With the summer solstice behind us, and temperatures rising, it really feels like we are finally in the land of summer. We are finally setting up the irrigation in our field - it feels a little funny that this is now a concern, after the wettest spring ever! Even as I write this, the wind is picking up and clouds are rolling in. They're calling for a storm today, which is why Alex planted the carrots last night before bed. But, that is farming - always changing, always adapting. Nature carries on and we scramble to follow!
Our summer crops are starting to come along. We had a bit of an issue with an unknown critter eating our cucurbit (zucchini, winter squash, cucumber, and melon) seeds before they sprouted. We had a few that survived, and the zucchini are close to producing! The rest we have growing in the greenhouse, and they'll be ready to be transplanted out soon.
We have baby beets this week! We're always really excited for the first beets. We planted these as seeds in the greenhouse all the way back in April! They took longer to mature than expected because of the weather this spring. An easy way to cook them is to boil them til they are fork-tender, then drop them in ice water when they're done and they should peel easily. Then eat them in salads, or as a side, or on sandwiches, or in risotto... You can also roast them, or grill them, or grate them to make pink pancakes!
Another crop has arrived, landmarking the turning of the season - garlic scapes! As I mentioned with the broccoli last week - every vegetable wants to make seeds, and if you let them, most will send up a flower that will eventually produce those seeds. We have some radish cover crop that is flowering, and it has produced tiny little fruits that look like hot peppers, containing the radish seeds.
Some veggies, we want them to produce flowers and fruit because we eat that fruit - like tomatoes, and zucchinis, and peppers. But many veggies that we eat, we'll never see the flower or fruit they produce, because we eat their leaves (like lettuce), or their stems (like kohlrabi). If we let them produce a flower, they won't have the same flavour and texture that we enjoy eating. Now garlic can reproduce by making seeds through a flower, or through its bulb. We plant it in the fall, and every time this year it starts to send up a stalk that will make a flower. If it makes the flower, the bulb won’t get any bigger. If we take the stalk off, the garlic will put its energy into making a nice big bulb instead. So, that's why this time of year we always make sure to take the stalk off of the garlic before it can form a flower. This stalk is known as a garlic scape. And very fortunately, they are great to eat! Similar to spring garlic, they are mild and aromatic with a gentle garlic kick. This time of year, you can use them as a substitute for bulb garlic, which won’t be ready until mid-July. Simply chop them up and add them to your dish. They’re also excellent grilled whole. You can even eat them raw if you’re feeling brave. Check out https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/garlic-scapes for some ideas.
We are sooooo eager for our peas to be ready, but we won't have enough for shares this week. Keep an eye out for them next week!
See everyone soon!
Farmer Kim
