What month of the year is hardest for an organic vegetable farmer?

JULY!

By the end of July we feel spent. Chewed up. Spat out. Trampled on.

Often it’s about what’s left: of our energy, our reserves, or even our staff.

One year our apprentice couple packed up and left in July.

A Turkish young man left in the middle of the night after only four days.

This year it’s only our nephew leaving for a week of vacation with his family.

It’s a good reason.

Often our kids leave for camps in July and that’s a good reason too.

But add the heat, humidity and the bins of heavy zucchini, cucumber, tomato being carried out of the field by the hundreds…

You might start to see the picture.

Even farm customers sometimes leave.

That’s even more discouraging. It’s hard not to take it personally.

We see all this good food coming out of the field and lovingly packed into Market Boxes.

We imagine the meals you make.

We even see some of your amazing creations: lemon-dill kohlrabi fritters with Willow Haven Yogurt.

member meal fritters with yogurt tomatoes

YUM!

I feel sorry for the quitters. I think they just didn’t give themselves time to adjust to real food.

Real food has REALITY that they aren’t used to .

Our “picture perfect”, “social media” society has conditioned us to expect too much of ourselves, others and even our food.

And yet, we don’t expect enough.

We expect perfection on the outside but we won’t work to cultivate the things that really matter on the inside.

Under the surface.

Deep underground.

Misunderstanding

This week complaints included: – unripe cabbage – wilted leeks and beets – moldy kohlrabi – diseased kale – ugly radish – inedible dill

If these poor vegetables had feelings I think they would feel misunderstood.

Farmer Reuben can’t imagine how a cabbage can be “unripe.” He sees them grow from seed to head and as soon as the head forms it could be picked and eaten. You can pick them at any size really.

How can a leek wilt?

Wilted beets? Over and over I teach that beet greens must be cut from the beet immediatly and used quickly. Beets themselves will last a long time before they become soft. But if you leave the greens on, the greens will pull moisture from the beets and make them soft and rubbery.

That’s the same for any root vegetable with the greens attached. It’s a two for one vegetable but you have to separate them for the best results.

Besides, do you know how hot it’s been?

Haven’t you been looking a little wilty too?

Revival

Anything wilted can be refresshed with cold water. Wilt is just the cells of the plant experiencing water evaporation. The living plant cells will soak up your good cold water and

It’s a miracle!

Your lettuce, greens, celery, carrots and more will spring back to life!

Is there a spot?

Learning the skill of diagnosing accurately isn’t too hard. In this week’s Kitchen video I show exactly how to cut through a vegetable to see how deep the spot goes. Often it’s just on the surface: like on my kohlrabi this week. Other times, it really is deterioration, like the onion that was two-thirds soft and brown. I can keep the good part and compost the rest.

This kind of kitchen skill makes the most of everything and values the nutritional value that you can’t see but you can feel.

Did you know that partially rotten fruit and vegetables ripen faster?

Yesterday we picked rotten peppers in the field – on purpose. You’ll see what we did with them.

The good green peppers aren’t ready to be picked yet but I brought 15 spotty ones into the house to use for supper. I simply cut off the bad spots and we enjoyed green peppers and onions sauteed with bacon.

 

To celebrate all the wonderful vegetables I’m going to do 3 things:

  • make cucumber salad and pickles
  • invite you to pizza night
    • Pizza Night is on tonight! 5 – 8 pm and it is beautiful on the deck!
  • share my cucumber strategies with you!

I love cucumber salad. The combination of  yogurt or sour cream with cucumbers and salt is just AMAZING!

I’ve included the recipe below so keep scrolling.

Here is our prep for lots of cucumber salad and for brining and fermenting some sliced cucumber pickles. This is too full colanders of salted cucumbers draining into the belows they are upon which they are sitting.

Tessa's Ten Proven Strategies For Organic Cucumber Abundance 3

 

What do you do when an abundance of cucumbers threatens to overwhelm you?

Did you know you can freeze and even bake with cucumbers?

The key is to remember that there are more ways to use them than you might think. 

The first cucumbers are often enjoyed eaten fresh with a little salt or dip but what’s next? The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking about ways to use an abundance of cucumbers is to either pickle them or make cucumber salad. These two ways of using cucumbers are great, but what else can we do?

Get Creative with Cucumbers

So, for those of you who are looking for fun, creative, easy, and delicious ways to use cucumbers this season, we have you covered! Below you will find a plethora of ways to preserve or use cucumbers that can be easily frozen and last you several months, about 6-9 months, if preserved properly. 

Fantastic Frozen Cucumbers

First up, here are 3 fantastic ways to freeze cucumbers that can be thawed and snacked on, put in smoothies or juices, or added to another favorite recipe. 

  • Freezing Sliced Cucumber: this is a great method for those who want to use the cucumber slices to infuse water or add to a smoothie. Simply slice the cucumbers with a knife or food processor into thin slices, place on a parchment-lined baking sheet, freeze for a few hours, and place in a freezer bag.
  • Brine Method: this method is similar to pickling as it uses salt and vinegar, but can easily be frozen for later use. 

Cucumber Chips & Dip

Shredded cucumber is the mystery ingredient in the creamy sauce you love on greek food while cucumber chips make a unique and healthy snack any time of the year.

  • Tzatziki Sauce: a beloved Greek recipe that is delicious and perfect to top on many dishes, this sauce can be made and frozen for later use. Click on the links below for the recipe and method for freezing. 
  • Dehydrate: for all the chip lovers out there, this one’s for you! If you didn’t know before, you now know that cucumbers can in fact be dehydrated and made into tasty chips that are both delicious and healthy. This specific recipe is for salt and vinegar chips. 
      • Advantage: a tasty treat that can be made in large batches to use up a bunch of cucumbers.
      • Disadvantages: while this can be done in either a dehydrator or oven, there are pros and cons to both methods. Using a dehydrator is preferred, as there is even drying and a more consistent outcome, but this can be time consuming as it takes up to 12 hours. Compared to the dehydrator, using an oven takes around 3-4 hours, but can result in an uneven finished product with browning on the edges of some of the cucumbers if not careful. Another downside to this method is that the chips will most likely only last for 1-2 weeks in an airtight bag or container on the countertop. 
      • Here is the link to the recipe: https://farmtojar.com/salt-vinegar-cucumber-chips-baked-or-dehydrated/
      • For more flavor options, click here!

Cooking & Baking with Cucumbers

Expand your creativity in the kitchen by experimenting with these recipes.

  • Bread and Muffins: this method of using cucumbers may be surprising but a favorite among many. Just like zucchini, cucumbers can easily be shredded and used to make tasty bread and muffins. Try this delicious cucumber nut bread for a twist on the classic zucchini bread or these easy cucumber muffins that are perfect for a quick on-the-go breakfast or after school snack for the kids!
    • Advantage: great to make in large quantities, freeze, and thaw for a quick and easy meal idea. Can be frozen for up to 2 months.

More Delicious Cucumber Recipes

These additional recipes incorporate cucumbers in unique and delicious ways. 

  1. This Couscous Tabbouleh is a perfect side dish to any meal. Try meal-prepping the couscous ahead of time, freeze it, and thaw when ready to use. 
  2. This Mint Watermelon Cucumber Salad is a refreshing side to take to a picnic or enjoy on a hot summer afternoon. 
  3. Try this delicious Cucumber Lime Sauce to add flavor to salmon or chicken. 
  4. Tessa’s Favorite Creamy Cucumber Salad

    1. Creamy Cucumbers Recipe

      Serves: 4

      Ingredients

      • 2 large cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
      • 1 teaspoon salt
      • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
      • 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
        • Or any herb you have fresh
      • 1/2 cup greek yogurt, skyr or sour cream
      • Additional salt to taste

      Instructions

      1. Prepare Cucumbers:
        • Place the cucumber slices in a colander and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of salt.
        • Let them sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to draw out excess moisture.
      2. Rinse and Drain:
        • After an hour, rinse the cucumbers thoroughly to remove the salt.
        • Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
      3. Combine Ingredients:
        • In a large bowl, combine the cucumber slices, thinly sliced onion, and chopped dill.
        • Sprinkle with sugar.
      4. Add Cream:
        • Pour in the heavy cream and mix well.
      5. Season:
        • Taste and add additional salt if needed.
      6. Chill and Serve:
        • Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
        • Serve chilled.

       

As Always…

We support your desire to have a good, healthy way of life and food on your table that supports that goal.

We’ll keep farming for you!

Reuben and Tessa DeMaster
Willow Haven Farm

Reuben and Tessa in field

Coming up:

RESUMING TONIGHT: Brick Oven Pizza Night

Join us every Friday night from 5:00-9:00 P.M.

Relax and enjoy the farm-to-table flavors of hand-crafted pizza. Tonight made by the Farm Boys!

Tessa's Ten Proven Strategies For Organic Cucumber Abundance 4

Guest author: Lindsay Conaway contributed research for this post. She is a Nutritional Sciences/Nutrition and Dietetics Undergraduate at Penn State and intern for the Employee Wellness Team at St. Luke’s University Health Network. She enjoys cooking and baking with whole food ingredients and has a passion for learning and sharing about the numerous benefits of various foods.