Notes from the Farm

On Thursday of last week there were projections that Tropical Storm Hermine would  make its way up the east coast and slam in to us by Sunday afternoon with high winds and

heavy rain.  Happily for us the storm did not follow that potential trajectory, and we had a glorious weekend here at the farm with normal winds and not a drop of rain.  Condition were perfect for our annual Dinner on the Farm, a fantastic and delicious event made extra-special this year as we celebrate the Massaro Centennial – 100 years of farming.   It was 1916 when John and Mary Massaro started farming this land, and we are grateful to be entrusted as stewards of the Massaro Farm property.  As CSA

subscribers, YOU are the community supporting  agriculture, which makes you stewards of this farm as well, and we are so thankful you for your continual support.  An extra thanks to those who made it to the dinner to celebrate with us, and we hope those who couldn’t make it will be able to join us next year.

The tomatoes in the fields are quickly coming to an end of their productivity, but our tomatoes in the high tunnels continue to thrive, so we should have a few more weeks to enjoy the mix of red, orange and pink round tomatoes we have been harvesting from there.  We’ll have more potatoes to pair with them this week and below is a recipe for a tomato/potato soup you might like to cook up on one of these cooler evenings.  Enjoy!

Best,

Farmer Steve and our Farmers: Alyssa, Tyler, Ed, Briana, Diana, Adam, Nikki, Kelly, Ariana and Jess

In This Week’s Distribution

Tomato Potato Soup

from www.plantbasedonabudget.com

Ingredients

• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 2 cups tomato soup or 1 can tomato paste (or chop and cook down fresh tomatoes!)
• 2 cups water + additional water if using paste
• 1 bay leaf
• salt/pepper
• 1 tsp Thyme
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 potato, chopped
• 4 small mushrooms, sliced
• 1/3 cup chopped carrots
• 1 small zucchini

Method
Step 1: Begin by sauteeing the chopped onion in a medium/large soup pot over medium-high heat with some water to prevent sticking. Once the onions are translucent add in the garlic and stir quickly, being careful not to burn either. Add more water if needed.
Step 2: Add to the pot the tomato soup, water, bay leaf, and spices. Stir in the potato, mushrooms, carrots and zucchini. Turn the heat to high, so that the soup comes to a boil. Step 3: Once it boils, cover the pot and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Let the mixture cook for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are lightly tender. If you’d like, take half the soup mixture and pour into a high-speed blender. Allow it to blend until smooth and creamy and add back to the soup pot, mixing with the remaining soup. Serve with your favorite bread, crackers or as is!