We drive people crazy sometimes with our botanical talk. Perhaps because so many of us have irritating memories of children in elementary school playing on the riddle that a tomato is actually a fruit, not a vegetable.

It’s true. A tomato is a fruit.

Accordingly, so is a pepper, an eggplant, and a squash. A fruit is the part of a plant that holds the seeds We know – it is annoying to point this out. We are a vegetable farm but actually much of what we grow are fruits. Fruits that no one considers a fruit.

We talk about this because from a cultivation and harvesting standpoint, the fact that we are growing certain plants for their fruits means we treat those plants differently than, say, the plants that we are growing in order to harvest their leaves (lettuce, kale, etc.) or roots (beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, onions, garlic, etc.) The harvested part of the plant drives a lot of other details – how/what it is fed and when, how and when it is harvested, how it is washed, packed, and stored. Botanically speaking, fruits receive special treatment around here. We find ourselves saying during the work day “Fruits need harvesting again tomorrow…” “Fruits haven’t been harvested yet today…” “Fruits are in the CSA share next week!” When we say those out loud to CSA members or customers, we usually get perplexed and/or excited faces. “Oh, you grow fruit?!”

“Yes, botanically speaking.”

What a nerdy response.
Farm and bug nerds, we are. Check out this hummingbird moth we found yesterday:

Photo Credit: Kyle.
Can you spot it, hovering over the pink zinnia in the center? The link above points to a US Forest Service page that indicates a recognition of “Pollinator of the Month.” We are so glad we aren’t the only pollinator nerds.
 Thanks for enjoying our vegetables (including the fruits). And our flowers. We’re sending out amazing, delicious, and beautiful deliveries of our goods in four primary trips each week. Thanks for letting us know how much you love them. We appreciate it, and it’s this gratitude from you that is going to get us through the next month – the hottest month of the year around here. (July. We sort of say it with a sigh sometimes.) But it gives us delicious fruits. (And this last weekend in June is forecasted to be seasonally cool. That will give us all a nice advantage going into Hot Month, eh?) 
Available for Market Share CSA members to choose from this week: Basil, Beets, Cabbage, Chard, Cucumbers, Dill, Flower bouquets, Garlic, Green Beans, Kale, Lettuce Mix, Parsley, Peppers, Salad Mix (with discounts on larger quantities), Summer Squash …and Pepper Jelly, Fermented Jalapenos, naturally leavened Hearth Baked Bread.

Recipe Suggestions: see them cataloged on our Recipe Page
Tomatoes are in, as well as a variety of herbs! We really love dicing tomatoes and peppers, together with garlic and a finely chopped herb (or two), plus olive oil and salt. Serve this as a side for as many meals as possible in the next week.
Parsley – We love fresh herbs! Parsley is excellent added to any salad – leafy greens, pasta, sweet potato…We love it with feta cheese, or goat cheese, or any cheese in any salad! It is also delicious mixed with garlic and cheese as a spread/dip for crackers, bread, or cut veggies. We also love chimichurri as a side sauce/dressing for many dishes.
Preserving herbs through fermenting them in a brine: See this recipe here. Inspired by an article in a recent Taproot magazine, we are about to dive into this new method of using herbs. Basil and Parsley for months!
Cucumbers and Tomatoes –  with Feta and Basil is a hit at our house
Beets – it seems like goat cheese and feta are the big features in this recipe list today, but we won’t apologize for that. Roasted beets with goat cheese and walnuts is a favorite of ours
Bell Pepper – Sylvie made this Macaroni Salad with peppers for her father for Father’s Day yesterday

2015 Market Share CSA Members: Reserve your selection online to pick up on Saturday, June 27 at our farm, at the Brandermill Green market, or at the South of the James market.

** Vegetables not ordered by our Market Share CSA members will join us at the Brandermill Green Market and South of the James market this Saturday. **Anyone may order select goods from us, through Fall Line Farms, Richmond’s online farmers’ market. You can use discount code “broadfork” to earn a complimentary 6 month subscription.

Enjoy ~ Janet, Dan, and the rest of the Broadfork crew
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