It really feels like summer on the farm now. There is way too much to do as we now are picking crops that keep producing day after day like beans, cukes, and zukes. Just wait till we start picking tomatoes!
Last week we picked our first green beans after completing a “rescue weeding.” Farmer Reuben tells you about it in this video. Beans will be picked every 2-3 days in order to get them at just the right size. When they get too fat, they start bulging and getting tough. It takes many hours and many hands to hand pick the many varieties of string beans that you will see this season. Many CSA farms don’t offer beans or only offer them as a u-pick option. Larger farms invest in mechanical picking machines which destroy the plants after only one picking. Because we have many young hands that need work to do in the summer, we keep hand picking. Maybe you could tell your kids that the beans they are eating were picked by the farm kids - and show them the video!
THE PICTURE: Farmer Reuben sent five of the crew out to pick radish. “Put eight in a bunch. Twenty bunches in black bin.” They were back with 100 bunches of radish in less than half an hour.
RECIPES & TIPS - Use our A to Z Vegetable Guide to help, identify, use and store your veggies.
Onion - fresh bulb onions with the leaves. Leaves are edible, just like scallions. Use in Onion, Cilantro, Lime Relish this week.
Leaf Lettuce - Rather than heads, this lettuce is a mix that grows by the leaf. Store the same as head lettuce, keeping out any moisture.
Green Beans - can be stored in the fridge in a loosely sealed plastic bag. They will keep for about a week. Snap off both the ends of the pods before cooking. Can be eaten raw or steamed or boiled or roasted. Simply simmer until tender, adding salt and butter. DO NOT OVERCOOK! No one likes them mushy. Try stir-frying for a change!
Summer Squash - More zukes/summer squash. Don’t get tired of them before you try grilling them! Sweet & Spicy Grilled Summer Squash is perfect for this week - it also uses your cilantro.
Kale - have you tried Kale Chips yet?
Radish - our radishes are producing very well this year! Need a new way to use it? Try Creamy Radish Soup
Cilantro - add to salads, stir fries, curries or use in the Sweet & Spicy Grilled Summer Squash recipe above. If you cannot use the Cilantro this week, preserve the herb by pureeing and popping into ice cube trays or make chimichurri sauce.
