Weir River Farm Blog 8/16

Happy Tuesday! Now that we're out the other side of the heat wave, I can officially say that was one of the most difficult weeks I've had in my three years farming on Weir River. Melons, cucumber, and squash we're all burnt to a crisp (they are planted in plastic, which keeps them hot even on mild days) and the well ran bone dry, even with the intermittent rain. Luckily, the tomatoes didn't mind too much, and the sun even kicked up their ripening a notch. The peppers exploded as well - so much so that we will have (official!) WRF produce in the share this week - hot peppers and green peppers! Along with the pick your own flowers, we're also on pace to be able to do a half pint of PYO cherry tomatoes as well, so it will be a great, local share this week. Here's Des with the rest of the goodies:

In Your Share (maybe):
Tomatoes
Melon (hopefully and they are smaller than we like)
Potatoes
Eggplant (limited)
Summer Squash (going down.....and chipmunks ate the other planting and all the rest of our seed, so we probably will have very limited squash for the rest of the season)
Lettuce of some kind or another.
Carrots
Celery

ecipes of the Week:

Caprese Salad
I was shocked last week that some folks have never tried this hot weather staple (at least it is in my house). You can dress it up however you like, with olives and fancy balsamic vinegar reductions, but we just eat it drizzled with olive oil, flaky salt and balsamic vinegar. Most times, we don't even bother with bread or forks but eat it with our hands- thick slices of cheese and tomato and juice running down our fingers and faces. My kids are like sharks when I lay a plate of this down on the table.
Ingredients:
1lb of Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
3-4 or 5 tomatoes, sliced in 1/3" thickness- the more varieties and colors the better
A sweet basil leaf (green or purple) for each slice of tomato
olive oil, sea salt, balsamic vinegar or your favorite viniagrette dressing works too!
Other optional add-ins: Pesto, Olives of all kinds, cherry tomatoes, crusty bread, capers, avocado slices, etc.
Assemble a platter with alternating slices of cheese, tomato, basil. All other ingredients should be tossed about prettily or placed on the side for adding in. Drizzle with olive oil and a little balsamic or dressing. sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Try to control yourself while eating.....it's hard.

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SPAGHETTINI WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, FRESH BASIL, AND TOASTED GARLIC BREADCRUMBS

YIELD: 4-6 SERVINGS

PREP TIME: 10 MINUTES

COOK TIME: 30 MINUTES

TOTAL TIME: 40 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

Roasted Tomatoes:

• 2.5 lbs small heirloom tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 6 large cloves of garlic, smashed
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Crispy Garlic Breadcrumbs:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Spaghettini: 

• 3/4 lb dried spaghettini pasta (otherwise known as 'thin spaghetti)
• 2 ounces fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnishing
• extra virgin olive oil
• parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roast Tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a large pot (8 quarts or larger) of salted water to a boil for the pasta. Rinse the tomatoes and pat them dry. Place the tomatoes and smashed garlic cloves on a large baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread them out on the baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping them every 5 to 10 minutes or so, until they are soft and have just begun to collapse. Meanwhile, prepare the breadcrumb topping.
2. Prepare Breadcrumb Topping: In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the shallots have softened and become translucent. Add the panko breadcrumbs and chopped garlic. Reduce the heat to low and toast the breadcrumbs for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the breadcrumbs from burning--or until they are golden and fragrant. Remove from heat and place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
3. While the tomatoes finish roasting (and the breadcrumbs are prepared), boil the dried pasta until al dente. In the last minute or so of cooking, add the fresh basil leaves to the pasta water. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water (avoid any basil leaves), and drain the pasta. Place the pasta (with basil) back into the pot and drizzle with olive oil. Add the warm, roasted tomatoes and toss gently. Add reserved pasta water as necessary.
4. Garnish each pasta serving with basil (torn or sliced into thin ribbons), a generous sprinkling of toasted garlic breadcrumbs, and serve with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese.