CSA Share Notes:

Welcome to the Red moon Farm spring CSA! This first week we are excited to bring you a few gems from the garden. These first items are fresh, young, and packed with nutrition, so enjoy!  The season gradually builds in abundance throughout the year and though the boxes are always lighter at the beginning of each season, look forward to lots more from the Red Moon Farm garden.

• Radish—Small shares received French Breakfast radishes, and Large shares received Easter Egg radishes. Expect a bit more spice from the easter egg. The french breakfast are actually an heirloom variety. Cut julienned, and mixed with chopped kale and the spring mix, these would make a great slaw. A favorite early spring snack of mine is a slab of rye bread spread with European style butter and topped with sliced radishes and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Also, did you know that radish tops are edible? These are fresh and delicious!
• Arugula—This is the green that came in the plastic clamshell container. Arugula is also called rocket because it grows very quickly. Our arugula has been unseasonably slow this year because of all the heavy rain, but it’s still tasty, just very small. Enjoy the great flavor. If it’s a bit strong for you, mix it at a ratio of about 1:4 with very mild salad greens like bibb lettuce or baby spinach.
• Kale or Collard—Large shares received red Russian kale, and the small shares received collard greens. These two are very closely related genetically and in flavor, and can often work interchangeably in recipes. Either cook them up southern style with a little bacon  and garlic, or try the Massaged Kale Salad or the Rainbow Kale Salad.
• Pea Shoots—This is a delight to get to share with you. Few have tried this vegetable, but chefs definitely pine after it. With the delicate and buttery flavor of peas, pea shoots are delicious lightly sauteed in browned butter as in this recipe here, or eaten fresh in a salad with thinly shaved radishes, lightly toasted walnuts or pecans, and a bit of Parmesan or Pecorino cheese. We hope you love them!
• Spring Mixed Greens—A large variety of Asian greens like scarlet frills mustard, mizuna, and more. These greens are great lightly sauteed with your radish tops. The bright spice of these mustardy greens pairs best with lard or bacon fat. Yep, serve them up southern style. They’re also great mixed into a salad of fresh arugula and other complementary mild salad greens. Like the arugula, this crop usually grows extremely quickly, but again, because of the rain it has been a bit stunted. The flavor is still great, but the quantity is a bit small.

Veggie Storage tips:

The bags of greens, kale, and arugula will all last longest stored in the refrigerator, sealed up to retain their moisture. The radish roots should be severed from their tops to keep them firm and crisp, and the tops can be stored with the other greens. Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking, but leave the dirt on until you’re ready to use them. As a general rule, wait to wash any veggies until you’re ready to use them to help retain nutrients and prevent spoilage from excess moisture.

We’d love to hear stories and recipes of your culinary adventures this week. Send us a note or post a comment of how you’ve used your CSA share!

Your farmers,

Jess & Justin

Large Share

 Large share (Left to right): Red Russian Kale, arugula, Spring mixed greens, Easter Egg radishes, and pea shoots.

Small Share

Small share (left to right): spring mixed greens, French Breakfast radishes, collards, arugula, and pea shoots.