July 16th

Our Vibrant Friends!

July is popping OFF. 

Our fields are hot and our FarmFit ™ toned muscles are hotter. Our cooler is heaven, a radical reprieve for the few lucky moments we steal inside it, stocking each square foot with bold bounties of vegetables, or full floral flushes of brilliant blooms. 

When we aren’t seeding, weeding, planting, harvesting, processing, washing, packaging, and delivering the goods to y’all, we are offering therapy to each other, talking social justice, sharing favorite remote camping locations, trading essential reading lists, calling out across the field to our farm dog Chonk, head farm cat Parsnip, and the little rascal feral cats, and talking about food while eating as much food as we can stuff into our mouths during break. 

We also have dance breaks. Because dancing is essential. For all. 

This week, get ready to get down get down while you unpack your CSA and weekly boxes, because we hereby present a collaborative playlist from the crew to lucky you of our 2020 VVF Favorite Summer Bops. 

**** Please note some of the following cuts may not be appropriate for your children’s youthful ears and download/play accordingly***

Sugar Honey Iced Tea

Princess Nokia

Noname

Song 33

Frances Bebey

Forest Nativity

Tropo Magica

LSD Roma

The Pretenders

Brass in Pocket

Beyoncé

Before I Let Go

Duke Dumont ft Jax Jones

I Got U

Jonas Blue ft Dakota

Fast Car 

Mase

Feel So Good

The Chemical Brothers

The Salmon Dance (Crookers ‘Wow’ Remix)

Tame Impala

The Less I Know The Better

Megan Thee Stallion

Savage

Missy Elliot

WTF

Snoop Dog ft Pharrell

Beautiful

Until next week, with love and gratitude to you and yours,

-- Rosemary Stafford for Vibrant Valley Farm

ROSE’S RECIPE IDEAS OF THE WEEK:

FENNEL AND SUMMER SQUASH SOUP

Ingredients

• 1 large fennel bulb (fronds reserved, bulb sliced ½ inch thick)

• Lemon juice to taste

• Salt to taste

• Dash or two or four of white wine to taste

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• Approximately 2lbs mixed summer squash sliced ½ inch thick

• 1 (or many) large garlic cloves, smashed

• 1 large onion thinly sliced

• 1 quart chicken stock

• Freshly ground pepper

• ½ cup crème fraîche

• Chopped spring onions for garnish

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, cover the sliced fennel bulb with water. Add the lemon juice and a large dash of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the fennel is nice and tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain the fennel and set aside.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Add the summer squash, onion, and garlic. Season with salt and white wine and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, adding dashes of more oil and wine as needed until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cooked fennel and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened completely, about 8 minutes. 

3. Cool the vegetable glory down to a warm temp. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender. Return the soup to the pot and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

4. Ladle the soup into shallow bowls that delight your soul. Dollop one tablespoon of the crème fraîche into each serving and swirl in prettily. Garnish with fennel fronds and thin sliced spring onions and serve. Soup can be refrigerated up to 2 days. Reheat gently over medium low heat, being careful not to burn. 

LITTLE GEM SUMMER COLOR SALAD WITH BASIL VINAIGRETTE 

Ingredients

Salad:

• Little gems cut or torn 

• Thin sliced carrots (either rounds or julienned strips)

• Thin sliced carrots (as above)

• Thin sliced radishes (as above)

• 1-2 marigold heads, pulled apart into petals for garnish

Salad Preparation:

Arrange beautifully in bowl or on long low dish/presentation plate. Scatter or cluster the thin sliced vegetables on top of the little gems and then liberally festoon the whole kit and caboodle with marigold petals. Set aside. 

Dressing:

• 1 garlic clove (or a ton, depending on your taste)

• 1 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar

• Pinch or two crushed red pepper

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dressing Preparation

In a food processor, pulse the garlic until chopped. Add the basil and pulse until finely chopped. Add the oil, vinegar, and crushed red pepper and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Drizzle dressing in a fanciful zigzag over colorpalooza salad. Enjoy immediately. 

Dressing also delicious with grilled fish, chicken, root vegetables, or lamb. 

SWEET GARLICKY GRILLED CARROT TOPS

Ingredients

• Carrot tops, tender fronds cut from root

• Butter (2tbs or as desired)

• Spoonful or two of preserved chopped garlic (the kind you get in the little jar)

• Spoonful of spruce tip jelly, mint jelly, or honey

• Salt to taste

Preparation:

Heat half the butter on medium low in fry pan or on grill pan in low heat BBQ. Add in the tender carrot tops and sauté until softened, stirring as needed, turning up the heat a bit to lightly char at the end. Remove from heat and plate. In the microwave or in an additional small saucepan, heat the remaining butter with the garlic and a spoonful of spruce tip jelly, mint jelly, or honey with salt to taste. Melt and stir to combine. Drizzle over grilled carrot tops and serve immediately.