I am not sure what to write about this week. The passing of the budget bill and reading about all the damage it will do to our communities and the planet when there is already so much suffering and destruction is hard. I know I am not alone in feeling discouraged and angry. If anyone knows of actions or ways to support communities who are especially targeted by this bill please pass that info on to us. Here are few things we know about already:

Farm workers in California are organizing in response to the massive ICE raids and I will let you know what we can do to support those efforts once the organizers share the information.

The National Young Farmers Coalition, a non-profit that organizes around issues facing small and medium scale farmers, provides educational opportunities, and mental health support, started a fundraising and awareness campaign to call out the USDA's cuts to farming programs that support young, beginning, LGBTQ+, and farmers of color. We need the next generation of farmers to have access to this important funding.

We are fortunate to still have access to grant money from the New York Food for New York Families program that allows us to partner with the Free Food Fridge Albany, Long Table Harvest, and the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement to provide weekly deliveries of vegetables & beef. The veggies & beef are distributed in the Albany area and Columbia County. These organizations have all lost a lot of promised grant funding and are likely to loose more in the coming months. If you are looking for places to donate or volunteer, these are three very important organizations in our local community.

And Saturday we have our Garlic Harvest Party. We can all gather together to get our hands dirty and enjoy one another's company. Share ways to get through these next few years together. Plus eat some good food. See the box below to RSVP so we can grill enough burgers for everyone. We hope you can join us! ~Jody

GARLIC HARVEST PARTY!

Join us on Saturday, July 12 for our annual garlic harvest party.

Harvest from 9 am to 1 pm

Potluck lunch and grilled Roxbury Farm CSA organic burgers at 1pm

Bring a water bottle, a hat, sunscreen, & work gloves, wear clothes that can get dirty & sturdy shoes. And a dish to share!

You can walk the farm or wade in the creek, too.

Members of all ages welcome! Come for a hour or the whole day.

Click HERE to let us know you will be joining us!

Freshly weeded sweet potatoes

IMPORTANT DATES

Fruit Shares Start: NEXT WEEK

First Beef Shares: TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY BEEF SHARES THIS WEEK

COMING NEXT WEEK (our best guess): head lettuce, fennel, cabbage, basil, cilantro, carrots or beets, cucumbers, summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers or tomatoes, onions, and turnips

COOKING TIPS AND RECIPES

Visit the Nerds with Knives website for all sorts of cooking & storage tips and recipes for the veggies in your share.

Eggplant: Store it in a cool place in your kitchen or in the fridge. If you feel that eggplant is too bitter, slice into thin slices or cubes and sprinkle it with salt. Let eggplant sit on the counter for 30 to 60 minutes. Then wipe excess moisture with a paper towel. Then cook.

Fennel: Place in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer in the fridge. You can eat it raw or cooked. Use the fronds as a garnish.

Red onions: store in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer in the fridge. You can use the green part and the red bulb.

Fried Eggplant with Tahini and Pomegranate

2 large eggplants (2 1/2 lbs.)

 ³⁄₄ tsp. kosher salt, plus more

 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled

 ¹⁄₂ cup plus 2 tbsp. tahini

 ¹⁄₈ tsp. ground cumin

 Vegetable oil, for frying

 3 tbsp. carob molasses

 ¹⁄₂ cup pomegranate seeds

 ¹⁄₄ cup halved pistachios

Using a vegetable peeler, peel 4 evenly spaced, 1-inch wide lengthwise strips of skin from the eggplants. Cut the eggplants crosswise into 3⁄4-inch-thick slices and then arrange on 2 racks, each set over a rimmed baking sheet. Season the eggplant slices generously on both sides with salt and then refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Meanwhile, make the tahini sauce: In a blender, combine the lemon juice, 3⁄4 teaspoons salt, and the garlic, and purée

until smooth. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the garlic to mellow. Pour the garlic and lemon juice through a fine sieve into a medium bowl, discarding the solids, and then whisk in the tahini and cumin. While whisking, slowly pour in 6 tablespoons ice-cold water, and continue whisking until the tahini sauce is smooth. Set aside 1⁄3 cup of the tahini sauce for the eggplant and reserve the remaining for another use.

Pour enough oil to come 1⁄2 inch up the side of a 12-inch skillet and heat over medium-high. Using paper towels, wipe away the excess moisture and salt from the eggplant slices. When the oil is shimmering, add enough eggplant to fit in a single layer and fry, turning once, until very dark on the outside, about 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the eggplant to paper towels to drain briefly, and then fry the remaining eggplant slices.

Arrange the eggplant slices on a large serving platter and drizzle with the reserved tahini sauce and carob molasses. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds and then the pistachios and serve while hot. www.saveur.com

Planting head lettuce before the storm

This week's full share: eggplant, poblano peppers, cabbage, fennel, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, basil, cilantro, scallions, turnips, fresh red onions, zucchini, and summer squash

(Exact share contents may vary by location based on the day's harvest.)

This week's small share: eggplant, poblano peppers, cilantro, fennel, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, cabbage, fresh red onions, zucchini, and summers squash (Exact share contents may vary by location based on the day's harvest.)



Roasted Eggplant and Zucchini

1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons aged balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss eggplant, zucchini, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread out on a large rimmed baking sheet. 

Roast, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. 

Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with basil and drizzle with vinegar before serving. Can be served hot, room temperature or cold. www.healthyseasonalrecipes.com

Pickled Red Onions

2 cups white vinegar

2 cups water

⅓ cup cane sugar

2 tablespoons sea salt

Optional: 2 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp pepper corns

Thinly slice the onions (it's helpful to use a mandoline), and divide the onions between 2 (16-ounce) jars or 3 (10-ounce) jars. Place the garlic and peppercorns in each jar, if using

Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Let cool and pour over the onions. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store the onions in the fridge.

Your pickled onions will be ready to eat once they're bright pink and tender - about 1 hour for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

www.loveandlemon.com