Springtime vegetables are loving this cool weather! Cabbage, Lettuces, Radishes, Turnips, Beets, Chard and Kale are in their prime! They are usually rushed in the spring season because it often gets quite warm quite fast, but this spring has been especially cool. (We figure you've noticed!) Eat these vegetables in abundance now and soon they'll be out of season. Then we'll switch to eating the beauties of Summertime in abundance.
The farm is in full swing now -- the fields are all fully planted. (It's so beautiful! Please try to visit and see the abundant fields full of colors!) All market channels are rolling -- Farm Share, grocery stores, the main market season. We've started picking Tomatoes and Summer Squash in modest quantities. (The first fruits come from our one heated greenhouse. These delights will become more and more plentiful each week through the end of July - so long as the plants stay healthy.)
The general way that we approach vegetables is to chop or slice them small-ish and then mix with a great sauce or dressing. Cabbage (of any kind) + Kale or Chard or Spinach + Radishes + Carrots + Beets + Cucumbers + Dressing = perfect base for lunch and dinner. Try it!
Also remember to shred Carrots and Beets (raw!) and add to sandwiches or wraps with Lettuces and cheese and other protein. So, so good.
Our heads of Lettuce are incredible right now! Our enormous Romaine lettuce is pictured above and below. Romaine specifically is more picky and it will only be around the next couple of weeks. Other Green heads and Red heads are also super delicious. Napa Cabbages are also short lived in our spring crops, but they are so dense and feed us for daaaayyyss. Round cabbages will be around for more weeks of harvest than the Napa cabbages, and we savor them raw and cooked and fermented as krauts.
Bread Share members: You'll get a SEPARATE email to customize your bread share in just a few moments.
To Customize Your Share:
Each time you are scheduled to have a share, you'll receive an email from us 2 days prior. It should have subject line "Time to Customize Your Share." The software will create a default share for you (based on your indicated preferences and what we have available to harvest) and list those default contents in the email. The email also contains a link saying "Want to make changes to your share or add extras?" Click on that link to customize your share! Customization ends between 6 and 7 am on the day before your pick up day (depending on the time of year and thus how early we start harvesting). The cut off time is always specified in the email.
For Pick Up:
- Same for cooler(s) at pick up locations with any cold items that aren't vegetables (eggs, fermented vegetables, etc...See below for more info.)
- Preparation ideas and recipe suggestions are in your email. Also check out our Pinterest Page for lots of recipe ideas, organized by vegetable.
Self-serve Pick Up looks something like these (with seasonal variation!):
Additionally, we send an e-newsletter a couple of times per season to let folks know what's growing and happening on the farm, what recipes we're digging, and any special events. We've added your email address to our list of recipients.
Other vegetable notes:
- Summer Squash really shines when you slice it lengthwise, marinate it in oil with salt + black pepper + garlic, and then grill it. Oh my.
- Rainbow Swiss Chard is related to Spinach. Treat them the same. They are both very creamy and incredible when you wilt the greens in a saute pan with butter and then served with eggs and/or pasta with cheese sauce.
- Our Cucumbers are best NOT peeled! Enjoy those peels! (and the tiny seeds)
- Our Turnips are really tasty prepared as a saute in a pan on the stove top. Slice the roots into rounds and saute in a pan with butter/avocado oil/fat of your choice until the edges caramelize/brown. They get so sweet and tasty this way! Salt them AFTER cooking so as to prevent them from sweating and then steaming instead of caramelizing in the pan. ALSO - they are the bomb prepared as Turnips au Gratin!
- Slice up those Radishes and serve them on top of salads, or with butter and toast. Or pickle them with rice vinegar and honey/sugar and serve them on top of Korean Tacos. See this Quick Radish Pickle recipe.
- KALE: Eat it as raw salad, or put it in Portugese Kale Soup (there are LOTS of versions of this recipe online), or dry it and powder it for use as a supplement, or freeze it for use in smoothies all summer long. SEASONAL NOTE: We will have Kale each week between now and July 1. Then we won't have any Kale until maybe late September. If you want to use Kale in July, August, and/or the first few weeks in September, you need to preserve it! Freezing is best.
- Preparation ideas and recipe suggestions will be below your share contents in your confirmation email sent the morning of pick up day. Also check out our Pinterest Page for lots of recipe ideas, organized by vegetable.
We so deeply appreciate the opportunity to farm for you. Thank you for being the most important part of our farm! We love you!
With blessings on your meals ~
Janet, Dan, and the whole Broadfork crew (Julie, Siera, Leah, Erica, Tait, Alisa, Jen, and the farm kids)
