August 9, 2021
Plants need water, it’s true – but monsoon rains can cause damage, make “dry” produce wet, and coat our veggies with mud. Not to worry! If you notice that your CSA produce has been affected by the wet conditions, there’s plenty you can do to clean, dry, and store it properly. If your melon, corn, cucumber,… Read more »
For Arizona farmers, summer monsoons are more than just reprieve from the intense heat – the health of their crops depends on the annual rainfall. After two years of drought, our farmers at Sleeping Frog Farms and Crooked Sky Farms are relieved by the wet summer we’ve had this year. A good monsoon season means… Read more »
August 8, 2021
The eggplant is a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family like the potato, the tomato as well as the tomatillo and chayote. Although we use the eggplant as a vegetable it is really a fruit. Eggplant comes in various colors, shapes and sizes. The English actually gave the fruit the name of “eggplant” referring to… Read more »
Canary melons are recognizable by their slightly oblong shape and their bright yellow rinds, which are waxy when the melon is ripe. Farmer Frank plants a drought tolerant Tohono O’odham variety, which is very sweet. Slightly tangier than a honeydew, the flesh of a canary melon is often pale green to white. It is often… Read more »
The poetically-named honeydew was revered by the ancient Egyptians and later loved by Napoleon. It is high in vitamins B6 and C, folate, and potassium, and low in sodium, saturated fat and cholesterol. It’s sweet on the inside, too! The waxy-rinded light green to pale yellow honeydew is a variety of muskmelon along with with… Read more »
The watermelon is a member of the Cucurbitaceae family which includes cucumbers, melons, pumpkins and squash. Like many of its relatives, it is a sprawling vine. By weight, the watermelon is the most consumed melon in the United States, followed by cantaloupe and honeydew. Watermelon is thought to have originated in southern Africa, where it is found… Read more »
August 2, 2021
We launched our CS-Aid program in March of 2020 in direct response to the Covid-19 Pandemic with generous support from current members who started donating to make sure that others would not have to cancel their membership due to unforeseen financial hardship. We are happy to continue to offer support to help past, current, and… Read more »
July 26, 2021
Confit (pronounced /känˈfē/) sounds complicated, but all it really means is food that is cooked slowly in lots of fat. Although duck confit is probably the most well known of its kind, you can use this cooking technique to prepare many different foods – including a wide variety of produce. After all, there’s little that… Read more »
I set an intention to cook less this summer, for the sake of both my mental health and my electric bill. But cooking less doesn’t mean eating less, not at all. I cook in batches, maybe two or three times a week, hopefully early in the morning before the hot afternoon sun streams through my… Read more »
Seasonal fruit from Mission Garden Mission Garden is an urban garden that honors Tucson’s long agricultural history and features heirloom Sonoran Desert-adapted fruit trees. We began working with the folks there two years ago in an attempt to diversify our offerings and support more community producers. We’re happy to continue our partnership with Mission Garden… Read more »