We have just passed the Solstice, and Summer marches on, heedless of whether we want the days to shorten. Your farmers are having a difficult time with the topsy-turvy weather this year. But that's really nothing new. Each season brings challenges unique to that year, and we try to learn how to grow best in the conditions, and then the next year we sometimes feel like we're starting from scratch and haven't learned a thing. But then we pull a gorgeous beet from the ground or spy the perfect tomato and we realize that we really have learned a lot. It's just that the rules change from week to week and sometimes from day to day.
NEW PRODUCTS!
Georgia Grinders Nut Butters. "Georgia Grinders strives to create extraordinary nut butters from simple, all natural ingredients to fuel the adventurous lives of all people, from 6 months to 160 years old. It is our belief that every culinary experience be savored and define the taste of health. Sourcing the highest quality, organic, natural and Non-GMO ingredients, Georgia Grinders Premium Nut Butters are handcrafted in small batches to ensure quality, freshness and flavor in a facility that we own and operate in Atlanta, Georgia." Look for their peanut butter and almond butter in the product list.
Olive & Marlowe is a woman-owned Pittsburgh-based business and purveyor of small-batch, artisanal olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Our selection includes several monovarietal oils, as well as dozens of flavored oils and vinegars. All oils are sourced from small groves and mills in California and are certified by the California Olive Oil Council. We have chosen four of their most popular olive oils and three vinegars to get started.
Clarion River Organics Original Salsa returns, and we have added Mild Shoestring Peppers and Bread & Butter Jalapenos to the store.
This Week's Features
We get our first zucchini this week from both Detweiler Farm and Spur Hollow Farm, but still in limited quantities. It should be available in abundance in a week or two.
Our first kale of the season appears this week, too, from Glacial Till Farm and Humble Bee and Tree Farm.
Have you ever eaten radish seed pods? They really are edible, and they taste like a mild radish. Try them raw in salad, pickle them, or add them to a stir-fry or eggs.
Recipe
I had some Harmony Grove Farm pea shoots in my fridge that needed used up but hadn't made their way into a stir-fry. I made salmon croquettes for dinner, but I wanted a cool side dish because it was one of our really hot days. Enter Pea Shoot Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. It was light and refreshing. I subbed sliced radishes for the frozen peas. And I added some fresh snow peas from our garden to complete the meal.
Thanks for reading. Let us know what creations you're making with your CSA box. And tell us what you think of the new products we're curating. Have a great week.
Amy Philson
