This week marked the beginning of tomato preservation season – when the tomatoes with cracks and bruises and bites are salvaged to be smoked and sauced and salsaed. The Frankensmoker was disassembled from the “temporary test” location where it sat for several years, and rebuilt in a more convenient location, new and improved.

In other news, our former WWOOFer friend Madball hit the road after two weeks on the farm – but not before helping us forage plenty of mushrooms, set up for two markets, and knock out the final roofing of the processing area, at last. Now we can pack veggies protected from the rain and sun for the first time! How civilized we feel.

The deer are on an absolute rampage in the brassica row overnights … destroying fall broccoli and cauliflower and brussels sprouts like some kind of demonic plague. I might be biased. But no, I think that these deer are objectively evil, and I’m hopeful that this week our exorcist friend with the deer rifle will banish at least one from this realm because this carnage hurts our souls to see.

on the Twelfth Week Season my farmer gave to me:

OK I’m not actually going to do all the lyrics and make a song of it, my fingers have written a silly check that my brain cannot cash. But here’s what you’ve gotten:

• a melon – most likely a watermelon, although two lovely cantaloupes went out as well. Kristin picks the ones she deems most likely to be delicious, based on the arcane witchery of divinitory melon dowsing. (If you are saddened because you really wanted a watermelon, but got a different variety, let us know and we will try to hook you up next week if possible.)
• Sunflower Shoots – the most popular microgreen

• Brussels Sprouts Plant Tips with Broccoli Bonus Bag – use the tender topped plants like kale! We cut these off to stimulate the plants to grow the desirable sprouts later in the season.
• Peppers
• Eggplant
• Salad Turnips

• 1/2 Dozen Ears of Sweet Corn – I never loved sweet corn until I ate it fresh from the field. Oh my. Yours was harvested this morning … go!
• Zukes – the workhorses of CSA cooking

• Onions
• Cukes – these make great teethers, if you or an infant you know has teeth coming in. Also, they are food.

• Two Tomatoes – one less pretty than the other. The best available from our beleaguered plants. They are looking a bit better though … hopefully the warmth lasts and they continue.
• Cherry Tomatoes – I’d take these out and make sure none have split; they were all intact at harvest this morning, but some were ripe enough that they split their skin afterward.