LAST WEEK OF THE SUMMER SHARE WOW! This is week #13. We thank you for your support, for sharing your thoughts about the vegetables and this service, for eating so many carrots and for giving it a go!

Farm pick-ups in Autumn will still be on Saturday's from 8am-11am. Deliveries will be on Wednesdays. We are happy to change you from a Saturday pick -up to a Wednesday delivery or vice versa, permanently or just for a week. Please just let us know.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items being harvested this coming week. Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day. The photo is of the full share box on Saturday.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.

NOTES ON THE SHARE Basil – We have some pesto bunches available. Please write if you would like one. All the Saturday pick-ups will receive one. Otherwise, small bunches in every box. Beans – We are between plantings of bush beans. We harvested for Saturday but unsure if the next planting will be ready for Tuesday. Beet Root – Bunches of 'Bulls Blood' , 'Ruby Queen' and/or 'Golden Detroit'. Capsicum – We have begun harvesting "breaking" capsicums. These are green or purple capsicums that have started to turn to red. There are many posts online which talk about how to continue to turn the capsicum red...on your kitchen counter or in a bag with a banana. We are harvesting them "breaking" to keep the plant producing as they should produce for another four-six weeks depending on the weather. Red capsicums contain high levels of vitamin C but come only when the plant has matured. Carrots – Bunches of ‘Deep Purple’ on Saturday. Mixed bunches of 'Deep Purple', 'Scarlet Nantes' and/or 'Red Core Chantenay'. Chillies - The harvest of 'Padron' chillies will continue to appear in some boxes...although they lost their flowers in the heat wave this week. It may take them a few weeks to recover. There are 'Hungarian Hot Wax', 'Long Thin Cayennes' and 'Thai Hot' or 'Bird's Eye' available. Please write if you would like some. They are starting to turn red now. Corn – The fourth planting of corn has some small but tasty ears. When these are ready, we will harvest them. Corn is the tastiest the day it is picked. We do not pick the corn until Saturday morning, for farm pick ups, and right before the truck heads out with the boxes on delivery days...that is how strongly we think the taste changes over time. Cucumbers – Another planting has begun while the first two are slowing down. Eggplant – We are continuing to rotate the harvest. Please look at the eggplant post to identify. Fennel – Harvesting 'Zefo Fino' baby bulbs on Saturday and Tuesday. If you are a Thursday box and would like some, please email and if there is any left, we will try and get it in your box. Garlic – Each box will receive a clove or two this week. Sorry to have forgotten to put the garlic in Tuesday boxes two weeks ago. We put it in this past week to correct. Leeks – Two or three in every box. Lettuce – Harvesting 'Freckles'. Mesclun – Another planting is ready. Bag in every box. Melons – Harvesting cantaloupes, honey dews and water melons...Perfumed sunshine!! I understand how the cantaloupes acquired the name musk melons. To learn more about the varieties we planted, check our heirloom melon post. The second planting is still producing and hope it continues through the week. There may not be watermelon again for a week as we wait for other varieties to ripen. Onions – We harvested the 'California Red' this week and dried them in the shed. These will store for a while. Parsley – 'Flat leaf' Italian and 'Curly Leaf'. Patty Pan Squash – The variety is 'Jaune Et Verte'. They are scallop, small, round summer squash. Delicious baked, grilled or stir fried. We are rotating the harvest of these each week. Potatoes – Harvesting 'Coliban'. Rocket – Harvesting Baby Rocket. Tomatoes – There is a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes. The Romas are coming on and there are a few 'Marglobes' too. Expect extra this week as the cherries are so prolific! Zucchini – Harvesting 'Nero de Milano' and 'Romanesco'.

NOTES ON WHAT'S GROWING I have written a post on the Intense Heat, Lack of Rain and What's growing in Mid February. There are alot of pictures.

We are in the thick of tomato season with the bigger varieties ripening now. They taste is so wonderful in the simplest of ways. If you have too many small ones, you can blend them and freeze to use in sauces and soups in the winter. Another member preserved them in jars whole, covering with water (and a bit of citric acid) and processed them for the time recommended by Fowlers.

We will continue harvesting melons this week. The second planting has been fantastic! The third planting is full of flowers. If March is as hot as predicted, we should have melons from the third planting..

Mesclun- This summer has been a trial of the mesclun mix we devised in spring. Unfortunately, some of the varieties do not cope with the heat. And the timing of some varieties is different in Summer to Spring. The mix this week contains several lettuces, mustards, tatsoi, silverbeet and beetroot greens.

Heading into Autumn, there are more corn plantings, lots of different varieties of pumpkins, another broccoli planting should be ready in two weeks, cabbage coming soon, turnips, parsnips and rutabegas!

ESKY'S Please keep putting out your esky's. Peter is happy to put your vegetables in one to preserve the freshness of the food until you return home. Leave them in the shade and leave a note if you think he would not spot it. We have also been told that water frozen in juice bottles with card board on top in an esky is an excellent way to protect the tender greens and keep everything cold and crisp. Thanks for the advice!

U-PICK FLOWERS AND CHERRY TOMATOES We have cosmos, zinneas, scabiosa, fever few, snap dragons, calendula, nasturtiums, statice, helichrysums and many other flowers growing. Every member is welcome to come and U-pick some edible flowers and a bouquet each week on Saturdays from 8am-11am. If you have not been to the farm yet, this is a great chance to walk around, see your food growing and leave with a wonderful posy.

We also have a row of cherries that you are welcome to come U-Pick. Saturday 8-11 or during the week by appointment. Please call Robin 0434002130.

SEASONAL EATING - SHARING INSPIRATION Please keep sharing your inspirations. True seasonal eating has lost its definition, due partly to the fact that the grocery stores and fruit and vegetable shops seem to have everything, all the time. It is great to be a part of the re-awakening of eating with the season and I am enjoying compiling what that looks like for so many different families.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Slow Roasted Tomatoes Beet Root, Feta and Almond Salad Carrot, Leek and Almond Soup Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes, Basil and Bocconcini

You can also search by key ingredient on our website recipe page for many more ideas.