Curing Onions and Harvesting Eggplants and Melons

Last week we shared that we harvested a whopping 3600 pounds of produce during the month of May. We’re happy to report that our bulb onions were among those veggies! We harvested all of the remaining Southern Belle and 1015 onions out of the field a couple of weeks ago and brought them to the greenhouse for the curing process. Curing involves spreading the onions out in a single layer with plenty of air circulation so that their papery skins dry and tighten around the bulbs. After this process, they become a storage crop, lasting up to 10 months if kept in a cool, dry spot! You can find our onions at the farm stand and in your vegetable shares.

Eggplants are officially back in season on the farm! We’re currently harvesting three different varieties of this summer staple: Diamond (slender dark purple variety), Rosa Bianca (a scalloped white and purple striped variety), and Piccolo (miniature oval variety with white and purple stripes). Farmer Nick highly recommends making eggplant fries and serving them up with an aioli dipping sauce. Here’s a recipe that pairs them with a Greek tzatziki sauce. Yum!

After undergoing intensive taste-testing, we’re happy to report that we harvested the first cantaloupe and Arava melons! Arava (pictured below) is a green-fleshed melon that is intensely aromatic with fruity, sweet flesh. Both of these melon varieties are perfect for snacking on raw, especially if you chill them down in the fridge first. Or, you can pair them with sliced cucumbers, thinly sliced onion, lime juice, and feta for a simple summer salad. We’ll have limited amounts of melons at the farm stand so make sure to get there early if you’d like to try one!

La Tomatina Padre, our annual celebration of tomato season, takes place on the farm this Saturday, June 18th from 10am-noon! This resident-only event costs only $5 per family which includes the tomato toss, slip-n-slide, and small bites and beverages from Messina Hof. Our Farmers Market will also be taking place this Saturday so we highly recommend making a day of it. Shop the market first, then head over for some tomato fun! You can secure your tickets here. We hope to see you there!

Currently in Season at the Farm Stand: Tomatoes (slicing, cherry, and paste varieties), Hot and Sweet Peppers, Eggplant, Okra, Cucumbers (slicing and pickling varieties), Melons, Zucchini, Beets, Carrots, Fennel, Leeks, Onions, Basil, and Mint.