CSA Week 2!!!
Well, I must say that I am excited about this week. When CSA starts and June starts to draw to a close, I know that the summer season has officially begun. Because of the nature of this particular Spring, the spring work has trickled into the summer season and so here at the farm, we are at an interesting cross roads, straddling two seasons labor, torn between each’s callings. And so I went down into the field today with some wonder about how the week would turn out. Today was a collaboration day - Genica and I often work near each other but on different tasks, or rather, tasks to different outcomes. We work together on the land but most often separately in our different endeavors.
In the early part of the season, the most common color to come from the field is green. After months of white and brown, the color green is a welcomed spectacle and having the enjoyment of eating fresh, local green things in the Spring is an absolute joy. So when Genica offered to contribute edible flowers to the share, the reds and purples and yellows and oranges, I was happy to work along side her with a shared vision of color. We both hope it brings you a warm splash of color for your plates in addition to the rest of the share!
Week 2
On to the share for the week!
Red Russian Kale - can be eaten raw or cooked - this is my personal favorite variety for its flavor and color. add it to a stir fry, cut in strips raw on a sandwich, chopped in a pasta dish.
Head Lettuce - two butterheads - if you flip it over and cut the core off, the leaves will fall into a salad. This particular variety has been bred this way. Another way to eat head lettuce that I personally have never tried is grilled. Here is a recipe:
Cucumbers - the first of the year. crunchy and delicious even if they are snack size. There was one big one - I wonder who got it!!
a bag of Arugula - I typically eat it raw, I love the flavor and tenderness. This week’s arugula is a little more spicy than usual bit still great. A farmer mentor once told me he made pesto with arugula. He called it zesty pesty. Just in case you need inspiration here is a link with a bunch of recipes:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/get-spicy-19-awesome-ways-eat-arugula
Pea Shoots - these are great as a garnish, on top of a piece of meat, in a salad, on a sandwich. It has a great pea flavor.
Radish - you can shave/chop these onto a salad raw, roast them as a side dish. Here is a recipe:
https://therealfoodrds.com/garlic-roasted-radishes/
Edible Flowers - these flowers range from sweet to spicy and have a powdery feel. Like pea shoots, you can garnish with them, top a salad, put in a sandwich. The bigger orange/red flowers are Nasturtiums and have a bit of a spicy flavor which would be good in a savory dish or better yet, as a garnish to a bloody Mary. Below is a photograph taken and sent to us by a member who made an amazing salad tonight with the ingredients from the share this week! Oh and here is an idea for a sandwich with flowers from Genica: peanut butter, banana and voila:
https://www.instagram.com/p/By_GYA6huGbK6eSkWn7UY9pdcxQD-lKmC20FmI0/
beautiful salad!!
I thank you for another wonderful week and I hope the produce has been treating everyone well! Feel free to send any inspired moments from the share that I can pass on. I look forward to next week. Until then please enjoy the share!
From the field,
Ryan