Week 2 CSA
Last week was great to meet so many new members and catch up with members that have been around for a while.
We are really starting to get busy around the farm with the start of the CSA, 3 farmers markets we participate in each week and maintaining our wholesale accounts. It's kind of gradual going from a slower schedule in the Winter months, working with no real pressure, to slightly increasing pressure to get fields ready and our plants and seeds put in the ground, to where we are now, pushing hard 7 days a week to keep up with everything. Every year we go through the same cycle of slow, busier, busiest and every year it is a challenge to get back into the mindset of always needing to take care of farm work. Being able to market our produce directly to our customers and having that opportunity to connect with our members and customers brings us a lot of joy and is a great reward for the hard work that we put in each season.
With the nice weather lately, things are growing fast in the fields. Each week we'll be seeing new produce items reach maturity and make their way onto the CSA harvest list. As mentioned in previous emails, Harvie uses an algorithm to curate a share based on your pre-set produce preferences in your user/member profile. If you don't quite like the share that is built for you, you can go into your week's share and change what you get based on what you'd like to prepare for the week. Remember, the deadline for making changes to your share is at Tuesday 6am. At that point, we'll get a harvest list and begin making preparations for your weekly share.
This weeks harvests include:
- Lettuce, Red and Green Little Gem - grown to full size, however their full size is mini. A great idea for gem lettuce is cutting it in half and grilling or sautéing it slightly, then drizzling it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
- Lettuce, Red Oakleaf - soft textured leaves with dark red color and greenish mid ribs
- Frisée - member of the chicory family, slightly bitter, but a great addition to salads due to it's lofty nature
- Escarole - another member of the chicory family, also slightly bitter, most commonly used in escarole soup
- Radish - pink salad radishes available for this week's share
- Kohlrabi - make use of the leaves too by using them like collard greens. The round part is crisp and great cooked or raw.
- Choy Sum - this vegetable is perhaps the most common one in Chinese cuisine. It is similar to bok choy, but sweeter and also contains a small, tender floret or flower, both edible and delicious. Try stir frying with other vegetables and serving on a bed of rice.
- Kale - both green curly and Lacinato/Dinosaur varieties
- Spring Onions - sweet and fresh, we love onions for their basic sweet/savory addition to most dishes
- Broccolini - we'll have a limited amount of our baby broccoli/broccolini which is unlike anything you'll get from the store. Sweet and tender from the floret down through the stem, it is great lightly sautéed with onions or garlic and salt.
Enjoy,
Derek & Vicky
