July 4, 2016 Veggie Box News

 Box Contents

1 lb Mixed Summer Squash

1 bskt Gold Nugget Cherry Tomatoes

3/4 lb Mixed Early Girl and Orange Blossom Tomatoes

1 pc Armenian Cucumbers

1 bu Carrots

1 hd Red Cabbage

½ lb Green Beans

1 bu Basil1 bu Curly Kale

Special Orders

2nds June Pride Peaches $25 / 10 lb

Pickling Cucumbers $20 / 10 lb

Pastured Pork Shares: A combo of bacon, sausage, ham and pork cuts

$8 per lb 10-15 lb pre-packed cases Please email the farm to place your order: csa@riverdogfarm.com

Box Notes

The first cucumbers have arrived! They are a mild variety called Armenian. They can be eaten with the skin on. Use them in lettuce salads sliced as rounds with grated carrots, on their own with salt/pepper/lemon, or thinly sliced lengthwise, shaved slices (use a peeler) with a sesame dressing, see recipe below.

Also new this week: the first big tomatoes! This week's box includes either Early Girl or Orange Blossom or a combination of the two. The week of July 4th usually marks the beginning of the bigger tomato season. Soon we will be featuring a rainbow of tomato varieties, the mixed heirloom combination that Riverdog Farm has become known for. Twenty-six years ago, we started farming our first tomatoes on a 1/2 acre plot in Rutherford, CA. Now, more than two decades later, we grow over 100 tomato varieties on 20 acres.    

Field Notes

Last week's heat wave made field work difficult. Luckily, the harvest crews were able to finish early to avoid the outdoors during the hottest time of day between 2 pm and 5 pm. Depending on where you were in the valley, the highest temperatures ranged between 106 and 110. This week is suppose to be cooler with high temperatures peaking around 100 degrees. In the greenhouses, we have replaced the plastic with shade cloth and have begun to seed the fall crops including: bunching greens, cabbage, fennel, broccoli, and cauliflower.

We are pleased to be invited to participate in Sacramento's annual Farm to Fork feast that will be held Sunday September 25, 2016. Riverdog Farm's pastured chicken or pork will be featured on the menu for the meal that celebrates the agricultural richness of the Sacramento region. The event is an 800 person sit-down dinner on the Tower Bridge over the Sacramento River. For ticket information, visit: farmtofork.com. Tickets sell out within minutes of the ticket sales going live so follow the website closely to learn more about the event. The dinner ticket proceeds fund the free Farm-to-Fork Festival and other related program events throughout the year that highlight the abundance of food production in the greater Sacramento area. 

Save the Date

Hoes Down Harvest Festival

Saturday October 1, 2016

11:00 am to 11:00 pm

For tickets and volunteer work shift info, please visit: www.hoesdown.org.