *sigh*
So, what will we have tomorrow??? Not a million things, but close. For starters, as I mentioned before, we will have SUMMER SQUASH! From heirloom delicate textures to hearty “boats” for stuffing, we’ve got you covered. All are delicious in quick stir-frys. All can replace zucchini in any of your summer bread recipes. All can be sliced thin, sprinkled with a little sea salt, topped with a basil leaf and devoured for lunch at three in the afternoon after a loooong morning of laborious work…trust me, it’s amazing.
Speaking of BASIL! Now is the time for pesto, my friend. I’m talking greens and garlic and toasted nuts and olive oil and salt and hard cheeses. Or for a switch, try a Thai Basil pesto with ginger in place of garlic. Or try it with Purple Ruffle Basil for a spicier zing. Not a fan of pesto? Is pizza more up your alley? One of my favorite things to do when we make pizza or bruschetta, especially if we have guests over, is to take multiple colors of basil and top the pizza with whole leaves. It’s super simple and tastes (and looks!) divine. We will be toting traditional Genovese, Purple Ruffle, Thai, Holi (a special variety of Thai basil), and Purple Opal.
And if specialty varieties of Basil weren’t enough, we will also be slinging 5 varieties of GARLIC! Many don’t know this, but garlic comes in all sorts of flavors, intensities, and purposes. Just like apples, some are best eaten fresh like in dressings, some are best roasted, some only store for a few months, and some will last you all winter. And when it comes to garlic, it’s good to know which ones pack the heat. One variety, known as Georgian Fire, is one of the hottest garlics around that can take your salsa to a whole new level. So, grab a few to try! You’ll be surprised at the difference!
Other smatterings of veggies we’ll be sharing tomorrow are CHINESE PURPLE LONG BEANS (eat them just like green beans), a few pints of CHERRY TOMATOES, several bunches of MINT (spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint), and several ZINNIA flower bunches!
Can’t wait to see your smiling faces again. It’s been far too long.
So much foodie love,
Farmer Kim
Scrap Yard Urban Farm
