MOUNTAIN BOUNTY FARM NEWS

Week 30/52 of 2021

Dear Farm Members,

Last week we began the process of harvesting our main crop storage onions from the field. We pull them from the ground, leaves, bulbs, and all, and gently lay them out in a shady spot to ‘cure’. In a few weeks, their greens and outermost skins will dry, creating the protective outer layer that allows them to keep in dry storage well into the fall and winter. There’s something about them, cleaned and polished, that is truly special and beautiful to behold.

Because of their prevalence in our diets, their low cost in the average grocery store, and their constant availability, many assume that onions are a cheap and easy crop to grow. Not true! Onions have an incredibly long growing season (we start seed for our spring onions in September) and require quite a bit more weeding and upkeep in the field than most crops. On top of that, we‘re obligated to harvest and cure them during peak season, when our workload is already quite heavy. But year after year, we continue to grow them because we absolutely adore these stinky, delicious gems. Reliable and steadfast, they add an incredible depth of flavor to every dish, and never fail to remind us of how beautifully complex even the humblest of vegetables can be. Enjoy this ‘Ode to the Onion’, an annual Mountain Bounty newsletter tradition!

Ode To The Onion

By Pablo Neruda

Onion,

luminous flask,

your beauty formed

petal by petal,

crystal scales expanded you

and in the secrecy of the dark earth

your belly grew round with dew.

Under the earth

the miracle

happened

and when your clumsy

green stem appeared,

and your leaves were born

like swords

in the garden,

the earth heaped up her power

showing your naked transparency,

and as the remote sea

duplicating the magnolia,

so did the earth

make you,

onion

clear as a planet

and destined

to shine,

constant constellation,

round rose of water,

upon

the table

of the poor.

You make us cry without hurting us.

I have praised everything that exists,

but to me, onion, you are

more beautiful than a bird

of dazzling feathers,

heavenly globe, platinum goblet,

unmoving dance

of the snowy anemone

and the fragrance of the earth lives

in your crystalline nature.

Kale

THIS WEEK'S CSA CONTENTS

Our boxes are the best of what's in season! This list is what we are aiming to provide, but sometimes we have to substitute some items in your box. We often change a few items in our boxes between our Tuesday and Thursday delivery days.

REGULAR BOX:

Potatoes
Slicer Tomatoes
Walla Walla Sweet Onions
Jalapenos
Shishito Peppers
Melon
Lettuce
Cucumber/Zucchini
Corn
Carrots

SMALL BOX:

Potatoes
Slicer Tomatoes
Onions
Jalapenos
Shishito Peppers
Melon
Arugula
Cherry Tomatoes

SUMMER FRUIT SHARE continues this week!

Bartlett Pears (Stillwater Orchards)
Elegant Lady yellow peaches (Lee Family Farms)
Grand Pearl White Nectarines (Lee Family Farms)
Emerald Gem Pluots (Lee Family Farms)

SUMMER FLOWER SHARE (provided by Little Boy Flowers)

The Summer Flower shares continue this week! Please only take a bouquet if you are on the delivery list. You can check to see if you are signed up here: https://mountainbounty.csaware.com/store/subscriptions.jspor you can join in for shares starting next week here: https://mountainbounty.csaware.com/summer-flower-share-wnc-C21726.

RECIPES

Cantaloupe Salsa (Melon, Jalapeno, Onion)

Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan, Lemon, and Olive Oil (Arugula)

Gazpacho (Tomatoes, Cucumber, Garlic, Melon)

Walla Walla Onion Dip (Onion)

BLT Salad (Tomatoes, Lettuce)

Mountain Bounty Farm