This week of bountiful strawberry picking needs very little introduction, we hope everyone is enjoying their time on the farm! The crew has been busy planting, weeding, and harvesting to be sure that the next crops are on their way to you. Pictured above is Lauren, a part time crew member from last season who returned to help us out for a few months this spring. Lauren is now leaving to move to Berkeley, California as planned. We will miss her company and hard work out in the fields but have requested frequent updates! Fortunately the approaching end of the school year means an increase in crew members who are teachers and students including Juliana, Kathleen and Emma in the farm store. Kathleen and Emma have returned from last season and new to the farm is Juliana, a kindergarten teacher and our main weekday shopkeeper. They have all begun to help out in the evenings after the school day and you will be seeing them more often when summer begins. It is a big boost to have the additional help as well as more smiling faces around the farm!
In the store: All crops listed below for the CSA will also be available in the farm store including Red Ace and Chioggia beets. In addition we will have Happy Rich broccoli and basil plants for sale. The strawberries have are coming in strong so they will be available every day again this week!
In the flower fields: We continue to have Sweet William available for picking as well as in the Farm Store. PYO Flower CSA members can begin picking, and folks who are not members are welcome to purchase picking jars "a la carte." This will likely be the last week for the Sweet William. Next to bloom: yarrow!
In the Vegetable CSA:
Kohlrabi!
- Kohlrabi: A crunchy vegetable that looks like space ship but is in the cabbage family! A great addition to any salad.
- Fennel: Our fennel is small due to our dry growing conditions but it is packed with flavor! It is great shredded raw in salads or roasted.
- Yukina Savoy: A dark green color, yukina savoy (also known as tatsoi) looks a lot like spinach and can be eaten in many of the same recipes, particularly those that call for raw spinach. (Now that spinach season is over I use swiss chard or beet greens in recipes that call for spinach.)
- Beets: Chioggia (brighter red with white stripes inside) and Red Ace.
- Salad Turnips or Radishes: If you like spice the red radishes are the ones for you! Salad turnips look like white radishes and are similar but less spicy.
- Kale: Curly and Toscano (Dinosaur) varieties
- Lettuce: we have many different types available, including romaine, butterhead, oakleaf and red and green leaf.
- Salanova Lettuce Mix
- Red Russian Kale- One of my favorite greens to eat both raw in salad and lightly cooked with eggs or pasta.
- Swiss Chard
- Bok Choi: Large and Baby Bok choy are ready this week. They don't love the heat so we want to eat our fill before summer weather sets in!
CSA Pick-your-own:
- Sugar snap peas: More beds are now open for picking and they are filling out nicely! Picking should be easy- and tasty! Remember to look on the underside of plants that have fallen to one side to find the biggest peas.
- Snow Peas
- Parsley: Please pick the outer stems to keep the parsley growing for weeks to come!
- Strawberries: The strawberries are in their prime this week!
Coming Up: Next week we will have the first carrots of the season as well as garlic scapes and likely scallions. So much to look forward to!
Kohlrabi and Apple Slaw from The Farmer’s Kitchen by Brett Grohsgal and Julia Shanks
2 Kohlrabi
1-2 apples
fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, tarragon or mint, chopped
Dressing:
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/ tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1. Combine ingredients for dressing
2. Peel kohlrabi and cut into small matchsticks
3. Core apple and cut into matchsticks
4. Toss kohlrabi with apples, dressing and fresh herbs
Other dressing ideas for your Kohlrabi Slaw from mathastewart.com: combine olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and combine with your kohlrabi and apple matchsticks
Sautéed Beet Greens With Garlic and Olive Oil
NY Times Recipes for Health
By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN AUG. 9, 2008
This simple classic is great on its own as a side dish, or you can toss the greens with pasta, add them to an omelet, or use them in a gratin or a quiche.
1 pound beet greens
Salt
1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, to taste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you stem the greens and wash the leaves in 2 rinses of water. When the water comes to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the greens. Blanch for 2 minutes, until tender. Transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water, then drain and squeeze the water out from its leaves. Chop coarsely.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and hot red pepper flakes (if using) and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and translucent, 30 to 60 seconds. Stir in the greens. Stir for a couple of minutes, until the greens are nicely seasoned with garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper, remove from the heat, and serve.