What’s in the Box:
Summer squash, zucchini, red leaf lettuce, green cabbage, sugar snap peas, english cucumber, kale, sunflower shoots, carrots, and garlic scapes.
What’s going on at the farm:
The season seems to always fly ahead faster then the crew can run this time of year as we keep plugging away all day every day but that is no exception to our earlier months either. Summer solstice is a time of transition for us as we plan for fall and that involves a lot of work similar to spring but we have to do it all in between the harvesting, cleaning, packing, markets, deliveries, paperwork, weeding, and mowing! This week I will be attempting clean up work and to plow down some finished crops such as the beet beds which are now finished. We pruned the tomatoes and pulled weeds in our onions this last week. Most importantly we have A lot of new crops for you all coming in now looking very good. Here is a quick rundown of our crops this week.
Sugar snap peas: These beauties are crisp and sweet and can be eaten pod and all. No cooking necessary but they can be used in stir fries and things if you desire. This is likely the last week for these crunchy summer favorites so enjoy them while they are here!
Kale: is coming to you again this week and we have three types this year including red curly , green, and lacinato so we will try to mix it up. I am in love with this new frilly red deep red/purle kale variety which has a great rich flavor and extra frilly leaves with little to no stem. I really like the curly kale for kale chips, juice, smoothies, and of course it can be sautéed or eaten raw.
Summer squash and zucchini: You may receive zucchini, summer squash, and patty pan squash in this category. Some suggestions for the week include grilling your summer squash. I cut them in spears or thick rings on the patty pans and brush them with olive oil and garlic powder or celery salt or barbecue seasoning. A little soy sauce tastes pretty good on them grilled too.
Cucumbers: They make a great cucumber salad and there are two possible types of cucumbers in your share now, but both are seedless super sweet european slicers which will not necessarily keep better but they taste great!
Red leaf lettuce: We had these heads the last two weeks and another large flush of them is coming in the greenhouse under the cherry tomatoes. Great for salads or for wraps.
Green cabbage: These beauties are glossy and crunchy and sweet as can be. With the 4th of July coming up I hope these find their way into many coleslaws! I like them for stir fry also.
Carrot: Early orange nantes type carrots, coming this week. The tops can be made into pesto, I made the roots simmered with butter and chicken broth on the stove last night and they were amazing!
Garlic scapes: These curly shoots of the hardback garlic plant are great steamed, i made them on the grill wrapped in foil this week and just served them with our grilled chicken and veggie salads as a nice garlic side. They also make a great pesto!
Sunflower Shoots: These crunchy nutty micros are my favorite, just can’t get over the texture and flavor. I put them on everything, sandwiches, salads, tacos, and they are packed with protein and amino acids. (nuttyscientists.com)
Until next week folks, we will be plugging away out here keeping the tomatoes trimmed, weeds plowed, and the veggies flowing. Enjoy the food!