It’s enough to develop a full-blown neurosis!
A tour of the fields this morning reminded me just how much diversified vegetable farming is a matter of defensive positioning and protection mechanisms.
If you have blueberries – so delicious and sweet – in your baskets,
it is in large part thanks to the protective netting that shields them from birds’ rapacious appetite for berries. If the kale, Swiss chard, and other brassicas are not too full of holes, it is because we let them grow under insect netting of a particular mesh size, in order to keep them safe from voracious flea beetles. The same goes for zucchinis, cucumbers, and the whole cucurbit family – including winter squash, melons, and watermelons – for which another type of more opaque insect netting is installed, to prevent cucumber beetles from having a field day…And last but not least, there is the corn, for which we go all out: with electric fences hooked directly to the farm’s power boxes, delivering a juicy 110 volts to overly curious raccoons…This farmer, in any case, is really looking forward to fall, because it is the only time of year when, as insects and birds become scarcer, it is no longer necessary to cover every crop with netting.
In this week’s basket:
watermelon or cantaloupe, carrots, summer squash, tomatoes, eggplant, lettuce, fresh herbs, and other yet-to-be-identified vegetables.
We were planning to include corn this week, but the next variety isn’t quite ready to harvest. However, we will be offering you our famous jalapeños, the surprise of the summer (🙄), and for which I share the following recipe, fittingly titled Jalapeño Poppers:
Cut as many peppers as you wish in half (without the seeds), fill each one with a creamy mix of ricotta and/or cream cheese, add cheddar or another flavorful cheese, finely chopped chives or onions, sprinkle with breadcrumbs for crunch, and bake for about 20 minutes at 400°F.
We look forward to seeing you again!