Week 12 Newsletter

Week #12 - Week of August 17th

This week’s newsletter is written by one of our longest and newest employees, Elena.  Yes, that’s right, read one again.   Elena first started working with us in 2023, before any of our current employees were with us.   Back then Alexandra was the farm manager and the farm was at the S47.   She also came back in the summer of ’24 and worked alongside Franklin.   Now she is joining us for the second half of the season and her enthusiasm and work ethic couldn’t arrive at a better time.   It’s been awesome to have someone join us when the crush of the work was weighing down.  Better yet is that Elena knows all of our systems and basically can catching a moving train (which is no small feat).  And clearly, basil is on her mind

Before you read her musings, a note on U-Pick.   I know most of you are well versed in the UPick cadence and expecations.   As a reminder, please confine your picking to the beds allocated for UPick – these are by and large all 50’ and all parallel to each other along the south end of the farm (plus the flower field, Kid’s garden and the Herb tunnel).  I’d rather not put up more caution tape to keep folks out of the greenhouses.  Thanks.  Now, on to Elena…

Wow wow wow it’s that time of year when you have far too much basil and need to start batching a ridiculous amount of pesto for the winter!!

Here are my 6 favorite ways to eat pesto:

1.     By the spoon full

2.     On a pizza (topped with balsamic vinegar glaze, goat cheese, red pepper flakes, and anything else you like in your ‘za)

3.     On a BLT as pesto mayo ooo yum

4.     On a pasta topped with broiled sungold tomatoes for a touch of sweetness

5.     On toast with a thick slice of tomato maybe some arugula and a sunny side up egg

6.     As a dip with toasted bread slices that are baked or air fried with lots of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Here’s my pesto recipe (I usually eyeball the measurements of each ingredient so consider this my best quantified estimate):

• basil - as much as you can fit in your food processor or blender

• 5 garlic cloves

• 1/2 to 1 cup of Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast if desired)

• 1/2 to 1 cup of olive oil

• 1 cup of walnuts (or pine nuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, or a combination of them all. You can also toast them!!)

• juice from one lemon

• salt to taste (a lot)

• freshly cracked pepper to taste

Enjoy!

Farmer Elena