July 25, 2021
Summer's Bounty
By Linda Dansbury

We are getting to the peak of the summer harvest season, and there may be a couple of the newer crops you are not that familiar with.

Tomatillos - they look like small green tomatoes and are in fact in the same family as tomatoes. The best way to harvest them is to look for fruits that have husks that are filled out by the fruit and are yellowed or brown and a bit dried. A lot of times, perfect tomatillos are laying on the ground. Tomatillos are high in vitamins and minerals and they store well in the fridge. They can be chopped up and added to salads, made into salsas that are raw or cooked, and used in soups and stews. Check out this site for many ways to use them!

Fresh Garlic - we have been receiving this crop for a couple of weeks now, so just a quick note that unless you will be using it up quickly, it is best stored in the fridge. Use it as you would any cured/dried garlic.

Dandelion greens - this is one of the bitter greens that does well in summer heat, so it is a staple at the farm, especially when other greens are not at their best in the hot, dry summer days. The variety at the farm is not nearly as bitter as others I have had, so try it. A couple really nice recipes on this site are the Dandelion Salad with Warm Hazelnut Dressing and Garlic Braised Dandelion with White Bean Puree. Or, do what a lot of us do with greens - make pesto with the added nuts and/or cheese you use, helps calm down the bitterness.

Hot peppers - just a note that I like to share: if you get more hot peppers than you can use, place them in the freezer for use throughout the winter. I love pulling them out and adding them to chili, salsa, Mexican and Southeast Asian dishes, etc.