The sky, it rained!
This was a week we had been waiting for, folks. We got some rain, and the farm was a little happier for it. We anticipated roughly half an inch of rain on Tuesday. Though it was a bit lighter than the forecast foretold, water gave itself freely from the sky, finally, after weeks of not doing so.
As much as I’ve gotten used to life out here as a Hawkins Family Farm farmhand, I realized this week that I am still indeed a baby green bean farmer. I was told that a real farmer is grateful for rainy days, no matter how chilly they might be. But you’re never quite ready for a gloomy, cold rainy day in the middle of June, you know?
The crew had told me to layer up and bring a change of clothes in preparation for Tuesday conditions. We got lucky at basically every turn, nearly getting pelted, but just missing each of Tuesday’s infrequent downpours. The rain poured outside as we harvested kohlrabi, carrots, and beets. Beets beets beets (there were so many beets). The trickle of rain lashing against the plastic protection of the hoops echoed about as we did our usual bunching. Then the rain would lessen, signaling us to harvest out in the fields as fast as we could before the rain would set in again.
Something that helps a cold day go from “blah” to “great!” out here is Jeff’s cooking! I cannot believe I haven't mentioned it yet. Farmer Jeff has a habit of surprising us with delicious meals that he prepares himself. This is a mystery I do not question, but a phenomenon that pulls Jeff to find something in the freezer that simply must be turned into a meal for the staff to feast upon. These meals are hearty, and usually last a couple of days. We can all thank Jeff’s momma for teaching him the value of preparing meals that can account for many empty bellies. We’ve had our fill of lasagna, meatballs, and grilled meats, but we are typically blessed with a kitchen masterpiece known as “pork slop,” coined by Jeff himself. Usually sauerkraut laden, pork slop is the product of a large, thawed part of a pig and… whatever else Jeff feels inspired to include in that particular rendition. After a couple bowls, I am more than happy to head back out to the fields to harvest on the chilliest of days.
Speaking of harvesting, let’s get into some new contenders in the Harvie lineup:
We’ve got scapes! Don’t miss out on the garlic scapes. We have one, maybe two, more weeks where they will be available. Scapes are the funny looking green twisty, loopy, twirly flowers that pop out of the tops of green garlic that we had available for the last couple weeks. Tops! You can see them pictured together in bunches in your harvie catalog. They offer a rich, garlicky taste. Far less potent, they are fun in any sauteed creation. Erin likes to slice them up and use them as a pizza topping. They only grow once a year for a couple of weeks, so they are definitely a garden delicacy when they show up.
We’ve got herbs! Fresh parsley, mint, chamomile, and oregano. Great for nuance in the kitchen, and go great with mugs of hot water.
We’ve got bok choy! The bok choy should be abundant for a while, so take your time, but definitely grab at these bunches. They have sturdy leaves that taste good raw or sauteed in a stir fry. Their crunchy stalks are fun to nibble on as well. I took a leaf out of Farmer Jeff’s book and started adding bok choy leaves to my eggs in the morning, along with some of True Kimchi’s radish kimchi (this is a great situation to place some scapes as well). It’ll perk you right up in the morning.
We’ve got baby kale and asian greens! We should be ready to harvest both of these pretty leaves this week, so look for them in your cart. Your summer salad selection is about to explode with possibility.
We’ve got…surprises! Each week can look a little different out here. This past week we featured some vegetables from Joyfield Farm, as well as some rosemary sprigs and apple mint from Denny Farms. In previous weeks this season we have had produce from Livengood Farm. Some of you reading this may have had their radishes. You never know who might be joining us in the CSA in a given week, so make sure you look around for fun new offerings.
That’s all the heads up I have for this week. As for what we can look forward too, we put ginger in the ground this week! Woohoo!
Don’t forget to mark your calendars for Friday pizza nights! I was out for the first one last week, and let me tell you, it's a great way to figure out what all this farm fuss is about. Bring a blanket, some friends, and some beverages and you’ll see what I mean. Families and friends were huddled up all across the backyard dipping into pizza boxes. You get a pretty good view of all the farm happenings from back there.
Pizza, friends, and all the fun farm noises. What more do you need on Friday?
-Alex
