Letter from a Farmer,

Today we woke up to weather that almost required a sweater. It was a welcome change after last week's 90 + degree days and high humidity. That kind of heat saps the energy our of our bodies and brains. But the farm team kept on keeping-on despite all the craziness the week threw at us.

Our delivery truck is our line to all of you, the way we get the veggies from the fields into your neighborhoods. We bought a brand new truck at the end of 2015 and presently only has 140,000 miles on it, which isn't a lot for a truck of its size. It was one of the first lines of diesel trucks with new technology that results in less exhaust emissions. Unfortunately last winter those parts began to give us issues. Randomly the truck will start flashing all sorts of warning lights on the dash and buzzing and beeping to warn the driver that something is wrong. Sometimes the truck will also go into "limp mode" resulting in the truck going 5 mph at top speed. We replaced expensive sensors last fall and then the truck was back in action.

Last Wednesday, the truck was all loaded and Kincaid was on his way to Westchester when the lights and beeping started again. He turned around and headed back to the farm. Kyle and I drove into Albany to find a rental truck. Back at the farm, the team unloaded the delivery truck and then reloaded half of the shares into our small delivery van. Not everything fit so Davey B fit the last of the boxes for White Plains into his car. He and Kincaid headed down to Westchester. The team loaded the rest of the shares into the rental truck and Kyle & I were on our way. Leaving a much smaller team who just spent an extra two hours loading and unloading trucks to get the shares ready for NYC. It was a late night for everyone involved.

Thursday we dropped our delivery truck off at the repair shop and Kincaid took the rental truck stacked to the gills into NYC. Not an ideal situation but he, David, and Nick made it work. Friday we dropped off the rental and picked up our fixed truck . We were almost at the farm when the lights and alarms went off again. So back to the mechanic we went. Tonight I will pick up a rental truck (a bigger one that last week's) so that hopefully all the share deliveries will be on time and with one truck.

We have been truck shopping lately for something a bit smaller and more fuel efficient. Hopefully the financials all work out and we will have a new truck for next season. A truck that won't send us scrambling for rentals and last minute mechanic appointments. ~Jody

Finishing up the new potato harvest

BEEF #2: THIS WEEK

CHICKEN #2: Week of August 15

PORK SHARES: In late September or early October

If you can't pick up your egg or meat share a particular week, please contact the farm and we can hold your share and send it another week.

ROXBURY FARM CSA

PORK and BEEF

We have our own beef and pork available to purchase by the cut.

Click HERE to see what cuts are available

head lettuce, carrots, scallions, sweet corn, cantaloupe, eggplant, carmen peppers, basil, parsley, green beans, and tomatoes

Tomatoes!!

This week's full share: head lettuce, cantaloupe, eggplant, tomatoes, sweet corn, scallions, carrots, basil, carmen sweet peppers, and new potatoes

FRUIT SHARE: peaches

This week's small share: head lettuce, cantaloupe, tomatoes, sweet corn, scallions, carrots, carmen peppers, and new potatoes

COOKING TIPS AND RECIPES

We recommend signing up for the Farm Share newsletter from Alexandra Stafford. It has great cooking tips, recipes, and other helpful items to help you make the most use of your share. Click HERE to sign up. If you have a website, blog, or newsletter as a go to for CSA share recipes please share them with us!

Stir-Fried Eggplant with Basil

2 jalapeños or other hot pepper

1 Tbsp. honey

Pinch of kosher salt

1 eggplant (about 12 oz. total)

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

¼ lb. ground pork, ground chicken, tempeh crumbles, or crumbled tofu

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

½ cup basil leaves, plus more for serving

2 Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tsp. tamari or soy sauce

Finely chop chiles and toss in a small bowl with honey and salt. Let sit until ready to use.

Slice eggplants crosswise into 3" pieces, then quarter lengthwise. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Cook eggplant, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp-tender, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. www.bonappetit.com

Basil Aioli

12 large basil leaves or 2 tablespoons very finely chopped basil

1 small garlic clove

½ teaspoon white wine vinegar or lemon juice

½ teaspoon yellow mustard

⅓ cup high quality mayonnaise (vegan as desired)

Mince the garlic as finely as possible. Then use the side of your knife blade to mash and grind it into a paste. (Alternate method: you can combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.*)

Mince the basil as finely as possible.

Whisk together the garlic and basil with the white wine vinegar, yellow mustard, and mayonnaise. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. www.acouplecooks.com

Roasted Eggplant with Miso and Sesame

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 ½ pounds eggplant, sliced into ½-inch rounds

2 tablespoons olive oil

⅓ cup white miso

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon water

2 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon roasted red chili paste (such as Thai Kitchen)

⅓ cup chopped fresh scallions

Place sesame seeds in a nonstick skillet over medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 F. Place eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush both sides of each round with olive oil. Bake until tender, flipping halfway through, about 18 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes.

Whisk together miso, ginger, sesame oil, honey, water, vinegar, and chili paste in a small bowl.

Increase oven temperature to broil. Spread about 2 teaspoons of miso mixture on each eggplant round, and broil until fragrant and browned in spots, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and scallions. www.realsimple.com

Basil Oil

1 cup basil leaves, packed

½ cup olive oil

⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Start a small pot of water to boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.

Remove the basil leaves from the stem and wash them; measure out 1 packed cup of leaves (make sure to pack the cup full for the best flavor). Once the water is boiling, add the basil and boil for 1 minute.

Immediately turn off the heat, remove the basil and plunge it into the ice bath.

Once the leaves are cool, remove them from the water and squeeze out as much excess water as possible, then dry them with a paper towel. (At this point the leaves will have wilted and reduced to a very small handful.)

Place the blanched basil, olive oil, salt and pepper in a blender or in the cup for an immersion blender; blend until fully combined. Taste, and add additional salt if desired. Pour into a sealable container. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

www.acouplecooks.com