What’s in the Box: Red beets, fennel, scallions, sunflower shoots, romaine lettuce, kohlrabi, red leaf lettuce, savoy cabbage, baby zucchini or summer squash, basil.
What’s going on at the farm:
Another brief newsletter this week because I am running late. Working twelve hrs a day is a lot even for a veteran farmer like myself so I took most of Fathers day off and visited my dad and family for dinner. Trying to take it easy today too and head into summer slightly more refreshed then I’ve been feeling lately. This Thursday is summer solstice, the longest day of the year. We got all our peppers in the ground last week and weeded the garlic which is looking like our best garlic crop ever with very uniform and large sturdy plants and stalks. Sugar snap peas did not quite fill out this week because of the strange dip in temperatures we had but they will def be ready for next week. Cherry tomatoes and cucumbers are getting close to ready in the field and greenhouse as well. Some exciting new things this week including baby zucchini or summer squash. We may package some up with flowers on them, they are totally edible and I recommend cooking them whole with the flower on but you could use the flower separately too. We are getting all our onions weeded this week and they will be ready in about a month. After summer solstice they begin to bulb out and the tops give them the energy they need to do so. Our tops are getting nice and fat and should provide some nice sized bulbs this year if they can stay healthy through the bulbing period.
Savoy cabbage: These wrinkled cabbages are great cooked for cabbage rolls or stir fry, maybe with your basil and scallions.
Kohlrabi: These bulbs are huge and this will be the last week we will have them for spring
Onions: These are fresh tender green onions, or scallions, minced in to small pieces along with the bulb they are very mild and good raw, but also in cooked dishes.
Fresh basil is our herb this week and I’m sure you are all familiar with it. You can make your own pesto, marinade, or add it to stir fry or other dishes to add some great fresh summer flavor. Just a few tops for everybody but we will have more later in the summer too.
Sunflower shoots: The nutty micro greens are back with a crunch this week and are great in salads, wraps, or even just as a snack with your other favorite snack items.
Romaine lettuce: This planting of romaine had some spotty outer leaves but real dense centers so romaine hearts it is!
Red beets: These traditional red beets are very sweet and have good tasting tops when sautéed. This will likely be the last week for beets in shares this spring and possibly even for the year so enjoy them while you can! My favorite way is roasted. Unlike all the other beets you’ve received these ones will bleed.
Red leaf lettuce: The striking contrast of color on these frilly heads looks like a flickering fire to me. mix it with your romaine for salads or use the wide leaves for fresh lettuce wraps.
Fennel: This anise flavored bulb was just in last week and this will likely be the last week of it for the season so enjoy these crispy sweet bulbs raw, grilled, or roasted with beets and herbs.
Zucchini or summer squash: These super dense baby fruits may have flowers attached to some, enjoy them with the flowers. I put them in foil on the grill for fathers day breakfast with a teaspoon of oil and chili powder and coming and just steamed them in the packet for 15 minutes for a super tasty side of my annual fathers day steak.
Thank you all and enjoy the first early summer crops!
