Sunday, June 12, 2011

Meet the Cucurbits

We are currently growing four different varieties of squash and zucchini and three types of cucumbers. Squash, zucchini and cucumbers are all members of the Cucurbit family, along with pumpkins, melons and gourds. Over the last couple of weeks, Brent and I have been steaming, grilling, sauteeing, roasting and pickling to determine how to best describe our current cucurbit offering to you. Here's our take.


Tromboncino Squash: This crazy long squash is tender inside and out. It has creamy flesh and a slight melon flavor. It is great sauteed or steamed, but you can also enjoy it raw!



Pattypan Squash: Medium-sized scalloped edge squash. Firm flesh, medium-thick skin. Not particularly seedy. Holds up well to a pan saute and roasting. I think they are slightly sweeter than yellow straightneck and the scallop edge makes for some fun shapes when sliced.

Yellow Straightneck Squash: This is your summer stand-by squash for good reason. It has very tender flesh and thin skin. It is the best for steaming or quickly sauteeing and adding to almost any dish. Definitely the best choice for squash casserole.


Costata Romanesco Zucchini
: Big ol' zucchini! Firm, ribbed flesh and somewhat thick skin. The best zucchini for grilling. Cut it on the diagonal to get the most surface area and baste with olive oil before placing on the grill. An Italian heirloom variety with a fun look and mild flavor.



Eightball Zucchini: Adorable orbs of zucchini delicious-ness. These are definitely the best choice for stuffing. Slice off the tops and scoop out the middles and fill with grains like quinoa or barley, herbs, peppers and sausage. You can also slice in 1/4 inch circles and place it on burgers like you would a tomato.


Marketmore Cucumber: This is your standard slicing cucumber. It has somewhat thick, deep-green skin and consistent flesh and seeds throughout. It's the firmest of all our cucumbers and we prefer it with the skin peeled.


Suyo Long Cucumber: Japanese variety with tender skin, firm flesh and small seeds. Considered to be "burpless". Don't let its odd appearance fool you; this is one sweet cucumber. It is great raw, but also stands up well to a quick pickling. Try mixing with apple cider vinegar, sliced sweet onions, squash and some pickling spices for a crisp summer pickled salad.


Lemon Cucumber: My favorite! Thin skinned and more tender flesh than Marketmore or Suyo Long. Looks great sliced into wedges (like a lemon!) and placed on salads or in cocktails. It is sweet and has a very slight honeydew melon flavor. No need to peel the skin. Kids love these!

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Farmstand Hours for the Summer Season

Sorry for any confusion about the farmstand hours! We changed the Wednesday hours to make it more convenient for folks driving home from work and I forgot to update our blog. The farmstand is currently open on Wednesdays from 4 pm - 7 pm. We also sell through the Athens Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8-12. We plan to add more hours, including a Friday evening egg pick-up, starting later in the season. Hope to see y'all out there!

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!


We are up to Issue 8 of our Native Sun Farm weekly newsletter! It's a great way to keep up with our happenings - where we are selling that week, what we have for sale and possibly a recipe or a haiku! We also got some REAL press this week from an article in our local paper, the Oconee Leader! Thanks to reporter Mary Anne Carroll for coming out to visit our farm. If you live in Oconee County, then you will get your Leader in the mail today.

Also, you can follow us on Facebook or Twitter!