Hello CSA Members!
It was so hot out this last week but we were lucky we got some rain this at the end of it but we could use some more soon because we barely got any precipitation out of the storm as it split up and went around the farm. Its been our driest start ever so far but we are doing our best to irrigate everything. This week we harvested a lot of beets and other early summer crops for your shares and did a lot of tomato trimming and weeding. We also got all the peppers planted last week and we put in red and orange Italian peppers, orange, yellow, and red bell peppers, and many different hot peppers including a new heatless habanero, and poblano, which are all nice and fairly mild chilies with good flavors. We will do more weeding and tomato trimming this week. This last week we also had summer solstice which marks the longest days of the year! I hope everyone gets out and enjoys some outdoor activities this week after getting energized with some healthy veggies! The sunsets this time of year make for a great end to long days of work. Spring greens are finished now and summer salads can consist of heartier things like grated kohlrabi, shaved beets or fennel for coleslaw or other interesting salads. This weekend I had some roasted beets, and fennel in the oven and it was so satisfying. Here’s the list of crops for this week.
Fennel: Our fennel is ginormous. It’s an italian vegetable and although the bulb is the best part the stalks and fronds are edible and can be used also. I like to thinly slice the bulb for coleslaw with kohlrabi, or roast it with beets, or saute it for pasta dishes. It can be roasted, grilled, sautéed, and eaten raw. The anise flavor is more prounounced raw but I love the fresh flavor of it.
Chioggia Beets: These beets have beautiful striping inside and don’t bleed like red beets do. This is our third type in three weeks to mix it up and keep it interesting. The greens can be minced into ribbons and sautéed with oil or butter for a healthy green or even juiced.
Purple Kohlrabi: We have purple kohlrabi for everyone this week. These “cabbage apples” are good raw or cooked, i like them grated as a slaw or sliced up for a fresh snack.
Purple Cauliflower: These beautiful heads of purple cauliflower will not lose their color when cooked. Enjoy this rarity and its burst of color in the shares this week as this is the only week we will have it this year.
Swiss Chard: This saute green is great in place of any recipe you would use spinach in. I like it best in a frittata in the morning with some scrambled eggs but it would make a great spinach pie or calzone also.
Red Curly Kale: Our kale this week is a beautiful red curly kale. A new variety for us this year its a beautiful deep red color and can be used for salads or cooked.
Basil: Fresh basil tops good for stir fry, pasta dishes or whatever else you like. I really like this new variety this year as its very disease resistant and dark green with great flavor.
Thats our list for this week folks, lots of deep purple colored veggies this week. I hope everyone has a good week and enjoys all the new veggies like the chioggia beets, cauliflower, basil, and the official beginning of summer. I am expecting carrots, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini and more to be ready for shares soon. If there is time we may add edible flowers to the shares this week also. -Kyle
