Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA August 25th, 2025

More than a little warm this week with water in the gauge on Monday (.09) and Saturday morning (.45). Today (Sunday) was one of those beautiful weather days with warm temperatures and lots of sunshine and for me, neither too hot nor too cold. I love the heat of summer most of the time but this season has been a little challenging.

Maybe because it was a beautiful day, we found all kinds of “beings” out and about –

Katy enjoyed looking at a tiger swallowtail, we were very careful picking beans as we gently reached around this wolf spider and watching over all was Suki, sitting on the hay bale. Katy is holding what we think is a “ground beetle”, Izzy found a “snout weevil” – another bug not welcome in the garden and I took some close ups of what we call a “zig-zag” spider.

It is encouraging to see our squash begin to produce in the bottom tunnel and our hope is to hang on to them for a few weeks. Harlequin bugs and squash bugs seem to be slow in finding this planting so “cross your fingers”! We tried feeding some Harlequin bugs to the chickens today and they were not interested. Katy had researched and found information saying chickens do not like Harlequin bugs. It said they do not taste good because they are full of the cruciferous crops that they consume and when they can’t find that crop, they jump on whatever else is growing. The tomatoes are still producing in spite of blight and nematodes. Hot peppers are outproducing sweet peppers by far and our theory is that the sweet peppers are dealing with nematodes. We are definitely going to have to do something about the nematodes other than solarization which is what we tried last fall and winter.

Below are some pictures of some of the tomato varieties that may be in your bag this week – the first ones are Wild Boar Mint Julep, second is an Amish Paste and third is Lillian’s Yellow. Lillian’s is one of the biggest tomatoes we have grown – solid and delicious. I am a fan of Mint Juleps – love the interesting taste and paste tomatoes are always welcome as we combine varieties to make colorful jars of canned “fruits” for winter chili and soups.

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK

  • Tomatoes - lots of kinds and colors
  • Potatoes
  • Okra
  • Peppers - sweet and hot
  • Green Beans
  • Cucumber
  • Squash
  • Onions
  • Basil and Chives

RECIPE SHARE –

PEPPER Information – Capsaicin produces the pungency of hot peppers. This substance is not water soluble, but soluble in alcohol and milk. This may explain why hot Indian dishes are frequently accompanied by yogurt. Most of the intensity of a hot pepper resides in its seeds and inner ribs. Remove these to reduce heat, retain them in cooking for the full blast! Always take precautions when preparing hot peppers however.

Peppers are nutritionally significant. High levels of vitamins A, C, and E and the minerals iron and potassium characterize most pepper varieties. Hot chili peppers and red sweet bell peppers are exceedingly high in vitamin A and C. Anyone who has enjoyed or not enjoyed hot pepper in their food can attest to the medicinal effects of clearing nasal passages and lung congestion, and cleansing through perspiration!

Cooking Tips: Be careful when preparing hot peppers of any kind. For greatest safety wear rubber gloves while chopping and handling them. DO NOT touch eyes, nose, mouth or other places. Wash hands thoroughly when finished. For greatest nutrient retention, eat bell peppers raw. Slice thin and lengthwise for a crunchy snack and for dipping, later slices into a favorite sandwich or dice into a variety of salads. Add peppers to soups, stews, omelets, quiches, casseroles and stir-fries.

STORAGE Tips: Refrigerate peppers in hydrator drawer unwashed for 1-2 weeks. Peppers may be frozen. Wash and dry peppers. Cut into bite size pieces and place in an air=tight container or zip-lock freezer bag. Pepper will soften when thawed so take out only the amount you need and replace the rest in the freezer. Peppers also dry well.

CHILLIES RELLENOS JOSE – From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce

Whole or halved hot or semi-hot chilies (Hungarian wax, Anaheim, jalapenos, etc.) enough to cover the bottom of a 7 by 13-inch pan

1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, cut into thin strips

5 large eggs

¼ cup flour

1 ¼ cups milk

½ teaspoon salt

½ pound grated Cheddar cheese

½ teaspoon paprika

Remove seeds from peppers. Slip strips of Jack cheese inside peppers. Beat eggs and gradually add flour, milk and salt. Arrange peppers in well-greased pan. Sprinkle on Cheddar. Pour on egg mixture. Sprinkle on paprika. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Recipe shared by Nancy Crabb, member of the Zephyr Community Farm

Jalapeno Biscuits – An American Bounty - From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce

2 cups all-purpose flour ½ to ¾ cup buttermilk, divided

1 tablespoon baking powder ½ jalapeno, seeded & minced (or more to taste)

¾ teaspoon salt freshly ground black pepper to taste

5 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl or food processor. Cut in shortening until mixture looks like coarse meal. Add ½ cup buttermilk; stir or process until just blended. Gradually add more buttermilk as needed to make a heavy dough. Turn onto well-floured surface; knead lightly. Roll out into a ½ inch thick rectangle. Sprinkle half the dough with minced jalapeno and black pepper; fold dough in half. Roll lengthwise to ½ inch thickness to seal in peppers. Cut into 2-inch circles; arrange about ½ inch apart on cookie sheet; bake 10 – 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve hot. Makes 10 – 12 biscuits.

ABOVE PEPPER INFORMATION AND RECIPES SHARED FROM From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide to Farm Fresh Seasonal Produce

NO DELIVERY NEXT WEEK

This week has been one of those sweat soaking, pore cleansing seasons in the milk barn at nights. The cows are as miserable as I am and show it by stepping high and changing places which means that the milker has to keep milk in a moving bucket while having a hand ready to reach up and caution the foot that is about to step close to my bucket. It is kind of a “dance” and I am always glad for intermission. There is very little conversation going on other than the cautionary words I send to the cows now and then. It is a time for thinking and reflecting as I milk the first three by myself while Katy milks the goats down in the pen. This week I used my time to think about my cow Uma, the oldest cow on the farm. She died this week. It was hard to lose her. She had a calf this spring that she was not able to provide enough milk for and so Katy would hold the bottle underneath of Uma and the calf would reach under and take the bottle as though she were nursing her mom. She did that for several weeks. Some days she did not need the supplement and would ignore Katy. Other days she was glad for her mom’s herdmates offering, even if it was in a strange container. Maybe as I sit close to my cows, my face is wet with sweat and maybe not - we are all going to miss Uma.

Blessings from the farm – Seth, Izzy, Dan, Katy, Zach, Jen and Teresa