As consumers in a small-scale local food system, we're all more in tune with what's thriving in this particular moment in our particular watershed, and we know that natural systems on an organic farm are constantly changing. One week is cool and rainy and the soil is saturated, the next week is extremely hot and muggy. Vegetables often change in appearance from week to week, or some of our favorites might be in short supply because the conditions are so dynamic and unpredictable - plants respond to the variable weather, changing in flavor and texture, and we believe this is something extraordinary to experience as an eater. Many vegetables (like radishes, turnips, lettuce, kale and arugula) start out mild and tender in the spring, get spicier and more robust in the heat of the summer, and then get sweeter as the temperatures cool off in the fall.
This week, we're delighted to offer an abundance of gorgeous scallions (we hope you'll load up while the picking is so good), we have a new crop of fresh bunched carrots and beets coming in strong, but we have a shortage of salad greens due to the intense heat and heavy rains.
Let's embrace the variability in our food as a source of inspiration. Try tasting each of your vegetables raw before you start cooking and see if you notice a difference from last week. It just might spark a new idea in your cooking.
