Hello Members-
Another week is upon us and the crops keep growing! We got .5" of rain on Sunday so that has made everything a little happier, especially the farmers who can take a break from irrigating for a day or 2.
Here on the farm, we are working on trellising our tomatoes, weeding and weeding some more and we are nearing the end of our "planting" season. We still plant successional plantings of lettuce and herbs, but most of the main crops are in the ground and growing growing growing.
We hope you enjoyed your box last week, if you are a full share and got one. Please keep in mind that in the heat it is important to get your box as soon as you can!
You will notice that we have extra items you can add-on to your box. Most of the items are our pastured pork and beef. We will have chickens again in the beginning of July. You can also add-on extra veggies that are available. We foil pack the meat right out of our -2 degree walk-in freezer, but we ask that if you order meat can you also plan to pick it up as soon as possible.
Here are some very important details about how the CSA works and what to expect: PLEASE READ THIS!!!
All CSA deliveries are on Thursdays.
These are customizable boxes, that means if you don't like what in your box you can swap for items that are available! For instance, this week I am putting cilantro and dill on the list again as it needs to be harvested now. You can opt out of getting those again if you got them last week or if you like them, leave them in there!
wait for the Delivery Confirmation Email from us before going to get your box. At first, we make no promises as to the exact time as we are getting our route and schedule down. All boxes will be to their locations before 5 pm, please wait for the email. Most, if not all, will be by 1pm.
Please pick your box up ASAP after you get the email and do not leave it overnight!! most dropsites will throw it away or donate it- please arrange someone else to pick your box up for you or email me if you cannot pick your box up.
Only take the BLACKBROOK FARM BOX WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!!! We label our boxes and your name or your boxmates name will be on it!
If you are a half share, you get a box EVERY OTHER WEEK- starting either this week or next week.
If you are UNSURE of where you pick your box up or when you pick your box up, please look back at your CSA confirmation email you received when you signed up. You can also go to your account here: https://www.harvie.farm/login to see when and where you pick your box up. You can always email us, too at blackbrook.farm.llc@gmail.com
You can also find the dropsite information (where to pick up exactly) in your login and in that email.
Please take the plastic liner with veggies or just the veggies with you and leave the box (broken down please!) at the dropsite. You can take the box with you, too, just remember to bring it back with you the next time you pick up! We DO NOT keep track of boxes or who returns them or doesn't, but we DO reuse them and buy enough for each member to have 2 boxes throughout the season- so it is important to return them!
Our produce is harvested fresh within 24-36 hours of delivery. We are an organic farm and we have lots of post harvest washing/packing methods we use. However, we grow food in the dirt. So, we DO recommend that you wash all of your vegetables if you do not want grit in your salad. We're used to it, but some are not! We do our best, but understand you may find a bug, slug or dirt in there occasionally. It's a living farm! Enjoy knowing your eating the most nutritional, fresh local food you can get your hands on!
If you need to reschedule a delivery or Add a contact- please go to your account by logging in to https://www.harvie.farm/login. You will find under your account details that you can easily reschedule and add contacts. please email me if you need help with this. I have had lots of emails about adding contacts and cant keep track of them all! If you did not hear back from me, that means I probably did NOT do it and you will have to or email me again! Sorry!
Don't forget to customize your box if you want! You can swap out items or add extra items into your box- you can add more vegetables, pork, beef, honey, mustard, coffee beans and more!
Okay, I think that is it!
Here is the list of items that are going into the boxes this week: (I will update with description and recipes by Wednesday)
Radishes- Spicy with the heat! Again, a Radish toast with butter and dill is pretty awesome! Top these and wash them and keep in a container in the fridge.
Fennel bulb with fronds- Fennel is not the most common vegetable around these parts but has a lot of uses in italian cooking. It is great with pasta and creamy sauce or shaved into a salad or cooked into a marinara sauce.
Shaved Fennel and Radish Salad
Creamy Pasta with Scallions, fennel and bacon
Carrots (Full shares)- Always the sweetest these fresh carrots! Best straight out of the ground into your mouth! The kids say, "crunch a bunch you have a lunch!" You can cook these, but really they are best just as snack or dipped in hummus or cut into stick and stuck into water in the fridge where they will stay fresh and crisp. Top these first, wash again and then store.
Beets (Half shares)- I do know that beets may not be everyones favorite but we find that beets can be used in so many applications. We love to grate it raw into a fresh green salad. or shop and lightly steam to put into a quick stir fry with a peanut sauce. You can add it to any ferment dish, too. Top them and remember to use the greens! They are basically Swiss Chard and can be eaten raw into a salad or sauted into eggs or cooked into a stir fry. We like to toss them with ha tahini and lemon dressing.
Roasted Beets with fennel and feta
Dill- A little overgrown but still very flavorful fresh! The best in dressings, with fish, in fresh salads or potato and egg salads.
Keep in a plastic bag in fridge.
Cilantro- We love to use cilantro with basically every meal! It is also great in a sauce or dressing. keep in a bowl of water in the fridge or in an plastic bag. Here's a Spicy Cilantro sauce
Cucumber, Radish and Cilantro Pico
Napa (Half shares)- Spring cabbage! We love this for a quick kimchi with your radishes or beets and some spices. This keeps well, just peel off any limp outer leaves. Keep in a plastic bag in the fridge
Pac Choi(Full shares)- Pac Choi is a fresh, crunchy Asian green that is really versatile cooked or chopped into a salad. We like to grill it tossed in a soy, maple glaze.
Arugula- Spicy, tangy and great mixed with other things in a salad or stacked in a sandwich. add to salad mix for a nice spice added.
Spring Mix- we love this salad mix. It holds up to dressing really well, as a great buttery texture and keeps in the fridge for about 2 weeks.
Butterhead Lettuce (Half shares)- A beautiful head of lettuce that is great on a sandwich or in a sandwich. Pull apart, clean leaves and keep in a plastic bag or container.
Garlic scapes- You can substitute these for garlic in any dish. You can eat raw, chop into eggs, or make a quick pesto with arugula, scapes, olive oil, salt and parmesan.
Snap Peas- We were a little shy on peas this week, so you are not getting a full pint. They don't like the super hot weather we have had! They are so sweet, we recommend just eating straight out of the pint! However, you can chop them into a salad or saute, too. eat the whole thing! They will wilt if you leave in the paper pint, so put in a container if you put them in the fridge.
Cucumber (Full shares)- First of the season! And boy, it looks like a good year for cucumbers at least for now! 2 cukes this week.
Herb pot (thyme, oregano, basil (thai or genovese type), parsley and sage)- This pot is created in order for you to transplant them into other herb containers or outdoors in the garden where they can flourish. They will bolt and not thrive if they are left in this container Thyme (tiny little leaves), oregano (small round lobed leaves), basil (thai or green genovese), parsley (curly green frilly), and sage (greyish green long leaves)
Celery (Full shares)- We love celery! This is tasty stuff. We don't overwater like in California, so this is full of flavor. Great in salads, stirfrys (with carrots or beets and scallions, scapes, pac choiy, napa...) and potato and egg salads.
Scallion Patch and Ronia wondering why I'm taking a picture!
A tub broke, so we gave it to Willem on pack day!
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Cows!
Some new crops we are looking at for next week:
Salad Turnips
Kohlrabi
Swiss Chard?
Baby Kale mix or bunch
Cucumbers
Have a great week!
