2025 Season | Week 19
Were Back for Fall
Daylight savings time doesn’t go into effect for a while but we’re getting ready for fall and there’s a 90° nip in the air and it’s so dry that the trees have given up on any rain and are dropping all their leaves about a month early.
On the good side, we have a crazy amount of kale and Shishito peppers this week for you. This is premium smoothie kale - pop it in the freezer and pull it out as needed whenever you want a dose of healthy. “Shishito peppers are small, green, and finger-long peppers with a mild, slightly smoky, and sweet flavor. A popular Japanese variety, they are known for a "roulette" effect, where about 1 in 10 peppers unexpectedly has a spicy kick.” Here’s some tips from our friends at AI:
Shishitos are most often pan-fried or grilled until blistered and charred.
Blistering: Heat a wide pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with a little oil.
Sauté: Add the peppers in a single layer and cook, turning occasionally, until they begin to blister and char, about 5–15 minutes.
Finish: Transfer the peppers to a bowl and toss with sea salt, and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice.
Serving: Serve them hot and encourage guests to eat the whole pepper, holding it by the stem.
Have a great week.
This week, we harvested a ton of Basil. We washed it, clipped the best leaves, then washed, patted it dry, dehydrated it, crumpled it, and finally loaded it into our new spice bottles. (Why is everything on the farm a fifty-step process?) So, for those keeping score, we now have 1808 Garlic Powder and Basil. Look for additional offerings as we refine our process and discover more effective ways to preserve and package various farm items.
Also, this week, we cleaned and sorted our garlic harvest. Remember, we harvested everything in late June. Since then, it's been drying under fans laid out on perforated galvanized steel racks to cure. Elandra worked her way down the 4 x 8 racks to clean and sort around 150 lbs of garlic. Most of it was the softneck variety this year. And now we have a new 1808 product - beautiful, fresh, organic garlic in our signature 1808-branded (literally, the bags have the 1808 logo burned into them!).
Nothing says friendship like a bag of garlic. So get a bunch for when you need a little gift. It sure beats a so-so bottle of Savvy B! Purchase them at the store here.
And finally, here's the haul for this week's harvest. Hopefully, we're turning the corner on our late-summer doldrums. In the meantime, we'll always have microgreens and that ain't nothin'.
Have a good week!
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All Star Salad Mix
Here’s what Johnny’s says about this mix:A specially designed blend based on two years of trial research to make your salad mix stand out from the crowd. Selected varieties yield darker reds and greens even under low-light conditions. Ruffled edges and unique leaf shapes provide loft, interesting texture, good shelf life, and fancy appearance. Includes green oakleaf, red oakleaf, green romaine, red romaine, lollo rossa, and red leaf lettuces.
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Fresh Garlic 101
Fresh-harvested garlic, also known as “wet” or “green” garlic, is garlic that’s been pulled from the ground before it’s fully cured. Unlike the dry, papery bulbs you find in the store, fresh garlic has moist skins, juicy cloves, and sometimes green stalks still attached. The flavor is milder and more delicate than cured garlic, with a slightly grassy, almost sweet note—perfect for early summer cooking.Eat Now
Use fresh garlic anywhere you’d use regular garlic, but celebrate its tenderness! Slice or mince the cloves for sautés, salad dressings, or marinades. The juicy cloves melt beautifully into sauces, and the mild flavor makes it a lovely addition raw in dips or spreads. If the stalks are still soft, you can treat them like scallions—chop and toss into stir-fries, soups, or omelets.Eat Later
If you’re not using it right away, store fresh garlic in a cool, dry spot with good airflow. It won’t last as long as cured garlic—typically a few weeks—so keep an eye on it. To preserve the harvest, you can cure the garlic yourself by allowing it to dry for a few weeks, or peel and freeze the cloves for longer storage. Roasting and storing in oil (with proper safety precautions) is another delicious way to enjoy fresh garlic down the road. -
Leeks 101
Leeks are part of the onion family, with a milder, sweeter flavor that adds depth to soups, sautés, and roasts. Their long, green stalks and tender white base bring both freshness and heartiness to the kitchen.Enjoy Now
Sauté leeks with butter for a simple side, add them to scrambled eggs or omelets, or toss into a stir-fry for a gentle, savory note.Enjoy Later
Leeks freeze well when chopped and blanched, making them easy to keep on hand for soups, stews, or casseroles. Store cooked leeks in the fridge to quickly reheat as a side or mix into pasta and grain bowls. -
Microgreens 101—Before use, rinse gently in cool (not hot or cold) water to remove excess dirt. Pat or spin dry, and you’re good to go! Pat or spin dry your greens to remove excess moisture (moisture = mush!). Place loosely in a plastic bag or container and put in the fridge. They will keep for up to one week.
Eat These Immediately!
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Peppers (Hot or Sweet)
PEPPERS 101 - Whether hot or sweet, peppers are full of beneficial vitamins and minerals and are great raw or cooked. They can be sliced on pizzas or as part of salads and even stuffed with meats and cheeses. Hotter peppers like jalapeños can be cooked or roasted to reduce their heat. They make a great addition to any meal such as: sandwiches, tacos, pizzas, or chopped and added to soups, stews, sauces and more. Our personal favorite, are Jalapeño Poppers.
EAT NOW - First rinse and dry your peppers. Cut off the top and slice. If preparing hot peppers, be careful to wash your hands after handling - don’t touch your eyes! For less spicy peppers, cut in half length-wise and remove seeds and ribs. Are best stored whole.
OR LATER - Store whole or sliced in fridge for up to 1 week. To store longer, flash freeze (whole or sliced) on a cookie sheet. Transfer to a freezer bag once frozen. They keep well in the freezer – no need to thaw for use in cooked dishes.
RECIPES
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Radishes 101 Our radishes are delicious when raw, with a sprinkle of salt or butter. The spicy, raw flavor is a wonderful addition to slaws and salads, or you can sauté and roast radishes to bring out a more subtle earthly flavor. You can even try them grilled!
EAT NOW Scrub radishes well to remove dirt, then trim stem and rootlets. Slice, chop, or mince or leave them whole. Delicious raw or cooked.
OR LATER Remove leaves and store unwashed greens in loosely wrapped plastic bag in crisper. Store unwashed roots in plastic bag in fridge for up to 1 week.
RECIPES
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TOMATOES 101 - Probably the most versatile fruit in the garden, tomatoes can be used in countless ways - salsa, gazpacho, sauces, slow roasted, puree and even a bloody Mary. Ours are grown for taste so eat them right out of the crate.
EAT NOW - Store unripe tomatoes upside down on a plate at room temperature until they fully ripen. Wash, pat dry, slice or dice, and enjoy the taste of a real tomato.
OR LATER - Refrigerate any fully ripe tomatoes - allow to come to room temp before serving. To freeze, first blanch and dunk in ice water to cool. Remove stems and core. Transfer to storage bags, seal and place in freezer.
To blanch, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. While you wait for boil, prepare an ice bath. Once boiling, drop veggies into water - water should return to boil within a minute otherwise you have too much veg for the water. Once boil has returned, cook for 1-5 min until veg has a vibrant color. Immediately put into ice bath to stop cooking.
RECIPES