Small Share:  

Garlic, Sauce Bundle, Saute Bouquet, Heirloom Tomatoes, Sauce Tomatoes, Shishito Peppers

Large Share:

Garlic, Sauce Bundle, Saute Bouquet, Baby Greens, Heirloom Tomatoes, Sauce Tomatoes, Shishito Peppers, Jimmy Nardello Peppers

Eileen's Oven-Roasted San Marzano Tomatoes

Cut tomatoes in half and lay them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle with salt, pepper, olive oil, chopped garlic, rosemary, thyme, and sage to taste. Slowly cook tomatoes at 250°F for about two hours. These roasted tomatoes are great eaten right out of the oven or blended into a sauce. If you have never slow-roasted tomatoes, now is the time. They are simply the best!

Gazpacho

An authentic Seville, Spain version 

Tomato Risotto

Recommended by a CSA member: a first course or a main meal.

Tomato Bruschetta

A summer staple

Pasta with Arugula and Tomatoes

A quick pasta dish for all types of tomatoes

Tomato Salad

Perfect side-dish to help use the abundant tomato harvest

There are several steps, and you will need canning jars, but it is relatively easy to learn how to can. The canning process is Fill sterilized canning jars with peeled sauce tomatoes, add citric acid or lemon juice and 1 tsp. of salt to quart-sized jars and boil the sealed jars for at least 45 minutes. Here’s the entire canning recipe.

Hello from the fields,

 What a sigh of relief we let out today! The farm crew has an extra day off this week for the unofficial East End holiday of Tumbleweed Tuesday, and they deserve it! This dedicated team works so hard, as does our entire staff at Amber Waves, to grow your food and keep the farm looking its best for the community to enjoy. Today, they rest, and then we’ll be back to work thinking about fall and the arrival of squash and sweet potatoes. Happily, we’ll still continue to enjoy tomatoes and our favorite summer staples for many weeks to come. We hope you can take advantage of this week’s beautiful weather as we settle into a slower pace and the quieter part of the season out east. 

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share:  

Garlic, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Heirloom Tomatoes, Eggplant, Daikon Radishes

Large Share:

Garlic, Kale, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Heirloom Tomatoes, Eggplant, Fairytale Eggplant, Hakurei Turnips

Grilled Cheddar Cheese with Tomato

The ultimate comfort food. Use the sliced sourdough country loaf available in our market for an exceptional sandwich.

Roasted Eggplant Caponata

Serve at room temperature with toasted pita chips.

Grilled Hakurei Turnips and Radishes

An easy side dish. Try something new and different.

Tomato and Watermelon Salad

So refreshing; add basil or mint

Vietamese Pickled Daikon Radish and Carrots

What you would find inside a Vietnamese bánh mi

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Pasta

Perfect recipe for using your ripe heirloom tomatoes

This week’s large CSA box features a true summer treat: Hakurei Turnips! Unlike the stronger-flavored storage turnips you might be familiar with, these Japanese salad turnips are sweet, crisp, and tender enough to eat raw. Enjoy them sliced into salads, lightly cooked, or even straight out of the fridge like an apple. The greens are delicious and very nutritious, with a mild, peppery flavor when sautéed. Try these two recipes:

Hakurei Turnip & Cucumber Salad

• 4–5 hakurei turnips, thinly sliced

• 1 cucumber, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

• Pinch of salt

• Optional: sesame seeds, fresh herbs like mint, dill, or cilantro

In a bowl, toss the sliced turnips and cucumbers with rice vinegar, sesame oil, and salt. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes to marinate lightly, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and herbs before serving. This crisp, cooling salad makes the perfect summer side dish.

Grilled Hakurei Turnips with Lemon & Herbs

• 6–8 hakurei turnips, halved or quartered

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Juice of ½ lemon

• Chopped parsley, basil, or dill for garnish

Toss the Hakurei turnips with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then grill over medium heat until lightly charred and tender, about 5–7 minutes. Remove from the heat, squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top, and finish with chopped herbs. Hakureis become buttery and sweet on the grill, and make a great side-dish with grilled meats, fish, or summer veggies.

Storage Tips: To keep your hakurei turnips fresh, remove the leafy greens from the roots as soon as you get them home. Store the roots in a plastic bag or container in the crisper drawer of your fridge, where they’ll stay crisp for 1–2 weeks. The greens are more delicate and best enjoyed within 2–3 days — wrap them in a damp paper towel and keep them in a bag in the fridge to extend their life. If you can’t use the greens right away, they can be blanched and frozen for later use in soups, sautés, or smoothies.

Hello from the fields,

This is a good box this week, we’re excited about all the colors! As we move into August, more and more of our heavy crops are ready for harvest - as opposed to the luscious but lightweight greens and radishes that populate the spring and early summer harvests. Your boxes increasingly contain what we call in our internal lingo the “walked” crops, as opposed to the “miscellaneous” crops. “Walked” crops are things we harvest on a regular schedule - we “walk” through and take everything that’s ready at the peak of ripeness or just before to extend cooler storage. Our walked crops tend to have a longer shelf life, and regularly picking from these fruiting plants encourages more fruit development. These crops include all the tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, tomatillos, zucchini, and cucumbers - crops that are fruiting and have taken months to reach maturity as opposed to quick vegetables that are either cut-and-come-again (kale), or one-hit-wonders (head lettuce, radishes), that we harvest on an as-needed basis. Late summer farming is filled with harvest walks, which changes our logistics and priorities. Being on the walks team this time of year is heavy and hard, but there is such fulfillment in finally harvesting the crops that we’ve been caring for since the spring - worth the wait (and the weight) and worth the effort.

The work in the fields is definitely shifting as we reach the milestone of finishing most of our planting for the season. Each week we’re doing a little less seeding in the greenhouses and transplanting out into the fields and a lot more harvesting of existing crops. We plant most of our crops in successions, starting new seedlings regularly to have fresh, healthy plantings to replace the tired or spent rounds that have passed their peak of production in the fields. Seeding and planting seem ever-ongoing, but eventually we do reach the last succession for the season, and we’re about there. Other fall crops were planted months ago and will reach maturity in 4-6 weeks, in particular winter squash and sweet potatoes. I always hesitate to talk too much about the fall this time of year, when those around us are savoring these last few precious weeks of summer vacation. But as farmers, we’re always a season ahead: thinking of summer tomatoes in March, winter squash in June, and spring tulips in November. 

We’re hoping you’re eating well and savoring the season, we’re so happy to be a part of your summer.

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share:  

Garlic, Parsley, Lettuce, Shishito Peppers, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes

Large Share:

Garlic, Parsley, Lettuce, Baby Greens, Zucchini, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes

Easy Charred Cherry Tomato Salsa

Sweetness meets smokiness with lots of lime

Zucchini Butter Pasta

Recommended from a CSA Member - a hit we never get tired of!

Blistered Shishito Peppers

Our farmer’s favorite way to prepare Shishitos, an easy appetizer

Garlic Aioli Dipping Sauce

For dipping blistered shishitos!

Sweet and Sour Eggplant with Garlic Chips

Fabulous flavor and quick to make

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Filled with cherry tomatoes, Parmesan, thyme and bread crumbs

Panzanella Salad with Peaches and Corn

A celebration of the summer bounty with tomatoes, peaches, garlic, corn and basil

The shishito, a Japanese frying pepper, has gained popularity in the past few years. They are a CSA favorite—quick to cook, fun to eat, and full of flavor. Most are mild, but every so often you’ll bite into one with a little heat. Their thin, tender skins blister in just a few minutes, giving them a smoky, slightly sweet taste. The easiest and most popular way to enjoy them is to toss them in a hot skillet with a little oil until charred/blistered, then sprinkle with flaky salt and add a squeeze of lemon or lime. They’re also delicious roasted in the oven, tossed on the grill, or even battered and fried tempura-style. Try tossing them with soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds, or serve them with a creamy dipping sauce like garlic aioli. Shishito peppers are best cooked hot and fast and served right away—perfect as a quick snack or appetizer.

Pick the green fruit when it is about 3 ½ to 4 inches long, and be sure to use two hands when you harvest—one pulling the pepper and one holding the plant to avoid pulling it from the ground or damaging a branch! 

To store shishito peppers, keep them unwashed in a produce bag in the refrigerator. They’ll stay fresh for about 5–7 days, though it’s best to use them sooner while their skins are still firm and crisp. If you’d like to keep them longer, they can be frozen: simply wash, dry, and remove the stems.  Freeze them whole in a single layer in a freezer storage bag. They won’t blister quite the same after thawing, but are still great in stir-fries and sautés.

Hello from the fields,

This is a good box this week, we’re excited about all the colors! As we move into August, more and more of our heavy crops are ready for harvest - as opposed to the luscious but lightweight greens and radishes that populate the spring and early summer harvests. Your boxes increasingly contain what we call in our internal lingo the “walked” crops, as opposed to the “miscellaneous” crops. “Walked” crops are things we harvest on a regular schedule - we “walk” through and take everything that’s ready at the peak of ripeness or just before to extend cooler storage. Our walked crops tend to have a longer shelf life, and regularly picking from these fruiting plants encourages more fruit development. These crops include all the tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, tomatillos, zucchini, and cucumbers - crops that are fruiting and have taken months to reach maturity as opposed to quick vegetables that are either cut-and-come-again (kale), or one-hit-wonders (head lettuce, radishes), that we harvest on an as-needed basis. Late summer farming is filled with harvest walks, which changes our logistics and priorities. Being on the walks team this time of year is heavy and hard, but there is such fulfillment in finally harvesting the crops that we’ve been caring for since the spring - worth the wait (and the weight) and worth the effort.

The work in the fields is definitely shifting as we reach the milestone of finishing most of our planting for the season. Each week we’re doing a little less seeding in the greenhouses and transplanting out into the fields and a lot more harvesting of existing crops. We plant most of our crops in successions, starting new seedlings regularly to have fresh, healthy plantings to replace the tired or spent rounds that have passed their peak of production in the fields. Seeding and planting seem ever-ongoing, but eventually we do reach the last succession for the season, and we’re about there. Other fall crops were planted months ago and will reach maturity in 4-6 weeks, in particular winter squash and sweet potatoes. I always hesitate to talk too much about the fall this time of year, when those around us are savoring these last few precious weeks of summer vacation. But as farmers, we’re always a season ahead: thinking of summer tomatoes in March, winter squash in June, and spring tulips in November. 

We’re hoping you’re eating well and savoring the season, we’re so happy to be a part of your summer.

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share:  

Garlic, Rosemary, Lettuce, Slicing Cucumber, Green Peppers, Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes, Beets

Large Share:

Garlic, Rosemary, Lettuce, Baby Greens, Shishito Peppers, Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes, Beefsteak or Heirloom Tomatoes, Beets

Pasta with Cherry Tomato Sauce

A classic combination of sautéed cherry tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, basil, mozzarella, parmesan and orecchiette pasta. 

Eggplant Parmesan

No frying. Coat eggplant with panko, herbs and Parmesan and bake.

Marianne Buros Original Plum Torte

Over 17K Five-star reviews

Roasted Eggplant with Rosemary

Perfect for summer grilling with fresh rosemary

Smiling Caprese Salad

So easy, so delicious and it will put a smile on your face!

Tomato Beet Salad

Sweet, earthy roasted beets meet juicy, tangy tomatoes and the creamy boldness of blue cheese.

Quick, Easy and Delicious Tips:  Eggplant

With their versatile nature, Eggplants take about 60 days to mature and thrive in the summer heat. They are rich in nutrients, including copper and manganese. From being a delicious pizza topping to a main ingredient in ratatouille, eggplants offer many culinary possibilities.

Amber Waves grows different varieties of eggplant, including the classic Italian heirloom Black Beauty and the stunning purple and white Italian variety Nubia. Grill Italian eggplant with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or roast and caramelize it in the oven. Blend with tahini and garlic for baba ganoush or layer with mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and tomato sauce for eggplant parmesan.

Sicilian eggplants are a round variety with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. They come in different shades of violet, have thinner skin and are less bitter than other varieties. Their round shape makes them perfect for some cheesy eggplant parm. 

Our favorite eggplant is hands down the Japanese eggplant. They have thinner skin than Italian eggplant and creamy flesh. Simply cut them in half and grill them with olive oil and salt. 

The Fairytale eggplant is a mini eggplant with delicate purple and white stripes. We love this eggplant grilled whole, sliced in half lengthwise, or glazed with miso.

Proper storage of eggplants is crucial to maintaining their freshness and flavor. To ensure they stay fresh for about three to four days, store whole eggplants in a cool, dry place, like a pantry, not in the refrigerator. Remember, refrigerators are typically too cold to store eggplant; however, storing them in the crisper is better than leaving them at room temperature.

Hello from the fields,

This is a good box this week, we’re excited about all the colors! As we move into August, more and more of our heavy crops are ready for harvest - as opposed to the luscious but lightweight greens and radishes that populate the spring and early summer harvests. Your boxes increasingly contain what we call in our internal lingo the “walked” crops, as opposed to the “miscellaneous” crops. “Walked” crops are things we harvest on a regular schedule - we “walk” through and take everything that’s ready at the peak of ripeness or just before to extend cooler storage. Our walked crops tend to have a longer shelf life, and regularly picking from these fruiting plants encourages more fruit development. These crops include all the tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, tomatillos, zucchini, and cucumbers - crops that are fruiting and have taken months to reach maturity as opposed to quick vegetables that are either cut-and-come-again (kale), or one-hit-wonders (head lettuce, radishes), that we harvest on an as-needed basis. Late summer farming is filled with harvest walks, which changes our logistics and priorities. Being on the walks team this time of year is heavy and hard, but there is such fulfillment in finally harvesting the crops that we’ve been caring for since the spring - worth the wait (and the weight) and worth the effort.

The work in the fields is definitely shifting as we reach the milestone of finishing most of our planting for the season. Each week we’re doing a little less seeding in the greenhouses and transplanting out into the fields and a lot more harvesting of existing crops. We plant most of our crops in successions, starting new seedlings regularly to have fresh, healthy plantings to replace the tired or spent rounds that have passed their peak of production in the fields. Seeding and planting seem ever-ongoing, but eventually we do reach the last succession for the season, and we’re about there. Other fall crops were planted months ago and will reach maturity in 4-6 weeks, in particular winter squash and sweet potatoes. I always hesitate to talk too much about the fall this time of year, when those around us are savoring these last few precious weeks of summer vacation. But as farmers, we’re always a season ahead: thinking of summer tomatoes in March, winter squash in June, and spring tulips in November. 

We’re hoping you’re eating well and savoring the season, we’re so happy to be a part of your summer.

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share:  

Garlic, Basil, Lettuce, Baby Greens, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Heirloom Tomato, Balsam Corn

Large Share:

Garlic, Basil, Lettuce, Baby Greens, Green Peppers, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Eggplant, Cherry Tomatoes, Balsam Corn

Eggplant & Cherry Tomato Sheet Pan Pizza

A crowd pleaser

Zucchini Parmesan

Roasting the zucchini allows you to cut down on olive oil and time.

Spicy Pesto and Cheese-Stuffed Zucchini Involtini

Healthy…ish, summery and Italian

Cucumber Salad with Mint and Feta

Takes only ten minutes to make

Buratta with Tomato and Basil

With pine nuts and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Summer Corn Salad with Basil and Tomatoes

Grill the corn, use lime juice instead of vinegar or add black beans.

A classic summer herb, basil is most commonly used for pesto. Combine basil, garlic, olive oil, and a nut or seed in the food processor, toss with your favorite pasta, or enjoy with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella. To have basil year-round, try freezing pesto in ice cube trays and transferring it to a plastic bag. When using fresh basil, cut it into ribbons rather than small pieces to avoid bruising. 

Putting basil in the fridge when it’s wet causes it to turn black - so don’t wash it before you put it away! To prolong its freshness, cut the bottom off the stems and place them in a shallow cup of water outside the fridge. Change the water every day or two. Basil will last one to two weeks if stored properly.

Hello from the fields,

Welcome back to the box, tomatoes! We aim to have tomatoes as early as possible and for as long as possible (this often means through Halloween; picking a tomato on November 1 always feels like such a victory). Our first of four rounds was planted in late April; rounds 2, 3, and 4 are each spaced three weeks apart after that, helping to ensure a steady supply throughout the season. After months of rigorous care: weekly watering and trellising after a spring of repeatedly putting on and removing row cover to protect the crop from cold overnight temperatures, they’re finally ready. The first fruits have been trickling in over the last several weeks, but we finally have enough to share with the entire CSA membership - all 350 of you! We hope you enjoy this first taste, we’re excited to keep them coming all summer and fall!

Enjoy the box, see you in the fields,

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team

Small Share:  

Garlic, Onions, Thyme, Lettuce, Baby Greens, Zucchini, Carrots

Large Share:

Garlic, Onions, Thyme, Lettuce, Baby Greens, Kale, Zucchini, Radishes, Carrots

Grilled Balsamic Glazed Carrots with Thyme

It’s grilling time!

Breaded Zucchini Chips

Crispy Air Fryer Zucchini Chips coated with  Panko bread crumbs and Parmesan.

Japanese Zucchini and Onions

Zucchini and onions  stir-fried with sesame seeds, teriyaki and soy sauce.

Raw Summer Squash Salad with Lemon and Basil

A delicious, bright and fresh summer side-dish

Summer Kale Caesar Salad

With corn and tomatoes 

Zucchini Pancakes with Yogurt Sauce

Turkish style with feta

Thyme is a versatile and aromatic herb commonly used in cooking. It is native to the Mediterranean region and is grown worldwide. It is known for its small, fragrant leaves and earthy, slightly minty flavor with hints of lemon and a slight bitterness. Its aroma is somewhat piney and peppery.

It is a popular seasoning for various meats, including poultry, beef, lamb, and pork, and it pairs particularly well with roasted meats. Thyme also complements a range of vegetables, including root vegetables, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and is a classic addition to soups, stews, and braised dishes.

Beyond its culinary uses, thyme has a rich history of traditional medicinal use. Packed with vitamins C and A, it also boasts antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, providing health benefits. 

Fresh thyme should be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp paper towel or on the counter in a glass of water.

Hello from the fields,

We love July! These eight or nine weeks of the high summer season are the most intense for us here on the farm, with so much to do (planting, weeding, harvesting), so many people to feed, and all on the hottest days of the year. Last week we harvested our winter grains - soft red and hard red winter wheat (best used as pastry flour), and later this week we’ll bring in the hard red spring wheat (best used as bread flour and for pizza dough) and the hull-less oats (for our famous granola). We only have about five acres of grains planted, but at a target harvest of about one ton per acre (10k lbs. total) , that’s enough to supply our kitchen, CSA, the market, and our handful of wholesale customers until next year’s harvest. 

This year we once again borrowed Balsam Farms’s combine for harvest (we can’t seem to get the necessary repairs done on our own, always thankful to have generous neighbors to help us out). Once the grain is harvested the clock starts ticking on getting it cleaned and dry. We use a simple grain cleaner, basically a wooden box that shakes the grain through a series of screens and fans to remove any unwanted debris that came in from the fields: unthreshed grain heads, bits of grass and weeds, insects, and pebbles. Once clean, we transfer the wheat into our grain dryer (more high powered fans), and work to get our moisture content down from 17% to around 13% for safe storage. (using a low-tech, small batch dryer and cleaner that does the job just fine for our scale. Though the harvest is complete, we’ll be cleaning, drying and generally moving wheat and oats around for the next few weeks before we get it safely tucked into storage.)While some of us are sweating in the un-air conditioned cab of the combine (it’s hot in there!), the Apprentices and field crew have been sweating through the garlic harvest - and they finished! The greenhouses are now full of nearly 20,000 beautiful bulbs; it looks like one of the best garlic harvests ever here at Amber Waves. 

With the garlic harvest behind us, and wheat about to finish, we’re zoning in on trellising tomatoes and catching up on weeding, all the while bringing in the bounty for weekly CSA boxes. Meanwhile the weeds won’t quit, and don’t forget about irrigation! But this flurry of activity is what drives us as farmers: the excitement of pulling new things out of the fields each day, the challenges of getting our to-do list done right and on time, and because of our special place on the east end, welcoming many new visitors, guests, customers, and members to farm each day. This is hardly a time for rest, but we can’t imagine more beautiful surroundings in which to let this summertime intensity wash over us and sneak in trips to the beach when we can. It’s our great pleasure to grow and share this bounty with you, we hope Amber Waves brightens your already joyous summer season here on the East End!

Enjoy your box, see you next week,

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team

Small Share:

Garlic, Leeks, Parsley, Baby Greens, Cucumbers, Balsam Potatoes, Beets

Large Share:

Garlic, Leeks, Parsley, Lettuce, Arugula, Zucchini, Cucumbers, Balsam Potatoes, Daikon Radishes

Herbed Potato Salad

A flavorful potato salad with plenty of fresh parsley and mayo-free.

Grilled Leeks with Basil, Parsley and Garlic

Grilling leeks until they are lightly charred brings out their sweet and complex flavors.

Sesame Cucumber and Avocado Salad

A satisfying meal on its own or serve with cold soba noodles or brown rice.

Potato Leek Gratin

Simple and easy; the Italian way

Grilled Garlic Herbed Zucchini

A summer favorite for backyard grilling!

Zucchini, Basil & Leek Soup

Serve cold on warm summer days

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp butter

one medium onion, chopped

two leeks, white part only, sliced

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp white pepper

three very large zucchini, cut lengthwise, then chopped – about 7-8 cups

4 ½ cups chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

½ cup parmesan cheese

In a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven, saute leeks and onion in olive oil and butter. Add salt and pepper and cook until softened, but don’t let them brown—about 15 minutes.

Add the zucchini and broth, then bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the zucchini is tender and fully cooked.

Turn off the heat, add the basil and cheese, and puree in small batches in a food processor, blender, or immersion blender immediately. Adjust the salt and pepper to your taste, and add more cheese as needed. Delicious, hot or cold.

Leeks are the onion's delicate cousin. They are part of the Allium plant family, including onions, garlic, and shallots. They have a mild, sweet flavor and can be used in place of onions or cooked and used as the star of a dish. 

Leeks can often have dirt and sand trapped between their layers. To clean them, cut off the root end and dark green tops. Slice the leeks lengthwise, then rinse thoroughly under running water, fanning out the layers to remove sand or debris. 

Use the white and light green parts for cooking. The dark green leaves are tougher but can be used to flavor stocks and soups.

Leeks are low in calories and are a good source of vitamins A, C, and K. They contain essential minerals such as iron, manganese, and folate, and are rich in antioxidants.

Store leeks in the refrigerator, where they should keep for up to two weeks.

Hello from the fields,

We love July! These eight or nine weeks of the high summer season are the most intense for us here on the farm, with so much to do (planting, weeding, harvesting), so many people to feed, and all on the hottest days of the year. Last week we harvested our winter grains - soft red and hard red winter wheat (best used as pastry flour), and later this week we’ll bring in the hard red spring wheat (best used as bread flour and for pizza dough) and the hull-less oats (for our famous granola). We only have about five acres of grains planted, but at a target harvest of about one ton per acre (10k lbs. total) , that’s enough to supply our kitchen, CSA, the market, and our handful of wholesale customers until next year’s harvest. 

This year we once again borrowed Balsam Farms’s combine for harvest (we can’t seem to get the necessary repairs done on our own, always thankful to have generous neighbors to help us out). Once the grain is harvested the clock starts ticking on getting it cleaned and dry. We use a simple grain cleaner, basically a wooden box that shakes the grain through a series of screens and fans to remove any unwanted debris that came in from the fields: unthreshed grain heads, bits of grass and weeds, insects, and pebbles. Once clean, we transfer the wheat into our grain dryer (more high powered fans), and work to get our moisture content down from 17% to around 13% for safe storage. (using a low-tech, small batch dryer and cleaner that does the job just fine for our scale. Though the harvest is complete, we’ll be cleaning, drying and generally moving wheat and oats around for the next few weeks before we get it safely tucked into storage.)While some of us are sweating in the un-air conditioned cab of the combine (it’s hot in there!), the Apprentices and field crew have been sweating through the garlic harvest - and they finished! The greenhouses are now full of nearly 20,000 beautiful bulbs; it looks like one of the best garlic harvests ever here at Amber Waves. 

With the garlic harvest behind us, and wheat about to finish, we’re zoning in on trellising tomatoes and catching up on weeding, all the while bringing in the bounty for weekly CSA boxes. Meanwhile the weeds won’t quit, and don’t forget about irrigation! But this flurry of activity is what drives us as farmers: the excitement of pulling new things out of the fields each day, the challenges of getting our to-do list done right and on time, and because of our special place on the east end, welcoming many new visitors, guests, customers, and members to farm each day. This is hardly a time for rest, but we can’t imagine more beautiful surroundings in which to let this summertime intensity wash over us and sneak in trips to the beach when we can. It’s our great pleasure to grow and share this bounty with you, we hope Amber Waves brightens your already joyous summer season here on the East End!

Enjoy your box, see you next week,

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team

Small Share:

Garlic, Red Onion, Mint, Kale, Lettuce, Broccolini, Zucchini, Cucumber

Large Share:

Garlic, Red Onion, Mint, Kale, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Beets, Zucchini, Cucumber

Cut the basil stem just above a pair of leaves or a branching point. If you only need a few Basil leaves, pinch them off where the leaf meets the stem at the top of the plant, encouraging the plant to produce more leaves. 

Enjoy harvesting your own flower bouquet! It’s best to bring a bucket or jar along. Water is available at the sink near the flower field. As you harvest, immediately place the stems in cool water and keep them shaded and out of direct sunlight whenever possible. When you arrive home, give the flowers fresh water and a fresh cut at the tip of the stems to allow for optimal water uptake. Change the water in the vase daily.

The best time to harvest flowers is in the morning. Flowers are at their prime in the morning when temperatures are cooler and their stems are firmer. Depending on the flower type and size, an 8 - 12-inch stem length is ideal. However, it is vital to leave one or two sets of branches at the base of the plant so that it will continue to send up new shoots, which means more flowers! These branch sets are called ‘nodes.’ A stem should always be cut above a node to allow continual growth.

After cutting a flower stem, use your forefinger and thumb to ‘strip’ the leaves away from the lower part of the stem. A bare stem will make it easier to bunch and keep your vase environment clean and healthy. 

Hello from the fields,

 The garlic harvest is upon us! We’ve been slipping fresh garlic heads into your shares for the last several weeks, but the time has come to pull it all out of the fields. Garlic is one of our bulk crops that we plant and then harvest all at once, as opposed to greens, zucchini, and herbs that we plant in successions and harvest continuously as they’re ready. The garlic was planted late last October, and the epic garlic harvest always falls around the fourth of July, sometimes a little before, sometimes just after, depending on how the crop looks and the weather forecast. Katie and I can vividly remember our first ever garlic harvest in 2008 as inexperienced farm apprentices at Quail Hill Farm where we got our introduction to farming. In those days we had to use pitch forks to loosen the ground so the heads could be pulled from the soil, making an already hot, sweaty, physically challenging job even harder. One person would travel along the bed with a digging fork, plunging and stomping the fork into the ground and rocking it back and forth so the person behind could more easily tug the plants from the soil, one at a time, thousands of times.

 By now we’ve learned to use labor-saving equipment wherever we can, so these days we rely on a tractor-mounted implement that cuts and lifts the soil underneath the root zone, loosening the ground and making each garlic plant much easier to pull by hand - which matters, because there are nearly 20,000 out there to harvest. Even with this lifter the job is no piece of cake. Dust and debris is kicked into the air as the crew pulls each head and gently taps it on the ground to discard excess soil. Soil specs fall into boots and under shirtcollars, wisping into gloves and behind wristwatches, coating every square inch of sweaty skin and turning to a fine layer of mud. It’s a dirty job, but a rewarding one. When we’re finished we’ll have enough garlic to last almost up until we start harvesting next season. The garlic crop gives us so much: early spring shoots known as green garlic seasons the first CSA boxes of the season, scapes sprinkle the month of June, and finally the “real garlic” gets us through almost the rest of the year. We tackle this once-per-year harvest a few hours at a time over about a week, loading freshly pulled bulbs into the greenhouses for curing (so they last through the winter) and sorting (the largest heads are set aside as this fall’s seed garlic, medium and large heads are for sale and CSA, small ones are set aside as seed for next season’s green garlic, and we farmers take home the “weird” ones, nothing goes to waste!)

 The garlic is especially fresh and juicy these first few week after the harvest before it cures, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

 Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team

Small Share:

Garlic, White Onion, Basil, Kale, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Fennel

Large Share:

Garlic, Yellow Onion, Basil, Chard, 2 Baby Greens, Lettuce, Fennel, Zucchini

Shaved Fennel Salad

Simple to make, refreshing and crunchy with a lemon dressing. 

One Pot Zuchini Orzo Pesto

Cook the orzo separately to prevent overcooking the zucchini.

Basil Vinaigrette

Savor a summer-time vinaigrette dressing for salads, vegetables and grilling.

Zucchini Scarpaccia

Enjoy a crispy snack or side dish with zucchini and onion.

Grilled Zucchini with Burrata

Marinated grilled zucchini and finish with creamy Burrata.

Cut the basil stem just above a pair of leaves or a branching point. If you only need a few Basil leaves, pinch them off where the leaf meets the stem at the top of the plant, encouraging the plant to produce more leaves. 

Enjoy harvesting your own flower bouquet! It’s best to bring a bucket or jar along. Water is available at the sink near the flower field. As you harvest, immediately place the stems in cool water and keep them shaded and out of direct sunlight whenever possible. When you arrive home, give the flowers fresh water and a fresh cut at the tip of the stems to allow for optimal water uptake. Change the water in the vase daily.

The best time to harvest flowers is in the morning. Flowers are at their prime in the morning when temperatures are cooler and their stems are firmer. Depending on the flower type and size, an 8 - 12-inch stem length is ideal. However, it is vital to leave one or two sets of branches at the base of the plant so that it will continue to send up new shoots, which means more flowers! These branch sets are called ‘nodes.’ A stem should always be cut above a node to allow continual growth.

After cutting a flower stem, use your forefinger and thumb to ‘strip’ the leaves away from the lower part of the stem. A bare stem will make it easier to bunch and keep your vase environment clean and healthy. 

Hello from the fields,

 The garlic harvest is upon us! We’ve been slipping fresh garlic heads into your shares for the last several weeks, but the time has come to pull it all out of the fields. Garlic is one of our bulk crops that we plant and then harvest all at once, as opposed to greens, zucchini, and herbs that we plant in successions and harvest continuously as they’re ready. The garlic was planted late last October, and the epic garlic harvest always falls around the fourth of July, sometimes a little before, sometimes just after, depending on how the crop looks and the weather forecast. Katie and I can vividly remember our first ever garlic harvest in 2008 as inexperienced farm apprentices at Quail Hill Farm where we got our introduction to farming. In those days we had to use pitch forks to loosen the ground so the heads could be pulled from the soil, making an already hot, sweaty, physically challenging job even harder. One person would travel along the bed with a digging fork, plunging and stomping the fork into the ground and rocking it back and forth so the person behind could more easily tug the plants from the soil, one at a time, thousands of times.

 By now we’ve learned to use labor-saving equipment wherever we can, so these days we rely on a tractor-mounted implement that cuts and lifts the soil underneath the root zone, loosening the ground and making each garlic plant much easier to pull by hand - which matters, because there are nearly 20,000 out there to harvest. Even with this lifter the job is no piece of cake. Dust and debris is kicked into the air as the crew pulls each head and gently taps it on the ground to discard excess soil. Soil specs fall into boots and under shirtcollars, wisping into gloves and behind wristwatches, coating every square inch of sweaty skin and turning to a fine layer of mud. It’s a dirty job, but a rewarding one. When we’re finished we’ll have enough garlic to last almost up until we start harvesting next season. The garlic crop gives us so much: early spring shoots known as green garlic seasons the first CSA boxes of the season, scapes sprinkle the month of June, and finally the “real garlic” gets us through almost the rest of the year. We tackle this once-per-year harvest a few hours at a time over about a week, loading freshly pulled bulbs into the greenhouses for curing (so they last through the winter) and sorting (the largest heads are set aside as this fall’s seed garlic, medium and large heads are for sale and CSA, small ones are set aside as seed for next season’s green garlic, and we farmers take home the “weird” ones, nothing goes to waste!)

 The garlic is especially fresh and juicy these first few week after the harvest before it cures, we hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

 Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team

Small Share: Fresh Garlic, Parsley, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Carrots, Zucchini

Large Share: Fresh Garlic, Parsley, Kale, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Carrots, Beets, Broccolini, Zucchini

Sauteed Zucchini with Garlic, Mint and Basil

Fresh mint and basil are available in the CSA Pick Your Own field. 

Gremolata

With our fresh garlic and parsley. Add to anything grilled or roasted.

Roasted Carrots with Lentils and Yogurt

Adding the lentils and yogurt to roasted carrots makes this dish a complete meal, not just a side dish.

Zucchini Butter Pasta

Recommended from a CSA Member - a hit we never get tired of!

Zucchini Fritters

Only zucchini, flour, eggs, scallions, and olive oil.  Amber Waves’ host Bill Becker’s favorite!  “You can fritter any vegetable” is heard often in the CSA room!

Rich in iron, folate, and vitamins A, C, and K, parsley is a versatile herb that can be used as a garnish or as the star of a sauce. It is popular in various cuisines worldwide and is known for its fresh, slightly peppery flavor and bright green color. We prefer flat-leaf parsley for cooking due to its stronger flavor and easier chopping.

Try making tabbouleh, a refreshing Middle Eastern salad with lots of parsley and lemon. Freshly chopped parsley also adds a zingy brightness to any dish. Use it to garnish and enhance a variety of dishes, including potato and rice dishes, soups, fish, and salads.

Fresh parsley can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in a damp paper towel for up to a week or in a glass of water on your counter. Parsley can also be dried or frozen for longer-term storage. 

Carrots are root vegetables that add color and texture to salads and are delicious roasted or eaten raw. One serving provides over 200% of your daily recommended vitamin A requirement. Carrots take approximately two months to mature and are typically available from July to November. Surprisingly, carrots were originally purple, but this changed in the 16th century. Carrots contain beta-carotene, an antioxidant your body converts into vitamin A. 

A simple and delicious way to enjoy your carrots is to roast them. There is no need to peel your baby carrots; trim and leave them whole. Finish with chopped, fresh parsley for a burst of flavor and color.

You can also eat the carrot tops, so consider saving them to use in making carrot top pesto or as a garnish for a carrot-based dish. 

When storing carrots, remove the green tops to prevent them from drawing moisture from the roots. Keep carrots in an open container with a moist towel for up to two weeks. If carrots lose their firmness, place them in water to crisp them up again. Store carrot tops separately in a plastic bag in the fridge.

Welcome to July members! We had so much fun at our CSA potluck last Friday—thank you to everyone who came out! It was our biggest turnout yet… was it the pizza?
These eight or nine weeks in July and August are the most intense for us here on the farm. This is hardly a time for rest, and yet we purposefully host our CSA potluck on the cusp of this stretch of the season. It is a moment for us to share the early bounty and to pause—however briefly—with all of you who make this work possible. Your commitment to this farm, to local food, and to seasonal eating fuels us during these long, hot days. As the fields hit their peak and the harvests get heavier, we’re reminded that this is what we’ve all been working toward together. July is when the magic really starts to happen, and we’re so glad you’re here for it.

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share: Garlic Scapes, Cilantro, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Radishes, Broccolini, Zucchini

Large Share: Garlic Scapes, Scallions, Cilantro, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, Baby Greens, Sprouting Cauliflower, Zucchini

Zucchini and Scallions with Vinegar and Mint

Caramelized zucchini and scallions finished with sizzling vinegar and mint.  A lively side dish that works especially well with anything grilled.

Mint Granita

Farmer Amelia's summer favorite

Pickled Garlic Scapes

Pickle them so they last longer! They won’t be around much longer.

Zucchini Fritters

Only zucchini, flour, eggs, scallions, and olive oil.  Amber Waves’ host Bill Becker’s favorite!  “You can fritter any vegetable” is heard often in the CSA room!

Cilantro and Mint Chutney

A no-cook fragrant sauce.

Saag Paneer but with Feta

Classic Indian dish with spinach and cheese

Sprouting cauliflower, also called caulini, is a type of cauliflower that develops long, tender stems with small, delicate, individual florets at the top, unlike the large, dense head of traditional cauliflower. It's sometimes called "flowering cauliflower" or "stick cauliflower" and originated in Japan. 

Sprouting cauliflower resembles broccolini in appearance and has a slightly nutty, sweet flavor, generally milder and more tender than regular cauliflower. 

A favorite recipe idea is roasting sprouting cauliflower with garlic, lemon and Parmesan.

Roasting enhances the natural sweetness and produces crispy tips. Lemon and Parmesan brighten the dish and the prep is very simple and quick.

Other recipe ideas worth considering include stir-frying with ginger and sesame oil, grilling with a Romesco sauce finish, or making a raw cauliflower salad using olive oil, lemon juice, Parmesan, pine nuts, salt, and pepper, and topping it with fresh herbs, such as mint, basil, or dill.

Spinach is a versatile and nutritious green with a smooth, almost succulent texture and rich flavor. We love spinach salad with goat cheese and beets!

It belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, the plant family that also includes beets, quinoa, and chard. It is believed to have originated in ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) before spreading to India, China, and eventually Europe. 

Spinach is a nutritional powerhouse, loaded with vitamins K, A, C, folate, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, and also a good source of lutein, an antioxidant that supports eye health. 

Spinach is a great addition to salads and smoothies. It is often lightly wilted in sautés, stir-fries, or steamed dishes, or added to soups, curries, pastas, omelets, lasagna, and dips.

Store unwashed spinach in the fridge in a produce bag or container lined with a paper towel to absorb moisture, and refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Amber Waves grows baby spinach, too, which is more delicate and perfect for salads. Spinach freezes well if blanched first.

A farmer's favorite preparation is to sauté spinach with garlic, salt, pepper, and a fresh squeeze of lemon. It’s simple, quick, and really lets the flavor of the greens shine.

Hello from the fields,

This week we celebrate the summer solstice: the “longest” day of the year. June always feels a little too early for this to come to pass, it feels as though the longest days should instead align with the hottest days in late July, and yet, it is when it is. June on the farm is an intensely strategic time. Our best laid plans, developed during some of the year’s shortest days in the depths of winter, are now being put to the test. Is what we predicted would happen actually happening? What unforeseen mishaps will affect our plan? How must we react to our ever changing circumstances to yield the best outcomes? There are known threats every season: weed and pest pressure, a very green crew of new apprentices, intense weather (although we don’t know in which direction, hot or cold, wet or dry), equipment breakdowns, personnel shortages or challenges, and so on. In addition to production we’re a teaching farm, so training new farmers and inspiring young eaters must be prioritized regardless of pressures in the field. We know each of these will be a factor, what we don’t know is what will be the star problem of the show. This season our crew is fantastic and the weather has been wet but workable, if only we could get our fleet of farm vehicles to be functional all at once!

There comes a time in the season (August) when there is very little you can do to change any outcomes. By that point we have the plants we have, we have the weeds we have, we have the crew we have, and our energy is spent getting as much food and flowers out of the fields as we can: literally reaping what we’ve sown earlier in the season. June is critical because there’s still the pressure to get the timing right on our late summer and fall plantings, stay ahead of weeds, and keep up with plant care like trellising tomatoes, a job that’s easy-hard if done at the right time (straightforward but physically challenging), and hard-hard (more complicated and physically crushing) if done too late. 

We’re happy to report that at this point in the season, despite minor challenges with equipment, the crew’s spirits are high and your boxes are full. We’ll be here, chipping away at repairs, and we’re not bored, that’s for sure!

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share: Fresh Garlic, Dill, Kale, Arugula, Lettuce, Beets, Zucchini

Large Share: Fresh Garlic, Dill, Kale, Arugula, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Beets, Broccolini, Zucchini

Charlie Bird’s Arugula Salad

A classic!  This hearty grain salad is a perfect combination of arugula, lemon, Parmesan, mint and crunchy pistachios. Use Amber Waves wheat berries instead of farro. Harvest the mint in our Pick Your Own herb garden.

Crispy Baked Zucchini Fries

Breaded with almond flour, Parmesan cheese and spices. Bake until crispy.

Pasta Aglio e Olio with Lacinata Kale

Chop some of the tender green parts of the fresh garlic stalk in addition to the garlic bulb. 

Roasted Hasselback Beets with Dill Dressing

Beets can be roasted, and dressing can be made 1 - 2 days ahead of time.

Deep, maroon-red beets add stunning color and earthy flavor to any dish. Golden beets are slightly milder, while the sweeter Chioggia beets are an Italian heirloom with gorgeous candy cane red and white rings. Our beets are small to medium-sized with thin skin, making them perfect for roasting without the hassle of peeling. Try cooking the greens like spinach - they are very nutritious and high in iron. 

Uncured garlic, or "fresh garlic," refers to garlic that has not yet been dried to extend its shelf life. This garlic is characterized by its green stems and soft, white bulbs. Uncured garlic is fresher and often has a milder, more delicate flavor than cured garlic. The bulbs are soft and moist, and the cloves are easily peeled. However, it has a shorter shelf life and should be used within a few weeks of harvest.

Uncured garlic can be used in cooking just like cured garlic. It adds a fresh, slightly sweet garlic flavor to dishes. It can be minced and added to salads, dressings, or salsas for a mild garlic kick. Roasting uncured garlic can bring out its natural sweetness, making it a great addition to spreads or as a topping for roasted vegetables. Use it in stir-fries, pasta dishes, or as a base for soups and sauces.

The green stems of uncured garlic can be chopped and used similarly to scallions or leeks. They add a mild garlic flavor to dishes. Blend the green stems into pesto or other green sauces.

Uncured garlic can be stored in a loosely wrapped paper towel or a breathable container in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen. Peel the cloves, then chop or mince them, and store them in an airtight container in the freezer.

Hello from the fields,

This week we celebrate the summer solstice: the “longest” day of the year. June always feels a little too early for this to come to pass, it feels as though the longest days should instead align with the hottest days in late July, and yet, it is when it is. June on the farm is an intensely strategic time. Our best laid plans, developed during some of the year’s shortest days in the depths of winter, are now being put to the test. Is what we predicted would happen actually happening? What unforeseen mishaps will affect our plan? How must we react to our ever changing circumstances to yield the best outcomes? There are known threats every season: weed and pest pressure, a very green crew of new apprentices, intense weather (although we don’t know in which direction, hot or cold, wet or dry), equipment breakdowns, personnel shortages or challenges, and so on. In addition to production we’re a teaching farm, so training new farmers and inspiring young eaters must be prioritized regardless of pressures in the field. We know each of these will be a factor, what we don’t know is what will be the star problem of the show. This season our crew is fantastic and the weather has been wet but workable, if only we could get our fleet of farm vehicles to be functional all at once!

There comes a time in the season (August) when there is very little you can do to change any outcomes. By that point we have the plants we have, we have the weeds we have, we have the crew we have, and our energy is spent getting as much food and flowers out of the fields as we can: literally reaping what we’ve sown earlier in the season. June is critical because there’s still the pressure to get the timing right on our late summer and fall plantings, stay ahead of weeds, and keep up with plant care like trellising tomatoes, a job that’s easy-hard if done at the right time (straightforward but physically challenging), and hard-hard (more complicated and physically crushing) if done too late. 

We’re happy to report that at this point in the season, despite minor challenges with equipment, the crew’s spirits are high and your boxes are full. We’ll be here, chipping away at repairs, and we’re not bored, that’s for sure!

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share: Garlic Scapes, Oregano, Chard, Baby Spinach, Lettuce, Little Gems

Large Share:  Garlic Scapes, Oregano, Chard, Spinach Bunch, Arugula, Lettuce, Little Gems, Radishes

Arugula and Garlic Scape Pesto

Pesto makes a delicious sandwich spread or brush it on grilled zucchini

Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce or Compote 

A great topping for ice cream, custards, yogurt, cottage cheese, pancakes, crepes and waffles

Chard Spanakopita

Combine spinach and chard for a Greek spanakopita

Grilled Swordfish served over Arugula

Blend fresh oregano with lemon juice and olive oil, and drizzle it over the fish.

Butter Glazed Roasted Radishes with Fresh Herbs

Roasting mellows the spiciness and creates a smooth, earthy taste.

Shout-out to Farmer Jess, who has dialed in our spinach production over the past two seasons!; extremely important to the farm team :)

Chard is a leafy green veggie with vibrant, colorful stems and a mild, earthy flavor. It’s packed with vitamins A, K, and C, and it's incredibly versatile in the kitchen. Chard is a different cultivar of the same species as beets and shares a plant family (the goosefoot family) with spinach. We recommend cooking chard rather than eating it raw.

Use chard like you would spinach or kale—raw, wilted, sautéed, added to soups, or baked into your favorite dish. Add the stems to the pan before the greens to ensure they cook through. We love sautéing chard with lots of garlic and a squeeze of lemon. Here are some more recipe ideas:

• Chard & Feta Frittata: Sauté chard, then add to beaten eggs with crumbled feta. Bake or cook on the stovetop.

• Rainbow Bowl: Serve wilted chard over grains like quinoa or farro, add roasted vegetables and finish with a tahini dressing.

• Garlic-Chili Pasta: Toss sautéed chard with cooked pasta, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan.

• Chard Wraps: Use large leaves as wraps—fill them with hummus and shredded veggies for a fresh and healthy lunch.

Store unwashed Chard in a plastic or produce bag in the crisper drawer. Use Chard within five days.

Hello from the fields,

Every year in June we have a day dedicated almost entirely to straw - loading it from the field, hauling it from the field in a borrowed hay wagon, then bringing it back to unload and stack it, then heading back out for another load. It’s hours of road travel back and forth from wherever it’s being grown by our friends at Balsam Farms back to our rented corner of Quail Hill’s Town Lane barn, and then hours of stacking scratchy, heavy bales. We use straw as mulch on a handful of crops, but most importantly garlic. While this year’s garlic crop is still in the ground, the straw we need for mulching next year’s garlic crop is ready now, so last week we had our annual dedicated straw day. Happily, our neighbors at Balsam grow enough straw to fulfill their own mulching needs and to sell several hundred bales to us and our other farmer neighbors. Even with this convenient arrangement, It’s a logistical challenge to time the weather, the actual process of baling, and the moving and unloading of two loads of straw in a single day, and we really like to keep it to one day. This year by the time I got back to Balsam’s straw field in Sagaponack with the already once-unloaded empty wagon to pick up our second load it was already 4 in the afternoon. The neatly raked windrows of straw lining the fields had yet to be baled, and I don’t have to tell you it can be hard to start a new project that late in the day, but as I said, we really like to keep straw day to one day. Balsam’s usual team of two (one to drive the baler, the other to catch and stack the kicked out bales neatly in the wagon) had shrunk to only one. So with the two of us left standing there in the field at 4pm…I got to learn and run the baler!

I love operating tractors and farm equipment, it’s one of my favorite things about farming at our scale, and over the years my hours on the tractor have steadily decreased as our very capable crew becomes more skilled each season, and my workload out of the fields increases. It’s been years since I learned a new piece of equipment, and boy was it fun. In fact I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend last Thursday afternoon. When we had about 20 minutes to go we saw Dean Foster of Foster Farms and the Sagaponack distillery pass by, waving his arms at us to stop. We had a very flat tire on the wagon that neither of us could see from our positions. Without hesitation Dean brought over his skidsteer, lifted the (nearly full and extremely heavy) wagon up, lent us an impact wrench to pull the tire, and we headed back to Balsam’s barn back in East Hampton where, happily (and somewhat unbelievably) there was a spare of the right size ready to go. By the time we got the tire replaced, finished the baling, and got the full wagon back to Amagansett it was 8pm (we beat dark!) and straw “day” was successfully crammed into a single day. Days like that make me so grateful to do what we do: play with equipment, work with our neighbors, and have such a strong sense of accomplishment at the day’s end. These high season days on the farm are long and hard, but we wouldn’t have trade them.

We hope you enjoy this week’s box; give a nod to the garlic scapes that are a result of last season’s straw day!

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team 

Small Share:

Garlic Scapes, Mint & Tarragon, Kale, Baby Greens, Lettuce, Kohlrabi

Large Share:

Garlic Scapes, Mint & Tarragon, Kale, Bok Choy, Baby Greens , Lettuce, Baby Greens, Kohlrabi

Grilled Garlic Scapes

Our favorite way to enjoy scapes

Tarragon Aioli

Add a dollop over grilled garlic scapes. Creamy aioli gets a flavor upgrade with the addition of tarragon and lemon—a perfect condiment for grilled vegetables, meat, and sandwiches.

Kale Caesar Salad

A classic Caesar salad with the addition of kale

Roasted Kohlrabi

Roasted with garlic and parmesan cheese.

Shredded Kohlrabi Quick Pickle

Serve as a garnish or a salad.

Kohlrabi Slivers and Pea Shoots with Sesame Dressing

Japanese-inspired sesame-dressed salad

Clams Steamed with Garlic Scapes

Montauk Wild Oyster Company clams are now sold in our market.

Scapes are here! They can be grilled, sautéed, or blanched and blended into sauces like pesto or hummus.

Garlic scapes are a farmer's favorite. Scapes are the tender stems and buds of the hardneck garlic grown at Amber Waves Farm. They appear before the garlic bulb matures. We remove the scape about three to four weeks before harvesting, typically in early July each year.

Resembling elongated, coiled, curly green beans, the entire scape is edible, although the ends may have a fibrous texture. In terms of texture, they are reminiscent of asparagus. Their flavor profile is similar to that of green onions or scallions, yet less pungent than raw garlic cloves.

If you're looking for an easy side dish, grilling is a great option. Scapes can be placed directly on a grill or in a grilling basket. After washing and drying, cut off the dry ends, toss them in olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until the scapes are crisp on the outside and tender inside, about 10 minutes.

Use in a frittata with some of the other greens in your box, or pair it with seafood — try our Clams Steamed with Garlic Scapes recipe, featuring local Montauk Wild Oyster Co. clams, now available in our market.

Here are a few additional suggestions to try:

• Make compound butter

• Sauté and add to a pizza

• Mix them in hummus

• Pickle them

• Add them to soup or omelets

Garlic scapes can be stored in the fridge in the crisper drawer or with the cut end in a shallow glass of water. Properly stored, they will last for two weeks. They can also be frozen, washed, chopped and stored in freezer bags. 

It’s crunchy lettuce season -- thinly shave kohlrabi and toss with baby greens - a match made in heaven :)

Hello from the fields,

Every year in June we have a day dedicated almost entirely to straw - loading it from the field, hauling it from the field in a borrowed hay wagon, then bringing it back to unload and stack it, then heading back out for another load. It’s hours of road travel back and forth from wherever it’s being grown by our friends at Balsam Farms back to our rented corner of Quail Hill’s Town Lane barn, and then hours of stacking scratchy, heavy bales. We use straw as mulch on a handful of crops, but most importantly garlic. While this year’s garlic crop is still in the ground, the straw we need for mulching next year’s garlic crop is ready now, so last week we had our annual dedicated straw day. Happily, our neighbors at Balsam grow enough straw to fulfill their own mulching needs and to sell several hundred bales to us and our other farmer neighbors. Even with this convenient arrangement, It’s a logistical challenge to time the weather, the actual process of baling, and the moving and unloading of two loads of straw in a single day, and we really like to keep it to one day. This year by the time I got back to Balsam’s straw field in Sagaponack with the already once-unloaded empty wagon to pick up our second load it was already 4 in the afternoon. The neatly raked windrows of straw lining the fields had yet to be baled, and I don’t have to tell you it can be hard to start a new project that late in the day, but as I said, we really like to keep straw day to one day. Balsam’s usual team of two (one to drive the baler, the other to catch and stack the kicked out bales neatly in the wagon) had shrunk to only one. So with the two of us left standing there in the field at 4pm…I got to learn and run the baler!

I love operating tractors and farm equipment, it’s one of my favorite things about farming at our scale, and over the years my hours on the tractor have steadily decreased as our very capable crew becomes more skilled each season, and my workload out of the fields increases. It’s been years since I learned a new piece of equipment, and boy was it fun. In fact I couldn’t have imagined a better way to spend last Thursday afternoon. When we had about 20 minutes to go we saw Dean Foster of Foster Farms and the Sagaponack distillery pass by, waving his arms at us to stop. We had a very flat tire on the wagon that neither of us could see from our positions. Without hesitation Dean brought over his skidsteer, lifted the (nearly full and extremely heavy) wagon up, lent us an impact wrench to pull the tire, and we headed back to Balsam’s barn back in East Hampton where, happily (and somewhat unbelievably) there was a spare of the right size ready to go. By the time we got the tire replaced, finished the baling, and got the full wagon back to Amagansett it was 8pm (we beat dark!) and straw “day” was successfully crammed into a single day. Days like that make me so grateful to do what we do: play with equipment, work with our neighbors, and have such a strong sense of accomplishment at the day’s end. These high season days on the farm are long and hard, but we wouldn’t have trade them.

We hope you enjoy this week’s box; give a nod to the garlic scapes that are a result of last season’s straw day!

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team

Small Share:

Green Garlic, Thyme, Kale, Baby Greens, Little Gems, Lettuce

Large Share:

Green Garlic, Thyme, Kale, Baby Greens, Pea Shoots, Little Gems, Lettuce, Kohlrabi, Radishes

Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad

Crushed croutons add a tasty, crispy topping

Kohlrabi Salad with Green Garlic, Parsley, and Spicy Baby Greens

This recipe is from Deborah Madison's amazing book Vegetable Literacy (beloved by farmers Amelia and Danielle), modified a little bit :)

1lb Kohlrabi

3 Scallions, thinly sliced

Two generous handfuls of spicy baby greens, chopped

Sea salt

2 tbsp olive oil

4 tsp lemon juice or rice vinegar

If the kohlrabi is young and tender, you don't need to peel it unless you'd prefer to. Cut the kohlrabi into a fine julienne—a quick and effective way to do this is to slice them thinly on a mandoline, then stack the slices and cut them into matchsticks. Toss the kohlrabi with the parsley leaves, scallions, spicy, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the oil and lemon juice and toss again. Taste for salt, then serve.

Little Gems Salad with Warm Dressing

Make this with the green garlic in your box

We grow this specialty crop specifically for these early CSA boxes. You may like to know that Kohlrabi is high in vitamin C and vitamin B and is rich in potassium, copper, and manganese!

It is also known as a German turnip, a cruciferous vegetable with a mild flavor and the texture of a tender broccoli stem. Kohlrabi is not a root vegetable; it grows above the ground and is part of the kohlrabi stem producing long, leafy greens. We grow green and purple kohlrabi at Amber Waves Farm.  

Peel larger kohlrabi with thicker skin, but small ones are tender all the way through and do not need to be peeled. Cook and mash it instead of potatoes and top it with green garlic butter. Try it raw with hummus or marinate in lemon juice. When grated, kohlrabi combined with grated carrots makes a delicious slaw. Roasting kohlrabi in the oven with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and topping with parmesan is easy and delicious!

Use the greens! The leafy greens can be sautéed as kale or added to soups and stir-fries. Add the stems and leaves to soups and salads. Like all other brassicas, the kohlrabi greens are edible, just like the bulbs, and you can treat the leaves like kale or any other cooking green. 

Kohlrabi is low in calories and high in fiber, making it great for digestive health. It's also rich in vitamin C, potassium, and other nutrients like vitamin B6 and folate.

Store kohlrabi in the refrigerator. Kohlrabi will keep for two weeks. Eat the green within a few days.

Hello from the fields,

We hope you’ve enjoyed your first taste of the splendor that has emerged from our Amagansett soils. For as many years as we’ve been doing this (this is our 18th season farming, our 17th at Amber Waves), the thrill and marvel of hauling in freshly harvested, crispy, pungent, flavorful vegetables from the fields hasn't faded. Harvesting vegetables we haven't handled since last season feels like being reunited with an old, familiar friend. Bok choy, it's been a minute, how have you been? The first harvests of the season are also the first time our new apprentices feel the joy and fulfillment of literally reaping what they've sown. Months of preparation are needed to reach the point of harvest, and since there's very little food coming out of the fields throughout the winter and early spring, there's an added novelty to these first CSA weeks of the season. And there's plenty more to come!

Over the last few weeks Katie and I have loved touring many of you around the fields and through our “back of house” operations in the greenhouse, barn (our apprentice classroom), and looking at our equipment. Walking the farm with CSA members answering your questions and showing you where your food comes from is one of our favorite things to do, so if you haven’t already come on a tour with us, please sign up for one soon! We’re so eager to share what goes on behind the scenes. 

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team

Small Share:

Green Garlic, Green Goddess Herb Bundle (Chive Flowers, Mint, Oregano, Savory), Bok Choy, Kale, Baby Greens, Pea Shoots

Large Share:

Green Garlic, Green Goddess Herb Bundle (Chive Flowers, Mint, Oregano, Savory), Bok Choy, Kale, Baby Greens, Radishes, Spinach, Little Gen Lettuce

Amber Waves Green Goddess Dressing

Blend the green goddess herbs with 1 tbsp. of vinegar or lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender or food processor until well combined for a flavorful dressing. Add minced green garlic, if desired.

Green Garlic Butter

Chop the tender white and light green parts of the stalk and sauté with 1 stick of melted salted butter until your butter is fragrant and the garlic is tender. Pull from the heat and pour into a glass container. Use on roasted chicken, mix into boiled potatoes or any other cooked veg, or just eat it on bread :) 

Sautéed Bok Choy

This recipe would also work with raw or lightly sautéed pea shoots, and you could use green garlic instead of scallions and garlic cloves.

Lemon Linguine

This is a farmer's favorite! It's delicious to finish with pea shoots and fresh, local asparagus.

Chive Blossom Vinegar

Infuse chive flowers in white wine vinegar for a few days, and your vinegar will take on an inviting pink hue and develop a delicious onion flavor.

Quick, Easy & Delicious Tips: Green Garlic

Enjoy the whole green garlic stalk, which is actually the young garlic plant. Chop, mince, dice, and slice the white bulb and green stalk as you would garlic. Add chopped green garlic with roasted assorted vegetables. The green garlic will get crispy and even more delicious—it turns into delicious garlic chips!  

Here’s a favorite way to enjoy radishes - Eat them cold with green garlic butter and flaky sea salt.

Your green goddess herb bundle consists of chive blossoms, mint, oregano and savory.

Add your green goddess herbs to Greek yogurt or blend into hummus for a tasty radish dip.

Combine chopped green garlic with your herbs and blend with oil and vinegar for a flavorful dressing. The dressing would be delicious, drizzled over roasted sweet potatoes!

Hello from the fields,

And we’re back! And gosh it feels good. Last week we gave a little cheer for “leaf day,” a made-up holiday that Katie and I invented in our more solitary early days at the farm, when it felt like the remnants of the lingering winter stretched on forever, until the leaves finally sprung from every branch in the middle of May, bringing color and vibrancy back to the landscape.

Out in the fields the farm crew has been hard at work preparing for the launch of CSA this week. We have had a fairly cold and wet spring; thankfully, we’ve had enough dry windows to get into the fields with equipment to till, plant, and weed. The earliest crops of the season are often the most painstaking. Things grow slowly when it’s colder, meaning a radish crop that would be ready in 21 summer days might take almost twice as long to mature in the early spring. We do our best to give our young crops as much protection from the brisk temperatures as we can, trudging back and forth across the farm laying out acres of row cover that provides a few extra degrees of warmth for the fledgling seedlings underneath. Weeds also thrive under row cover, so every week we peel it back, weed/hoe/mechanically cultivate, and then drag it over once again, locating heavy sandbags every few feet along the edges to keep the wind from catching it like a sail. Happily, the spring is a mix of this tedious outdoor work in chilly conditions interspersed hours in the 70-80 degree greenhouses, where new crew members get to know each other, some of them making lifelong connections as Katie and I did as young farm apprentices back in 2008 (watch a video of last spring on the farm here!) This year’s crew is so far proving to be both joyful and driven. We welcomed back 11 members of last year’s crew to the team, along with six new apprentices from all over the country (more about our Apprenticeship Program here!)

As is tradition, the first box of the season contains a variety of luscious baby greens, pungent and peppery herbs, and fragrant green garlic. It’s salad season for the next several weeks as we track towards cukes and zukes and garlic scapes in June. We hope you enjoy this first box of the season; there’s so much great food and fun ahead - see you next week!

Amanda + Katie + The Amber Waves Team