Produce Guide:

1) Red Russian Kale

2) Delicata Squash

3) Mixed Cherry Tomatoes

4) Jalapeños 

5) Nasturtium & Basil Pesto

6) Summer Salad Mix (Salanova, Red Frill Mustard, Mizuna, Frisse, and more)

7) Flowering Green Shiso & Genovese Basil Bouquet 

8) Honeycrisp Apples

9) Early Girl Tomatoes

Friends of the Farm-

Happy Friday!

What the difference a week makes. It feels like a completely different season from a just a week ago. We've enjoyed working in the cooler temperatures and welcome the Fall Equinox in the week ahead. And what do you know, there's even rain in this weekend's forecast! 

We farmers find ourselves in the busiest time of the year with what feels like never-ending harvesting of late summer crops, flipping beds, new bed building, seeding, transplanting brassicas, lettuces, and much, much more. We continue to manage our orchards for a few more varieties of apples still ripening, and turn our attention to Persimmons around the corner with the welcome of Fall.  

This week's recipe has been a summer favorite of mine. Tomatoes and Shiso take center stage in a pairing that I believe needs to be more well known. Step aside basil! 

We featured a Japanese-inspired Caprese Salad recipe a few weeks ago, but this week's salad is a more true version that shines light on Shiso (leaves and flowers). The Shiso flowers accentuate the dish's final texture and add pop in the presentation. A bit of Jalapeño in this dish too brings a touch of heat to compliment the chorus of late-summer tomatoes and herbs.

*Note that this week's Jalapeños carry some of the heat from last week's extreme temperatures. I too was caught off guard thinking they were the milder versions we'd seen in previous successions. Proceed with caution and try first before going all in*

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

If you're a fan of our complementing music playlist each week, you know that it leans towards the funky, the eccentric, and the soulful, Not to worry, there is some of all of that back again this week. But it's the slower, folkier tune or two that got my attention this week. The one I can't seem to get out of my head is Little Bit Sweet off the Wood Brothers newest record, Kingdom In My Mind. This week's other must-listen exploration is introduction to Ryan Scott. I've got his record Love U Like The Sun in June on the playlist, but you really must give the full album- A Freak Grows In Brooklyn a listen. Enjoy!

All our best from the farm,

Tom & William and Live Oak Farm team

Shiso Tomato Salad

Ingredients:

all Shiso leaves, chiffonade

Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1x Jalapeño, extra fine dice 

Sesame Oil, drizzle

Rice Wine Vinegar, drizzle

Mirin, dash

Coarse sea salt, pinch

Togarashi, pinch

Garnish with Shiso flowers, Basil flowers and Furikake or Sesame Seeds

Method:

This salad can most easily be built by layering in a medium-sized shallow serving bowl for best presentation. Begin by halving your tomatoes (either Cherry tomatoes or Heirloom tomatoes can be used. I like the textural pop of the Cherries for this salad in particular.)

Remove the seeds from your Jalapeño, cut into thin matchsticks and then small dice. (Cucumbers may also be added to cool the bit of heat, or Jalapeños omitted altogether too if you choose).  

Chiffonade your Shiso leaves and save the flowers for garnish. 

Build your salad by layering tomatoes in the bowl, adding diced Jalepenos / Cucumbers, and seasoning with sea salt. Top with a composed mix of prepared Shiso leaves and then dress the entire dish by drizzling Mirin, Sesame Oil, and Rice Wine Vinegar to taste.

Garnish with a pinch of Togarashi and Furikake or Sesame Seeds.

Lastly sprinkle your Shiso flowers over the top of the dish and serve.

Can be served and enjoyed by itself or as a compliment to our Summer Greens Mix. 

Compost Tea Tuesdays

Starting Tuesday October 4th, we'll be offering a free resource each Tuesday for our community of home-gardeners and green-thumbs. We've been brewing our own compost tea for our own use but now want to make this resource available to you too. Bring your own reusable vessel and we'll have compost tea on tap. Each Tuesday 8am - 5pm.

Live Oak Farm Events

We're excited to continue to announce new events as we enter the Fall season. We invite you to check out our refreshed website and new Events Calendar tab to see what's happening at Live Oak Farm in the weeks ahead. We'll be offering a few different dinner formats (pricing / menu / day of the week), as well as Harvest Festival, and Fall Open house for our community at no charge, as well as weekly yoga (returning this week!)

LAST CALL! Our next Live Oak Farm dinner is set for NEXT SATURDAY, September 24. In this edition we are partnering with guest Chef, Jordan Grosser as he brings a creative take on our farm's produce. Link here to tickets via EventBrite. We hope to see you here!