- Lettuce – enjoy some of our favorite head lettuce, “Concept” (the dark green almost romaine type) and “Sylvesta” (light green butter lettuce).
- Garlic scapes – the garlic flowers are delicious on the grill or use it like leeks in soup.
- Green onions (scallions)
- Chinese broccoli or cauliflower or regular season broccoli
- Dill or cilantro
- Sugar snap peas
- Kale or Swiss Chard
- Radishes or kohlrabi
- Spinach – this is the first from the field, very dark green and very tender and nameless. This variety from Osbourne Seeds is so new it has just a number. If you think of a great name send it to us and we will send all your suggestions to Osbourne.
May is almost over. Juve plowed under the last of the overwintering cauliflower. We plant the beds as soon as the old crops come out. We snuck (we are hoping the cucumber beetles don’t find them) in some cucumbers and more pole beans and hope to get the remainder of the summer crops in later today or this week. There is no such thing as “I have the garden planted” here on the farm. We continue to seed, weed and plant from now until October when the garlic goes in. The focus changes from planting huge beds of crops to weeding all the beds and pruning a trellising those crops that we have in.
We managed to get in most of the winter squash and pumpkins last week. We left them uncovered for one day and an army of stripped cucumber beetles flew in and began to devour their leaves. We quickly covered them with remay and hope to give the plants a good three weeks of cover to out grow the beetles. Many of our members remember the battles with the beetles from past years and this year promises to be no different. The conclusion we came to in the past is that cover is the best solution at least for young plants. We have also had some success with “surround” a white clay based spray that makes the plants taste bad to the beetles. The other strategy is to “out plant” the buggers, we just keep planting more squash and beans until we get enough for us and them.
There are flowers on the greenhouse tomatoes! We have so much to do to get these tomatoes to you by mid-July, but we remain hopeful that you will taste the sweetest of tomatoes soon. The sugar snap peas have gone crazy and are now almost 10 feet tall inside the greenhouse. The outdoor set are in flower as well. The beans are starting to climb their trellis which means they are about 4-6 weeks away from harvest. All this talk of harvest makes me feel like getting out there, so I will sign off. Please don’t forget to mark your calendars for the big farm events this season:
- Canning party – September 12th , 2015 : a fun filled day from 9 – 5 where we come together as a community to put the extra produce from the farm to work for our winter enjoyment. Many more details to follow.
- Harvest Festival – October 18th, 2015: a community event not to be missed! 2-6 p.m. here at the farm. This is our chance to shine and celebrate the culmination of a great harvest season. We will also celebrate the centennial of our barn, stay tuned for special events around this theme.
I decided you could figure out how to use scallions (green onions) so I did not include many recipes, if all else fails use them in soup or omelets. They are the most nutritious of all onions, don’t let them go to waste. There are lots of greens this week, thus it is time for a word from one of our founding members, Sue Kass. Have a great week
Sue Kass’ Greens Primer
“I was thinking today how all the marvelous greens are somewhat a bit daunting for new CSA members, so I will offer a few recipe and a few tips
Tip #1: Lots of the veggies–beets, radishes, broccoli, kohlarabi–come with “greens” that many might neglects. Cook ’em up like you would any other green
Tip #2: Most of those glorious greens can be used interchangeably and/or as you would spinach in things like soups, lasagne, spanokopita, etc
Tip # 3: when you are drowning in greens and the next batch is about to arrive, steam them until wilted in a large skilllet with a few tablespoons of water. Stuff the cooked greens and their
liquid into a ziploc and toss in the freezer. You’ve got quick cooked greens ready to go for a recipe or in the dark of winter when kale is $2.50 a sickly bunch
Tip #4: the more assertive greens, like mustards, bok choy, etc benefit from chopping rather finely if you plan to eat them raw in a salad. I usually dress those in a stronger flavored dressing
and let them marinate a bit more before serving (see dressings below)
Fresh Ginger-Sesame Dressing (for an “asian-style coleslaw but also tames mustard nicely)
1/2 c rice vinegar
1Tb dark sesame oil
1/8 c sugar
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
salt, pepper to taste
Thai-Style Lemon Dressing
4 Tbs lemon juice
4 tsp peanut oil
4 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp fish sauce
Toss with a mix of greens, mint, cilantro
Kass family Beans n Greens (we eat this about once a week, year round)
1-2 bunches fresh greens (or equivalent in frozen)
Small onion or large shallot, fnely chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, ” ”
1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1/4 c. white wine or sherry
1-2 c. cooked beans (I typically use canned drained caneloni or white kidney beans)
Wash greens, leave damp and cook in a large skillet with a few tbs water until just tender. Set aside, reserving liquid.
Wipe out pan and saute onions and garlic and pepper flakes in oil until soft, then add wine and boil until reduced and a bit syrupy.
Meanwhile chop greens.
Add greens back into pan with their juices and with beans; you may need to add a bit of water to make mixture “loose”
Cook for 5-10 minutes more to allow flavors to marry, add salt/black pepper to taste. Serve over rice, quinoa, bulgar or
grain of your choice, sprinkle with parmesan
Empanadas with Greens & Olives–great lunch/picnic way to eat your greens!
Yeasted olive oil dough (see below)
10 c. mixed greens, cleaned/stemmed
2 Tbs olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 c. chopped parsley
red pepper flakes
1/2 c. pitted kalamata oiives, coarsely chopped
1/2 c grated cheese (I’ve done provolone, fontina, jack, parmesan, mozzarella, or mixed)
1 beaten egg.
Make dough and while it is risng, prepare the greens.
Wash greens, don’t dry. Heat oil in a large wide skillet, saute the garlic, onions, pepper, parsley until onions are tender, then add the greens and cook until tender. Gently squeeze the mixture to drain off excess moisture and chop finely. Mix the seasoned greens with olives, cheese, egg. Season to taste w/salt and pepper.
Divide dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece into a 4″ circle. Place 1 1/2 Tb of filling in center of the circle and fold over or fold up edges, pinch well to seal. Place on ungreased sheet and bake 20-30 miutes at 375 until golden brown. Serve hot or at room temperature. Freeze well for later consumption.
Yeasted dough:2 tsp dry yeast, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 c warm water–> Blend and allow to sit 10 minutes or until foamy. Mix in 3 Tbs olive oil, 1 beaten egg and pinch slt. Work in 1 3/4 c. flour (or a little more) until you have a smooth, elastic kneadable dough. Knead briefly, then place in lightly oiled bowl and let rise 45 minutes or more until doubles in bulk. This is a very sturdy and forgiving dough.”
Middle Eastern Radish and Beet salad in Scallion Vinaigrette
Fresh From The Garden, Perla Meyers
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 T red wine vinegar
4 T finely minced scallions
1 ½ cup plain yogurt
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ½ pounds cooked beets, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 ½ cups thinly sliced radishes
- In a large serving bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, scallions and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper and whisk until blended. Add the beets and radishes and fold gently. Cover and refrigerate over night.
- The next day, bring the salad back to room temperature. Correct seasoning and serve as an accompaniment to grilled salmon or chicken or sautéed veal.
Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Sweet Lemon and Mustard Dressing
Fresh From the Garden, Perla Meyers
Salt
1 ½ pound sugar snap peas, strings removed
juice of 1 large lemon
6 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
4 Tablespoons finely minced scallions
Freshly ground white pepper
- Bring salted water to a boil in a vegetable speamer. Add the peas and steam, covered for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Run under cold water to spot further cooking and drain on paper towels. Place in a serving bowl and set aside.
- In a small jar, combine the lemon juice, oil, mustar, and sugar. Cover tightly and shake until the mixrure is smooth and well blended. Add the scallions, serason with salt and pepper, and pour dresssing over the peas. Cover an d chill at least 2 hours before serving.