Greetings from my (very crowded) kitchen island! One of my favorite things about summer is how accessible fresh produce becomes; between the farm share and my garden (and, of course, the grocery store — those bananas are definitely not local!) it feels like my fruit bowl and fridge are overflowing with great stuff to eat. And although it feels like summer has only just started, time has been flying by — I can’t believe that it is already the last week of July, and summer is actually half over! It means we’re reaching the end of the Early Summer farm shares, and we’ll soon be transitioning into the Late Summer program. I’m excited to see what changes in my bag as the season draws to a close.

Last week saw the return of green onions, as well as ample helpings of greens: malabar spinach, mint, and purslane, a new-to-me veggie. In their weekly newsletter, New Roots describes it as:

 

…a succulent plant known to many as a nutrient-dense food but to others as a pesky weed. The leaves have a lemony, peppery taste that adds brightness to many dishes when used raw.

 

A quick google search told me that it’s considered one of the healthiest foods you can eat, packed with vitamins, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids. I tried adding a little bit of it as a garnish to everything savory I ate, so it showed up in slaws and curries and cold salads. I hope we see more of this superb succulent in future bags!

Fresh peppers and tomatoes are some of my summer favorites, and we made good use of the banana peppers and heirloom tomatoes that popped up in our share, including this incredible pizza:

Check out that pie! Fat, juicy slices of tomato sprinkled with ribbons of basil, mingle with peppers and onions on a bed of marinara and fresh mozzarella, baked to perfection on the grill. To die for! This was the ultimate summer, porch-sittin’ snack.

Some super-squiggly, colorful roots rounded out this week’s share. Once peeled, these potatoes were a brilliant purple hue, and made for a truly tasty German potato salad. The beets went straight into the juicer with an apple and a squeeze of lime. Just check out the color of this jar of juice — brilliant!