Hello Farm Fans -
WOW! What a couple of beautiful days we have had this last week! When the weather is sunny and warm, I can't help but get excited about produce! I have been spending my time dreaming of rows of leafy lettuce, cantaloupe vines, and sun-ripened tomatoes bursting with juice! While we are still a bit away from dirt-raised summer tomatoes, our produce selection increases by the week!
We are only a few weeks away from kicking off our main subscription season. If you are not a regular subscriber, I suggest you consider making the commitment to our farm share program. Once the regular season starts, there will be a $5 farm stand fee added on to any non-subscription box purchases.
This week - we welcome back Salisha's Delicious! Salisha focused the last few weeks getting her plants in for the summer season and we are delighted to have her first harvest of Swiss Chard and Oregano available for your boxes. Swiss Chard is an interesting plant! It has hearty green leaves and a substantive stalk. Red Swiss chard's flavor profile shares the earthiness of a beet green with the salinity of spinach. It can be sauteed, blanched, stewed, baked, even grilled. It can be added to salads, pastas, pizza, bruschetta, gratins and soups. The chard stalks are edible and add texture and flavor to the dishes they’re cooked into. Complimentary ingredient pairings include citrus, tomatoes, garlic, chickpeas, white beans, aged and melting cheeses, cream, mushrooms, bacon, fennel and herbs such as basil, tarragon and chervil.
Also - this week we have a bumper harvest of Chinese Cabbage from Scott Goodpasture at Pioneer Farms. Scott has offered a limited number of his delicious Chinese Cabbage in the past weeks, this week he has over 50 heads available for harvest so there is plenty to go around!
We also have a limited number of some exciting other items. From the Desert Farming Initiative at UNR, we have some AMAZING red head lettuce, radishes, and White Russian Kale. From Palomino Valley - we have 5 portions of Nopales Cactus. Usually cooked, Nopales can be very refreshing and benefitting when blended raw with pineapple, orange and parsley for a morning smoothie. Blanched and sauteed with chorizo, Nopales make for a traditional accompaniment to eggs in the morning. Add to tortilla or chicken soup for texture and viscosity. Nopales are commonly blanched in salt water and added to salads with corn, fried jalapenos and black beans for a hearty lunch or light dinner.
Finally, Lattin Farms has added some exciting canned products that are available to add to your box. This week we have pickled Dilly Beans, Blackberry Preserves, Apple Butter, and Pumpkin Butter.
We hope that you are hanging in there and Staying Home for Nevada.
Thank you for your support of Nevada Farmers.
Kelli
