Produce Guide:

1) Genovese Basil

2) Gravenstein Apples

3) Mixed Cucumbers (Marketmore, 7802, Armenian)

4) Stony Point Blackberries

5) Shishito Peppers

6) Kale Greens Mix*

7) Dunjac Zucchini / Green Machine Summer Squash 

8) Heirloom Tomato (Mixed Varieties)

*This week's Salad Greens mix is based around a farm blend of different kale varieties and complimented with Kale rabe, Nasturtium leaves & their flowers

Friends of the Farm-

Happy Friday!

We thank you all for joining us in what marks our first week of our new Fall quarter of Live Oak Farm CSA. Funny to think of Fall with it still August and summer weather and crops in front of us but this will take us through October and there is a nice variety of vegetables and fruit ahead, in what makes this many people's favorite season for produce. 

Perhaps the first marker of fall produce that many associate are apples... enter this week's Gravenstein Apples. Timely as in addition to having a place at our own August 13th Farm Dinner (details and tickets available below) next weekend is also the Gravenstein Apple Fair here in Sonoma County. This variety is definitely a specialty to the area and we're excited to have our own organic Gravenstein trees, along with about 5 more varieties of apples we're excited to share with you via CSA and our farm stand this season.

Be sure to check out this week's featured recipe (Blackberry Apple Crisp) and you can use the apples right out of the box for your next dessert. 

We encourage you to use the flowers we've included in the Genovese Basil bunches. We really like these delicate flavors of fresh basil and the decorative garnish on top of salads, roasted veggies, or especially as an herb addition to grilled fish. 

Lastly, we welcome you to enjoy our weekly music playlist.

This week's mix is heavy on the rhythms of Cumbia. But the world tour doesn't stop there, David Bowie brings us Helden - the 1989 German remix of his Heroes and we get the South-Indian sounds of one of the country's most prolific Hindi-movie scorers, S.P. Belasubrahmanyam. Reminders of home also run throughout the playlist. Old & In the Way (a well-named Bluegrass supergroup spearheaded by David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, Vassar Clements, Peter Rowan, & John Kahn) grace us with Wild Horses and our own Sonoma County is represented with the track 39 Green Lights from The Rainbow Girls.

If there's one not to miss this week - try out I Like Birds by Eels. 

Enjoy all this and more! 

All our best from the farm,

Tom & William and Live Oak Farm team

Blackberry Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

All Gravenstein Apples

All Blackberries

1/2 Cup unsalted Butter (cold & cut into 1/4-inch cubes)

2/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

1/2 Cup Quick Oats

3/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1 tea Cinnamon

1/4 tea ground Ginger

1/4 tea Allspice

1/4 tea Kosher Salt

3/4 tea Baking Powder

1 T. Cornstarch

1 T. fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

Method:

Begin by greasing an 8x8 baking pan. Preheat your oven to 350F.

Combine the following in a large bowl to build your crumble topping: flour, brown sugar, oats, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and baking powder. A whisk works nicely here. Add your cold, cubed butter and incorporate by using your fingers to pinch the butter cubes until about pea-sized and all ingredients are well mixed.

Peel and thinly slice Gravenstein apples into 1/4-inch slices. Combine with your blackberries in a separate bowl. In another small bowl mix cornstarch and granulated sugar. Pour this mix over your prepared fruit, toss, and then add lemon juice. Scrape your fruit mixture into your baking dish and flatten to ensure an even layer. 

Spread your crumble mix evenly on top of the fruit.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the top of the crisp is golden brown and your fruit is bubbling. Remove from ovenServe with a dollop of yogurt, ice cream, or fresh herbs. Enjoy! 

Our summer farm dinner series continues this month - Saturday August 13th! Tickets remain! We'd love to have you at the farm to join in the festivities next weekend.

In this edition we've partnered with Birk O'Halloran owner and beverage maker for Rockwell Vermouth & Iconic Wines. Dinner will showcase both wines and speciality vermouths that speak to California native plants, local terroir, and overlapping farming practices and ethos shared with Live Oak Farm.

Join us! Link below for dinner tickets via EventBrite. We look forward to another fun night here at the farm surrounded by our community & new friends.