May 28

It is hard for me to believe, when I look at a calender, that it is almost June but when I see what we are working on it is definitely getting on toward summer.  All the tomatoes are trellised with their first row of string holding them up.  The peppers and eggplant are in the ground.  The onions are growing.  The strawberries are slowing down.  Beds are prepared for sweet potatoes and winter squash and melons.  The first summer squash planting is starting to bloom which means squash will quickly follow.  The blueberries are starting to blush.  The potatoes are blooming which means little potatoes are forming under the ground.  Aaron is hilling them as I type this so that the potatoes have plenty of room to grow without encountering direct sunlight (which turns them green).
Small shares this week:  1 head of "bambi" lettuce, 1 bunch of kale, 1 bunch of green garlic, 1 green kohlrabi, 1 bok choi, 2 pints of strawberries.
Regular shares this week:  1 head of romaine lettuce, 1 bunch of kale, 1 large bunch of green garlic, 1 green kohlrabi, 2 bok choi, 3 pints of berries, 1 bunch of scallions, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 bunch of baby beets.

several kale salad ideas
The pictures alone on this link are lovely.

To prepare Kohlrabi cut off the leaves and peel it.  You can eat it raw by slicing it very thin and drizzling with olive oil and salt.  It is crunchy and taste something like cabbage and broccoli.  It can also be added to soup, roasted with other root vegetables, steamed and eaten plain or added to other veggies like carrots and potatoes.  The leaves are pretty tough but can be added to soup and cooked awhile to soften.
Several of you have gotten tomato and pepper plants.  If anyone is interested who hasn't gotten them yet, we will have them for about 1 more week.  Email me what you'd like and I'll get it to your pick-up location!

MAY 21 CSA

This weeks' small shares contain:  2 pints of strawberries, 1 head of curly endive, 1 bunch of either kale or collards, 1 bunch of mint and parsley, 1 bunch of green garlic, 1 small fennel bulb.
Regular shares contain:  3 pints of strawberries, 1 head of curly endive, 1 bunch of kale or collards, 1 bunch of mint and parsley, 1 large bunch of green garlic, 2 small fennel bulbs, 1 purple kohlrabi, 1 head romaine lettuce.

PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING BACK YOUR EMPTY BOX, CLOTH BAGS, AND PINT CONTAINERS!  WE WILL RE-USE THEM!

Springtime Tabouli
first, cook 2 cups brown rice in 3 cups of water with a dash of salt
while it is cooking, prepare this dressing:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup ume plum vinegar (or use red wine vinegar and salt to taste)
1/4 cup lemon juice
black pepper to taste
when the rice is done and still warm, pour the dressing over and stir thoroughly and let cool
while the rice is cooling, prepare the vegetables:
1 fennel bulb sliced thinly ( i use up to where the leaves begin)
2 or 3 green onions (or a shallot, red onion, or several chives)
3 carrots cut into thin coins
all the mint and parsley in your box
some asparagus or peas if you have them
add the vegetables to the rice once it has cooled and toss well;  add more dressing if you think it needs it
serve cold

Endive is a bitter green.  It can be eaten raw in salad by itself or with lettuce if you like the bitterness.  It becomes less bitter when cooked.  We like it this way:

cut the head of endive into small pieces and wash.
cut 1 green garlic and saute in oil or butter
add the endive and salt and pepper
when the endive is wilted but still bright green, add 2 cans of cannellini beans and stir til warm
serve right away with some crushed red pepper and parmesan cheese

The green garlic can be used in cooking anywhere that you would used cloves of garlic.  It is milder than cured garlic.  You cut it just like a scallion and use up to where the leaves begin.  (the leaves can be used in soup or stock)

Kohlrabi is in the cabbage family.  It needs to be peeled.  It's a good crunchy addition to salad and is good boiled with potatoes and mashed together.

We have planted all the tomatoes we plan to and have lots of extras.  If anyone would like 1 or 2 or 50, we'd love to give them to you.  Please let me know if you're interested!  We have pink and yellow brandywine, amish paste, juliet, black cherry, sweet 100, cherokee purple.  Today and tomorrow we are planting the peppers and eggplant!  We will have extra pepper plants too if anyone wants some.  Hope you have a great week!   Sorry there is no picture this week...I find myself technologically impaired.

1ST CSA box of 2014!

The first box of the season!   If you get a small share, your box contains:  1 head of romaine lettuce, 1 bunch of radishes, 1 bunch of curly kale, and 2 pints of strawberries.
If you get a regular share, your box contains: 1 head of romaine, 1 head of green bibb lettuce, 1 bunch of radishes, 1 bunch of curly kale, 3/4lb of spinach, 1 bunch of green garlic, 1 head of frissee, 2 pints of strawberries.

The first box is a little on the small side.  Things are really growing and soon the boxes will be full up!  In the meantime, enjoy the sweet berries and greens!

It is a funny time of year when the days fluctuate between 85 and 60 degrees and the nights are from 40 to 60 degrees.  The berries love the heat and the squash, tomatoes, and fennel are growing by leaps and bounds but the radishes and turnips wither in the heat.
This will be the only radishes you get this spring.  The frissee is very mild and a nice addition to salads.

So, maybe all of you already know about kale chips but in case you haven't tried making your own yet, here is how:
wash the kale, tear the stem off, shake as much water off the leaves as you can (the drier the leaves are, the better), and place in a bowl.
drizzle some olive oil over the kale and sprinkle with salt (and pepper) and toss so that all the leaf surfaces are lightly covered with oil and salt.
put in single layers on baking sheets in a 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes (until crispy).

Please be sure to bring back your empty wax box, pint container, and cloth bag next week!  No need to wash the bags, we'll wash them all.  Please keep the wax box out of the sun so the wax doesn't melt!  Please also keep box and bags away from pet fur.  If you don't want to keep up with returning box, bags etc every week, just bring your own basket or bags and transfer at market.