Welcome to week 3 of the 2022 Flat Tack Farm CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program!
What's Happening?!
We're checking out the veggies that have been planted and nestled in under the row cover. We should be able to harvest some of these veggies next week. Thus far, most of the veggies you've received were grown in our High Tunnel that we installed last season. This has been a wonderful way to push the season a little earlier and provide us with enough warmth and rain protection for crops to get an early start. This week we'll be harvesting the remaining crops and clearing out the High Tunnel and transitioning those beds to make way for tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, eggplant and basil.
This season has started out cold & wet! It's definitely been a struggle with all of the rain and constant temperature swings for many of the little plant babies. They are still growing very slowly, and we all can't wait until sunnier and warmer weather starts. The peas have started flowering and we're getting excited for fresh snap peas and snow peas (hopefully in a months' time)!
Product Highlights
We will be wild foraging Nettles this week! Nettles are a native plant in many of the PCNW forests, also known by the Latin name of Urtica dioica. They grow in damp and shady areas. A lot of people know them as stinging nettles and they've definitely gotten a bad reputation over the years because of their little hairs that contain a similar compound as a bee sting (formic acid). I have been stung by them a few times, and I'd have to say- bee stings are MUCH worse. But some people could have allergic reactions making the sting more painful and longer lasting. In ancient days they were used to treat arthritis by stinging the area with nettles. I've never tried it, but if you do and it works let us know!
When harvesting and preparing the nettles we make sure to wear leather gloves or double up 2 pairs of garden gloves. The stingers are usually located on the stem and bottom of the leaves, sometimes I also just pick them up by the top side of the leaf.
To prepare Nettles and get rid of the sting: **Make sure to wear gloves** Leather or dish washing gloves work best (cotton and garden fiber gloves are too thin).
-Method 1- BLANCHING: Boil a pot of water and dip the Nettles in for about 30 seconds. You can then dry them out on a towel or use a salad spinner.
-Method 2 -Drying: Place clean dry Nettles on baking sheet and putting in oven on lowest setting for an hour until completely dry- or use your dehydrator or drying screen in warm room to completely dry them.
-Method 3- Saute: Heat pan on stove and add butter or oil, chop the nettles (using gloves) and saute as you would any other greens like kale or spinach.
After this you can use them in tea, as a greens addition to your meal, with pasta, in a cake, or in smoothies.
I always use nettles in the spring to help with my allergies! Nettles are full of nutrients and anti-inflammatory compounds. It's almost immediate relief for most people! You can drink cups of dried nettle tea, make a tincture, take nettles in pill form, or make soups with the fresh nettle. The earth has a wonderful way of giving us what we need seasonally. When allergy season hits- Nettles are usually at their prime for picking! I dry them and keep jars available all season for tea.
Check out this wonderful website for more recipe ideas: 40+ Stinging Nettle Recipes (without the sting!) (growforagecookferment.com)
Farm Recipe Idea of the week
Stinging Nettle Pesto Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-4 Tbsp. organic hulled hemp seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, or other nut/seed of your choice
- 4-5 oz. fresh nettle leaves and stems (or 2 cups dried organic nettle leaf)
- 2-3 oz. grated organic Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/2-1 tsp. finely ground sea salt or other salt of your choosing, or to taste
- 1-2 peeled organic garlic cloves (or 1-2 tsp. organic garlic powder), or to taste
- 3/4 cup organic extra virgin olive oil, or to desired consistency
Directions
- Toast hemp seeds or other nut/seed on a hot frying pan for about 1 minute, or until golden brown (but not burned). Remove from heat.
- Bring large pot of water to boil.
- Set aside large bowl of ice water.
- Once water boils, place nettle into boiling water using tongs. If using fresh nettle, be careful not to touch with bare hands!
- Blanch nettle for 1 to 2 minutes. This will remove the sting.
- Remove nettle from boiling water and place in bowl of ice water to retain its bright, green color.
- Turn off heat on boiling water, but reserve the water for boiling your pasta, if using the pesto as a pasta sauce. It can also make for a nutritious tea.
- Once nettle has cooled (about 5 minutes), remove nettle by the handful and squeeze out water.
- Place squeezed nettle on a kitchen towel to dry.
- Combine nettle and remaining ingredients (except olive oil) in a food processor or blender.
- Blend until ingredients are well mixed and form a paste.
- With the blender or food processor running, slowly pour in oil until desired consistency is reached.
- Your pesto is now complete! Use immediately, refrigerate, or freeze.
We hope you enjoy this week's offerings!
Your Farmers,
Kelly & Patrick
