Share Notes 5-30-19

Share Notes 5-30-19

CSA Share Notes:

Last week we updated you on the state of our garden after the insanely wet February, March, April, and early May we’ve experienced this year.  Many of the spring plantings continue to decline- they were just too wet for too long, or became crowded with giant weeds which thrived in the wet conditions- but we’re super pleased to tell you that all the summer crops are doing really well! Registration is open so head over to get yourself signed up while we have plenty of room.

Last week I mentioned you wouldn’t see radishes or turnips again this season- WRONG! We lucked out and had a few healthy turnips for you this week, and a small amount of radishes have made it through. I also said the cabbage and broccoli were all kaput- wrong again! We might have some, but not very much, in about two weeks.

 

Check out this lovely week of the Spring CSA season. Here’s your vegetable line-up.

  • Winterbor Kale—Large shares received winterbor kale, my favorite for cooking in a soup or turning into dehydrated kale chips. We’ve got several ideas in our kitchen blog for you.
  • Red Russian Kale—Regular shares all received this crop. This variety can be cooked in any kale recipe, but it’s so tender, I’m always happy to eat it raw.
  • Onions—The first of many to come! We’ve been hard at work getting our huge onion crop out of the ground and they look great. These are not yet cured, so keep them in dry, well circulated air until you use them up (don’t keep them sealed up, or under the cupboard, they wanna breathe)
  • New potatoes—Also fresh and uncured.  We boiled ours this week and topped with a delicious herbed tahini sauce: garlic, tahini, lemon juice, oregano, lots of basil and parsley, and a bit of salt, all blended into a scrumptious sauce.
  • Radishes—We don’t have very many, so we had to stretch them to go around, but they’re super spicy, so it doesn’t take much! Regular shares received French Breakfast radish, and Large shares received easter egg.
  • Swiss Chard—Regular shares received this crop. I appreciate chard in a salad with kale, but many prefer it cooked. It’s pairs wonderfully with a beef roast: toss into the crockpot for the last 45 minutes or so.
  • Turnips—Large shares received petit purple top turnips. These are fantastic cooked up southern style. Chop a few strips of bacon and an onion and cook in a heavy pot.  Keeping all the bacon fat in the pot for this dish, next toss in the chopped up turnips and cook just till soft. They are so delicious.  You can also oven roast them or glaze them and they’re incredible.
  • Peaches—From our friends at Winona Orchards, these folks know how to grow great fruit! While they don’t use organic practices, their fruit quality and flavor is simply amazing (you’ll remember we’re working on establishing our own Red Moon Farm orchard, so organic fruit is in your future!) Wash well, or even peel your fruit for added confidence. What’s the most effective way to remove chemical residues from produce? Submerge for a couple of minutes in a bowl of cold water with a tablespoon of dissolved baking soda, then rinse well.

Veggie Storage tips:

Sever roots from their tops to keep them from getting rubbery. All your greens and roots will want to be stored cold in the fridge sealed up in a bag.  Your onions and potatoes will be happiest at room temperature. Peaches can be set out on the counter to finish ripening which should just take another day. To delay ripening, store in the fridge and take out about 24 hours before you’re ready to use them. Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking, but leave the dirt on until you’re ready to use them to prevent spoilage.

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

 

Regular Share

Regular Share from left to right:  Red Russian kale, stacked in the center: yellow onions, new potatoes, and peaches then French Breakfast Radishes, and Swiss Chard on the right.

Large Share

Large share from top left to right: Swiss Chard, yellow onions, Purple Top Turnips, Winterbor Kale.  On the second row: Easter Egg radishes in the center and new potatoes, and last, 6 delicious peaches across the bottom.