Gold in the Garden

They call them summer squash 

and indeed that is the bounty of the summer!

Like most of you, our squash plants are blooming in abundance.

We have many varieties of this "yellow gold" growing at the farm.

In fact, we even have this one very hearty squash volunteer 

that's popped up amidst the padron peppers!

Here's a good resource on how to differentiate 

between the many varieties of squash!

crookneck squash grows at our farm

and lemon squash

 and also Goldenbar zucchini

Goldenbar zucchini are the yellow squash 
that are shaped just like the more standard green zucchini. 
Goldenbars are a little creamier and better for slicing and dicing 
than for grating to use in zucchini bread.
The Goldenbar zucchini can also be shaved with a peeler or sliced thinly for salads. 

The chefs at the girl & the fig, ESTATE and 

the fig café and winebar continue to get creative 

with the bounty from the farm.

Here are some great tips on growing and harvesting squash 

from Smart Gardner's new "Ask a Gardener" series. 

The other "yellow gold" we have at the farm is the lemon verbena.

The plants act as a wind barrier protecting other things growing in the beds 

and of course lemon verbena has a beautiful scent, 

making it a welcome addition to any garden.

But of course, what is best about the lemon verbena 

is what our chefs create with this herb!

A favorite at the girl & the fig is lemon verbena custard.

photo by Steven Krause from
Plats du Jour: the girl & the fig's Journey Through the Seasons in Wine Country

Lemon verbena is a very fragrant and versatile herb, 

often used as a scent in soaps and perfumes. 

But there are many ways to use it in the kitchen—brew it in tea

or mix it with other herbs for more layered flavors.

There are many ways to use lemon verbena. 

Do you have a favorite way to use lemon verbena?

And what are you doing with all the golden bounty
of squash your garden is giving you now?

Farm Blossoms

Don't you just love squash blossoms?  

We agree with these musings from "The Kitchn:" 

When stuffed, battered, and fried, they are one of summer's chief delicacies. 

But we always had a slight sense of unease when buying them. 

Wasn't it quite a sacrifice for the farmer to sell each flower, 

since he was essentially sacrificing a future squash? 

Wouldn't this flower someday grow into a much larger (and more substantial) vegetable? 

It seemed almost greedy to eat a flower and deny it its future as a squash!

Well, it turns out that we were wrong. Not all squash blossoms will turn into a squash, and we can eat most of the blossoms in our own squash patch with impunity. Why?"

"The answer is really quite simple. 

Squash blossoms come in two genders: male and female. 

Only female squash blossoms mature into a squash. 

The male is just there to, well, fertilize them."

Here is a little more technical info on male and female squash blossoms.

You must be seeing the beautiful squash blossoms at Farmers Markets. 

One simple way to prepare them is to fill squash blossoms 

with a soft herbed cheese, brush with olive oil and 

bake until wilted and heated through. 

What do you like to do with squash blossoms?

summer squash bounty at our farm

Summer squash at the farm inspired Chef at the girl & the fig 

to create a grilled summer squash ratatouille to serve with day boat scallops.

And our friend Kristin Jorgensen featured a great recipe 

for Ribbon Zucchini Salad in Sonoma "Sun Eats" column. 

A lot of squash inspiration for our Chefs
What do you do with summer squash?

The sunchokes are looming over the squash rows. 

Did you know they can grow to be 10' tall?

We had so many sunchokes last season that
Chef John created sunchoke chips! Rivaled potato chips.

Nearby the fertile squash beds, our raspberries are also in full bloom. 

Besides being hard to resist, there are so many health benefits to raspberries.

so delicious right off the vine

we almost can't be sure they will make it to the bowl! 

Here are some great tips from Smart Gardener about growing berries. 

Perfect for dessert just as they are....

Or do you have a favorite recipe that showcases berries?

The farm is fertile and alluring right now.
What's growing especially beautifully in your garden?

More than one season at the farm

At the farm, we experience more than one season at a time. 

We are certainly well past spring and into summer now
as the plantings we put in the ground 

at our May "planting party" are now taking off. 

The chefs are having fun with all the padron peppers, which are in full swing. 

first plant in the ground (a padron) 

padron plant now 

Padron peppers are one of many chile peppers. 

Check out an interesting article in the current issue of Whole Living Magazine 

(including a "Pain O Meter" to help measure chile's heat) that details a lot about 

what a key ingredient chiles are for so many cultures: 

"Consumed in larger quantities by more people around the globe than any other spice, 

it's the underpinning of virtually every cuisine. 

Where would salsa, kimchi, and curry be without it? 

But because of the chile's signature bite, it's all too easy to forget 

its other qualities -- above all, flavor. 

Each chile contains a unique blend of notes ranging from 

nut to molasses, tobacco to licorice, citrus to stone fruit. 

And then there are its not insignificant health benefits. 

The heat in chiles dilates blood vessels, stimulating circulation and perspiration 

and speeding along digestion; when applied topically,

it's been known to relieve everything from headaches to psoriasis to shingles. 

Talk about a Renaissance fruit."

It definitely feels like summer in the upper quadrants at the farm 

with thriving basil, eggplant, summer squash including zucchini, lemon 

and white scallop varieties, merlin beets and sunchokes 

along with the padron peppers in just one section. 

And right next to all this, tarragon, asparagus, swiss chard, kale, fennel, carrots, 

lemon verbena and a few of the 350 tomato plants are growing.

summer squash, padrons and eggplants

sunchoke plants are almost 5' tall already. They can grow to 8 feet

first of the heirloom tomatoes appearing

But since our farm is a year round project, we are to committed succession planting 

where we plant at different times to vary our harvesting times. 

tomatoes, cucumbers and the abundant upper quad
overlook the lower quad planted with winter squash

So, here we are in July picking carrots and beets in the morning 

for the bartender at the girl & the fig to make a truly farm-inspired "Harlot" cocktail 

with carrot and beet juice spiked with Tequila 

(a server refers to it as "an intoxicated Jack La Lanne!"), 

while the lower beds are planted with winter squash.

photo by Jerry James Stone

Talk about thinking seasonally. 

Being sure the farm is planted for the season ahead 

even while we are picking what's fresh today gives us greater flexibility, 

is better for the soil as we change what is in the ground and 

certainly guarantees that the chefs always have farm fresh produce 

to feature on the menu.

summer and fall side by side: cucumbers and winter squash

 While you are picking the fresh herbs you've planted 

on your window sill or in your backyard, it is not too early to think

 about what you can plant for fall. 

So, go ahead be in summer mode and 

savor blistering padron peppers now while they are in season. 

(this video shows you how easy this is to do)

While you enjoy the heat of the peppers and the season though, 

do think ahead to fall, so you will be able to continue appreciating 

your farm project during cooler times. 

As we pick our summer lemon squash, we know it won't be all that long 

before the chefs will be serving

the winter squash that is just beginning to grow. 

honey-glazed winter squash on pg. 256 of Plats du Jour cookbook
photo by Steven Krause

What's in your summer garden? 

And what do you plant for Fall?