HOW IN THE WORLD TO USE ALL THIS OKRA.

We love okra. I'll even eat it fresh in the garden as I pick it. But we know that there are many people who do not love this crop. Perhaps it's the flavor, but more often than not it's the texture––affectionately described as "mucilaginous"––-and so they avoid eating it.But let's really look at okra, and try to find a way for everyone to love it as much as we do. It's a robustly flavored crop for how small it tends to be. It grows really well in our hot, dry summers. The flowers are unreal. And it's full of protein, vitamin K and vitamin C, to boot.People sometimes look at each vegetable in their CSA as an individual item to be used on its own. We like to look at our veggies as pieces of a puzzle that beg to be fit together. And okra is a relatively easy piece to fit. It can be used on its own, sure, but it can also be used as a thickening agent in soups, stews, chili, and sauces. Not to mention, when used like a seasoning, the flavor is almost indistinguishable from meat.Perhaps okra's most famous form is fried, respectfully. We love us some fried okra around here. Dip it in some buttermilk, batter it with some salt, black pepper, cornmeal and flour, then fry it in some lard and have a true southern treat. But that is hardly it's only use.Try tossing it in some olive oil, salt, cumin and pepper and baking it for 15 or 20 minutes (on 350) until toasty brown and soft. That's a great side dish, warm or cold. Or cut it up thin and add it to pasta ingredients. We sautéed some with yellow squash, tomatoes and sweet peppers for a pasta sauce the other night and it was outrageous––a word I may have literally never used before. You can also soak it in some teriyaki and dehydrate it as a snack. What about chopping it up and adding it to crab cakes or cornbread? We assure you, we will not stand in your way.If you just play around with it a bit, we're confident you will find you enjoy okra more than you realize.Okra fan already? Tell us how you use it.- Jesse.

THIS IS YOUR FARM: PART TWO.

Well, the first ballots are in and the overwhelming theme so far seems to be MORE FRUIT PLEASE. Specifically berries, but more fruit in general was consistent throughout. So, I went out and started looking at our land today, and at our plans for the orchard. And we've decided to change a few things around. I think, if we can get enough shareholders this fall, we will be able to afford around ten or so blueberry bushes, one pear and one apple tree. Then, in the spring, we'll shoot for planting some fig trees, some raspberries and some blackberries. As for strawberries? Those are already in. Barring some crazy winter and spring, strawberries are something we should definitely have next year.Obviously, perennials like these take several years to begin producing on any real level, but that's the point––we want to know what our shareholders want now, so that we can eventually start giving it to them. Because agriculture is slow, and in order to give berries at all, we have to work and we all have to wait. But everyone will get to know that that first taste of berry came from their input.Anyway, there are some more ballots to come in, so we'll see what replaces eggplant (if anything––we've had some shareholders defending it). Okra seems to be on the defensive at the moment as well. Yellow squash, too. Though I must say Hannah and I had a slammin' bowl of pasta with squash and okra last night that I wouldn't want to give up for the world. We'll see what happens, but this type of collaboration is exciting for us––you are helping us shape our farm, and your future in food. That's pretty neat, and it's a lot of fun to see.- Jesse.

HOW IN THE WORLD TO USE ALL THIS YELLOW SQUASH.

 The squash plant is a vigorous fellow (or fella, respectfully). Often, we'll get three of four yellow squash per plant, per picking (not per week). So if we have a hundred plants, by my math we wind up with at least half-a-bazillion squash every week (or thereabouts).And so we bring it all to market and at first the shareholders are excited to see something summery, then after a couple weeks they begin to look fatigued. "More squash, huh?"But squash is underrated. It has a lot of versatility in the kitchen––no doubt about that. It can be used raw, cooked, baked, fried, sautéed, stuffed, broiled, pickled, etc., etc., etc.. In fact, you can even use squash in cookies and breads like you would zucchini. The flavor is milder, but we like it that way.So let's just throw out some more specific dishes so you are not throwing out your squash. First, try grating it raw into a salad with some sweet peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes. Toss all that in a light vinaigrette, and top with some grated cheese. Whose to stop you from adding some bacon or a hard-boiled egg? Not us. Grating the squash, in fact, is a great (sorry) way to use it. Grate it into tacos, grate it into coleslaw, grate it overtop of a casserole. Just look at whatever you're cooking and think, "How can I squash this?"I really like to slice the squash and toss it in olive oil, salt and pepper then broil it or grill it. Let it crisp up a bit under the broiler. Add a little bit of thyme and grate some parmesan overtop then stick it back under the broiler for another minute. Get your camera ready––your kids will fight over it.Squash, like okra, also makes a good, dehydrated, veggie-chip snack. Slice it thin, dehydrate it, then toss it in some salt and herb mixture. There is so much flesh involved with this crop that the cook is only limited by his or her imagination when using it.Squash fan already? Tell us how you use it!- Jesse.

THIS IS YOUR FARM.

On about the third week of giving eggplant this year, it occurred to us that almost no one in our CSA was taking them. And so after consulting with our shareholders we decided to nix growing eggplant altogether. Obviously, that in and of itself is no big deal, but it does highlight something we want to emphasize about being a part of our farm: We want our shareholders to have a say in what we grow, because we want them to see our CSA as an investment in the future of their food. They didn't mind to see the eggplant go, and that means room for something else they may enjoy more.But let's explore this idea further. Take for instance the fruit trees we are planning to plant this fall. By investing in our Fall Share, you are in turn helping us afford those trees. And if you stick with our CSA long enough––several years for fruit trees––you will get to enjoy the actual fruits of that investment. Over the past few years, our shareholders have helped us start mushroom logs, and begun eating some of those mushrooms. They have helped us buy blueberry bushes... which accidentally got run over by the bulldozer our shareholders also helped us afford in order to clear land for next year's gardens, but such is farming. But they have helped us to afford bees and we have given honey once last year, twice this year, and maybe a third time by the fall. Perhaps our shareholders would like to see eggs or meat become a part of future shares––we can talk about that. Maybe we build a cabin one day for shareholders to come and stay in the farm sometimes.  In other words, by investing in our farm, by joining our CSA, you can see your investment and your food diversity grow over time. Literally!So this week we're going to ask our shareholders how they would like us to spend their money for the Fall Share. We have three spots for fruit trees. These trees can be apple, pears, mulberry, cherry or anything else that grows well in our region. We'll be putting out a little ballot for our shareholders to take a vote on Tuesday. (No pressure, but if we can fill or nearly fill our Fall Share, we will also start more mushrooms this fall for the coming years, so tell your friends!).We also want our shareholders to feel as if they can make recommendations, complaints, ask us to grow more of something or less of another. We don't want to force on our CSA food they don't like nor use (sorry eggplant). We want this 7.5 acres of Bugtussle, Kentucky to feel like their farm. Because it is. It wouldn't exist without our shareholders, and it shouldn't exist without their input. So if you have a share in our CSA, or are considering buying a share for this fall, or for next year, consider this: on top of fresh, chemical-free fruits, vegetables, honey and mushrooms, you also get a farm to call your own.If you have joined or plan to, here's what will be on the ballot this week at our booth on Tuesday (Community Farmers' Market, Bowling Green, 2-6 p.m.):1) What shall replace the dearly departed eggplant?a) Cut flowersb) Something unique (Farmer's Choice)c) Something unique like ______c) More _____2) And what fruit trees shall we plant?a) Two apples, one pearb) Two Pears, One applec) One pear, one apple, one ______.3) What else would you like to see us grow/raise/cultivate ____________?4) What besides eggplant would you like to receive less of ___________?