Sare Notes 5-10-18
CSA Share Notes:
The temperatures are rising, and the garden is growing some simply stunning produce right now. This might be the prettiest garden we’ve ever grown.
With these warmer temperatures, about 3-4 weeks worth of crops are maturing all at once. This means starting next week we may be giving you boxes packed to the max, ’cause we need to harvest this produce, like, yesterday! (Oh, Mother Nature! Always has surprises in store.) Our only limitation is time: We’ve got roughly 8-10 hours of harvestable conditions the early mornings of Tuesday and Wednesday before the produce gets too hot in the field. However much we can pick, will all be going in the shares. We’ll also have a lot more produce at the farmers market if you want to visit us there. We sell at Rose City Farmers Market in Tyler.
This will probably also mean that after this huge rush of crops, we won’t have quite as many items ready for the last few weeks of the spring season. CSA’s really do connect you with the local growing conditions, so you get up close and personal with the same ups and downs that your farmers experience. So if the boxes are lighter in a few weeks, please recall fondly with us the times when we could barely get the boxes taped shut!
Warm weather also means more insects, so don’t be alarmed if a flea beetle or harlequin bug make their way to your kitchen through your box, or if you begin to notice some pre-munched-on leaves (Hey, what can we say? We don’t spray chemicals, and we know you prefer it that way!)
With that update, here’s your vegetable line up:
- Kale/ Collard—Large shares received Lacinato kale, sometimes called dinosaur kale. Small shares received collard greens. Cook these up with onion and garlic, add to a minestrone, or toss into a smoothie for extra nutrition
- Arugula—Our second planting of arugula is mature and ready for you! Everyone received a bag of this peppery salad green.
- Escarole—This frilly European salad green looks a LOT like lettuce, (check out the identifying images below) and has a deep flavor that some actually prefer cooked rather than eaten as a fresh salad. Some love it, some don’t! We hope you’ll give it a go and come to sing its praises as we have. Here’s a great write up for more info on this crop.
- Lettuce—Everyone is receiving Speckled Trout and Skyphos lettuce, nd the large is also receiving Cherokee lettuce.
- Napa Cabbage—This crop is an Asian cabbage similar to pac choi. It’s the traditional ingredient in Korean kimchee and I highly suggest you take a stab at making a batch to preserve this harvest. I see kimchee tacos and kimchee burgers in your future!
- Snow Peas—Crisp and juicy, these are excellent in a fresh salad, but they’re also great sautéed in browned butter.
- Spring Mix—Small shares received this flavorful mix of Asian greens. They make a fantastic salad, and are also great braised or sautéed. Each green in our mix was carefully selected for color, texture, and flavor.
- Kohlrabi—Large shares received a few beautiful kohlrabi. This vegetable may be a newcomer to your kitchen. With kohlrabi, think: broccoli stems. Just peel off the tough outer skin and slice or chop. It’s crunchy and juicy like an apple, and a little bit sweeter than broccoli. Try with lemon juice and salt, it goes wonderfully into a salad, and it is also fantastic roasted.
Veggie Storage tips:
Leafy greens last longest stored in the refrigerator, sealed up in bags or containers to retain their moisture. It’s getting warm out there, so your greens may be arriving to you wilted from their journey. If so, allow them to perk back up in a sink of ice cold water for several minutes, then shake off the excess water before you store them sealed up in the fridge. Remove the leaves from the kohlrabi, and store sealed up in the fridge to keep it from getting rubbery. Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking. 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
