CSA Share Notes:

The Spring garden is really beginning to transition to the hearty crops. fewer leafy greens, more heavy roots and brassicas. You’ll continue to see big changes over these last few weeks as the cold weather crops draw to their end.  And now it won’t be long before those heat loving crops will be ready and the Summer CSA will begin! We probably have roughly 2 more weeks to go in the Spring CSA, although the garden will ultimately tell us when the time is right to switch seasons.

Here’s this week’s vegetable line up:

• Cauliflower—This crop is incredibly difficult to grow successfully, so each season that we manage to get a nice crop we are so utterly delighted! So members, please be pleased with us. This crop does not come easy!  We like a nice coconut milk curry for our cauliflower with chick peas and red curry paste, but we also enjoy it roasted, riced, and all sorts of wonderful ways.  Cauliflower does not store for long, so use it quickly, and handle it as little as possible. The white florets turn brown very quickly if any bacteria is introduced, so we take care to only touch the greens/stems when harvesting and packaging for you. If you do the same, they will keep their creamy white color.
• Broccoli—This crop is at it’s peak this week and last! After this we will continue to get some, but the yields will drop off quickly and will be mostly smaller florets rather than big beautiful heads. It’s so flavorful and nutritious right now. Enjoy!
• Cabbage—Fantastic for a crunchy slaw, perfect for a lacto-fermented kraut, or authentically latin atop some tacos. These are young and sweet and will be excellent quality, however you like to prepare cabbage.
• Carrots—Finally our spring carrots are ready! We think we have two-weeks worth out there, though they’re pretty covered up with weeds from the copious amount of rain we’ve had this spring. (Carrots grow incredibly slowly, so they do NOT endure well under weed pressure) We hope to have them again for you week after next.
• Fennel—Oh how we love shaved fennel in a crunchy salad, but it’s so nice roasted with chicken, too, or even carmelized! It pairs really well with citrus, and with beets if you still have some left over from last week.  Most folks in our CSA are new to fennel, so I suggest checking out this link for a really great tutorial on how to work with this great crop along with over a dozen fennel recipes near the bottom of the page.
• Kale—Large shares received Winterbor curly kale, Regular shares received Red Russian.  Our kitchen blog has about a half dozen great kale recipes if you’re needing some inspiration!
• Basil—Large shares received our big, leafy Genovese basil. This is a month earlier than we’ve ever had basil. Luck you! Here’s the most important thing to remember about basil: It does not want to be below 50 degrees. Storing it in the fridge will ruin your basil! Just trim the stems and place it in a glass of water on the counter in a cooler area of your kitchen, and not in any direct sunlight.  Just change out the water and trim the stems whenever it needs freshening up and it’ll last you several days.
• Swiss Chard—For the mini shares only. This is some of the healthiest, most delicious chard we’ve grown.  I like it in a massaged greens salad (where you rub the leaves with oil and kosher salt until they’re silky smooth and the cellulose is broken down) with toasted pine nuts, dried cranberries, parmesan, and a good citrus vinaigrette.

Veggie Storage tips:

Everything (but the basil) will keep longest stored in the fridge sealed up in produce bags.  All root crops should be severed from their tops to keep the roots from getting rubbery, as they continue to send moisture and nutrients up to the leaves after harvested. Chop those greens off and either discard (carrots) or store separately (beets, turnips, etc).  The cauliflower does not like to be over handled, and it does not keep long, so use it up quickly.  Everything will need a gentle washing before cooking, but leave the dirt on until you’re ready to use them to prevent spoilage.

We likely have two weeks left of the Spring season before it concludes! Enjoy the remainders of our lovely, abundant spring garden these last few weeks. 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 left to right:  carrot, fennel bulb, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and Red Russian Kale.

Large Share

Large Share left to right:  Winterbor Kale atop of broccoli, fennel bulbs, carrots, basil atop of cabbage, and cauliflower.

 Mini Share

Mini share: Fennel bulb, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Swiss Chard.