Sundog Farms

Sundog CSA August 10th, 2026

One hundred wishes per hour – that is what you could hope for if you believe in the magic of falling stars. It is the week of the Perseid’s Meteor showers, peaking on August 12 – 13. So, after sunset and close to the hour of midnight is the best time to view the long-tailed meteors which are the debris left by Comet Swift-Tuttle. We are lucky enough to pass through this debris once a year – one of the gifts of August. I was curious as to why the comet was named Swift-Tuttle; however, it was not a mysterious choice befitting a comet in my mind. The comet was discovered by two men with those last names!

One of my “star wishes” could be that squash bugs take a sudden dislike to their namesake vegetables and become pigweed bugs/beetles. That would please me and lots of other gardeners in this area! We are grateful for another 1.02 inches of rain this week – it took three days to fill the gauge to the top so it was a fairly slow rain and we needed it after being parboiled on Monday and Tuesday. Today was forecasted to be “dangerously hot”, however, with the breeze and lower humidity, it wasn’t as bad as some of the days we have had in the past couple of weeks. The garden seems to be handling the weather fairly well and I think that it is due to the rainfall amounts. When I walk to my truck in the mornings to go to work, the dew on the grass is so heavy that it feels like it has rained so the plants are being watered generously this season. We are having trouble getting second crops to germinate outside – better luck in the tunnels.

Our work in the gardens this week has been pulling weeds and pulling weeds and pulling weeds. And digging our potatoes which is always a treasure hunt which the chickens watch with as much interest and excitement as we do. But for different reasons. There are so many bugs and beetles living underground and feasting on our root crops and those are what the beady eyed chickens are watching for while we are looking for the red and white spuds and hoping both chickens and us are pleased with whatever our shovel uncovers. The total pounds of potatoes were less than we have harvested in seasons past. They are delicious scrubbed, halved and seasoned with salt, pepper and a few squirts of olive oil and I toss a little red wine vinegar over them and stick them in the outdoor oven. I love not having to peel them!

YOUR BAG THIS WEEK

  • Potatoes
  • Tomatoes - lots of color and flavors
  • Okra
  • Peppers – sweet, hot and banana
  • Onion
  • Okra
  • Beets – the beets have been under siege by harlequin bugs – they are still delicious scrubbed, and slow roasted

RECIPE SHARE

From Farm Fresh Recipes by Janet Majure Lemon Herb Roasted Potatoes 1/8 cup canola oil 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 3/8 tsp. dried oregano 3/8 tsp. dried thyme 1/8 tsp. paprika ¼ tsp. ground black pepper ¼ tsp. salt 1 ½ pounds small potatoes, skin on, diced

Combine oil, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, paprika, pepper and salt; mix well. Add to the potatoes in a large bowl. Toss. Line a broiler pan or baking sheet with foil, shiny side up, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Bake 45 minutes at 425, turning every 10 – 15 minutes OR until very brown and crispy. Check each time for doneness!

Oven Roasted Squash 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2-3 Tablespoons lemon pepper 1 Tablespoon dried Rosemary 1 lb. small potatoes, scrubbed and diced 1 ½ pounds squash: zucchini, summer or crookneck (use a combination if possible) cut in 1 inch cubes 1 large red onion, cut into one-inch chunks Put oil, lemon pepper, rosemary (crush first) and potatoes into plastic bag. Shake well to coat. Add squash to bag; shake again to coat. Spread vegetables on shallow baking pan. Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees, stir vegetables and continue roasting until brown, about 20 minutes. Check often.

Tomato Sandwiches 3 oz. cream cheese, softened 1 Tablespoon grated onion 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley 1 Tablespoon minced green pepper Salt and pepper, to taste 4 firm tomatoes, sliced Combine cream cheese, onion, parsley and green pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Drop a heaping Tablespoon of mixture on one tomato slice. Top with another slice and press together to make a sandwich! These can be slightly messy but so delicious! 😊

Digging up potatoes and beets and examining the worms (Katy identified as “large yellow underwing caterpillars) and whatever else came up with the shovel and admiring the insides of our beets – the hidden art of vegetables!

This is the first toad we dug up with the potatoes this weekend and as you can see, he was not excited about relocating. Next is Jack and Mae, our tiny little chickens given to us by good friends, Judy and Gary. They are always checking out what we are doing or digging in the garden area and last is the first orb weaver web in the backyard this season. I was lucky enough to spot this one before it became my latest head-dress!

Everyday, the four bottle babies head out for “greener” pastures rather than stay stuck in their pen all day. There are often shouts accompanied by running races as the calves test the limits of their halters but sometimes they sit, becoming Seth’s resting spot as Miss Batty Eloise is doing this Sunday morning.

I am not sure why it affects me the way that it does – the moon, the stars and the evening skies. Even though I love light, I never find myself walking to get the best view of the daylight where I do find my feet walking towards places where I can get closer and see the color variations on the pale orb that rules the evening skies. The sharp crisp curve of a crescent, the flash of a meteorite falling and then gone as tho it never was and the slow ascent of those rich melon-colored full moons rising. Who can resist? Hope you are laying out on your roof along with me Wednesday evening, watching the magic – Blessings of the farm - Izzy, Dan, Seth, Katy, Teresa, Jen and Zach