July was a record-breaking month of a heat spell for us in Yolo County. We’re used to triple digit summer temperatures, but not for this long of a stretch (or this high of temps!). Through that heat, we’ve been harvesting tomatoes for about 65 days now! We both can’t believe it’s been that long and are also sure it’s been longer (shouldn’t the season be almost over by now?).
Read MorePlanting season is a frenzied season. There is a short window in which we need to “terminate” our cover crops – we talked about that in the last letter – and prepare the field to be planted anew in “cash” crops. Getting all the beds in all the fields prepared at once is tricky (or, rather, impossible). We have a limited number of tractors and tractor drivers, and a seemingly unlimited amount of work to get done in what feels like a very limited amount of time.
Read MoreThe process of taking down the tomato plants is not quite as tedious as getting them going, but is a cumbersome task no less.
Read MoreWhile Labor Day may mark an end of summer for some, we generally look towards the crops to let us know when seasons end. September is a transitional period where summer and fall blend together, the seasonal crops and activities overlapping. Whether it’s “late summer” or “early fall,” the between time is full of excitement as we begin harvesting winter squash (also known as hard squash), officially finish with watermelon (but then continue to bring in smaller harvests from our grafted plants that are still somehow looking great), continue on with harvesting tomatoes (while starting to take down early plantings), and begin planting for fall (true fall, that is).
Read MoreThese recipes featuring tomatoes and winter squash (sometimes both!) are sure to help you savor the last of summer, while easing into fall.
Read MoreRight now, we’re harvesting the type of fruits we dream about in winter. Bright red watermelon so crisp, sweet, and juicy it “pops” when you cut into it; juice dripping down your hand as you enjoy a slice. The sweetest fresh corn and refreshingly delicate cucumbers. A medley of melons – true summer flavors. And, perhaps, the biggest treat: soil-grown, vine-ripened, peak-summer tomatoes.
Read MoreMake this Broiled Sweet Corn salad with cherry tomatoes as a side for any summer sun-soaked meal. Bonus: enjoy the leftovers (should there be any) as a salsa, quesadilla filling, toast topping, or tossed with some cooked grains.
Read MoreWith our tomato vines bursting with colorful ripe fruit, and local peaches filling the farmers market stands with their sweet scent, we were excited to come across a recipe featuring both of these summer delights!
Read MoreCherry Tomato Jam! You might just be surprised by how often you reach for it…
Read MoreNo, this isn’t a How-To for eating half a pint of tomatoes — it’s a quick trick for slicing an entire pint into halves at once!
Read MoreEarly summer on the farm is a whirlwind of “organized chaos.”
Read MoreWith dried cherry tomatoes, you CAN enjoy the warmth and delight of summer on a chilly winter morning with these tomato-cheddar-onion buttermilk scones. (We’re thanking our late-summer selves right now for putting the dehydrator to good use…)
Read MoreWhen the seasons change, the temperatures cool, and we’re feeling “cozy,” BUT we still have a taste for tomatoes…it’s time to roast! Here are our favorite ways to roast tomatoes and keep on enjoying them into the cooler days of Fall.
Read MoreRead on to see what we’re up to in the Hungry Hollow during late summer (spoiler alert: harvest!)
Read MoreCorn and tomatoes: a match made in Summer.
Read MoreThe calendar and our crops agree: it’s officially summertime!
Read MoreThe two best things about this recipe are as follows: the fresh tomatoes and the roasted tomatoes. So, in sum, it’s the tomatoes…this pasta tastes like summer on a plate.
Read MoreTry making these “Tomato Crisps,” (disclaimer: they’re really just dehydrated cherry tomatoes) to get you through the cold season until fresh cherry tomatoes are available once more. They’re great on their own as a crunchy snack, or they make a nice topping for salads, pastas, soups, pizzas…the list goes on!
Read MoreAs we enter the Persephone Period, the sun is sleeping in a little bit later every morning -- a telling reminder that the seasons are shifting. Here’s what that means out at Hungry Hollow…
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