Be open-eyed to the great wonders of nature, familiar though
they be. But men are more wont to be astonished at the sun’s eclipse than at its unfailing rise. - Hayyim Luzzatto

I’m watching the lunar eclipse at this early hour, 3:00 am PST, as I put together this week’s newsletter for the Berkeley Tuv Ha’Aretz CSA. 18th century kabbalist and astrologer Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto reminds us that witnessing rare shifts in the cosmic gears gives us a lot of bang for our buck, but that there is power too in the regularity of the 24/7 revolution.

Consider our attitudes as we greet the contents of our weekly boxes. They can have the ability to inspire gasps of awe with a new arrival (concord grapes!) or remarks of displeasure as one pushes past the old standby (oh look, zucchini…again). Believe me, with all my aphid- and ant-infested corn, water-stressed eggplant and bitter cukes, I’m actually quite grateful for my indefatigable squash plants, who have churned out a steady crop unscathed by pestilence all summer long, k’naina hora. As sure as I can count on a new crookneck poking out from underneath those broad leaves the minute I turn around, oh constant squash has sustained me through the diminished returns of other crops I’ve grown less successfully.

And that’s just it: particularly well-suited to this climate, summer squash is a workhorse in the field. In contrast to the primadonna tomato of thoroughbred-like temperament, who must withstand the threat of plebeian blights and scalds and cracks, the vigorous squash is capable of tremendous output in spite of some dainty powdery mildew or poorly-draining soil.

So when you meet your zukes this week, think of their unwavering loyalty in that phalanx of prickly green out on the farm, and picture a few other enjoyable varieties, like acorn and butternut and punkin just around the corner…