Week 2: A Hot Dry Start to Summer

Welcome to the 2nd week of CSA and the first day of summer!

We hope you enjoyed your first week of summer greens- there are plenty more where that came from! Don't worry, we have recipes that will help you sneak (if you need to) these incredible greens into your daily diet and before long, you won't even wonder how you could possibly eat them all.

We are still in the midst of our hardest month- the farm crew is crunching the daylight hours trying to decide each day whether we should weed or transplant or stake tomatoes or lay irrigation line. With four harvest days per week, we are down to 1-2 full days of other work, so we are trying to cram in as much as possible. The dilemna of transplanting vs weeding and other things will go down once we get the second planting of tomatoes, the fourth of broccoli and the second of cabbage out of the way. Then we just have to make sure that the other plantings of lettuce go in every 2-3 weeks. There are some other bigger plantings, but they spread themselves out a little more as the summer moves along.

Cole getting the hang of cultivating. Note that the cultivator is behind him.

This is the Williams Tool System rake and knives we use.

 I spent the first part of Monday beginning to train Cole how to use the tractor to cultivate. He was a natural- taking it slow and easy and asking a ton of good questions before rocking and rolling through all the melons/watermelons and winter squash/pumpkins. He moves on to two row and three row next!

Meanwhile, Kirsten made raised beds so that we could spend the afternoon transplanting the bulk of the fall broccoli and cabbage. We didn't quite get it all in, but we will finish it up after harvest tomorrow (you might even see them at it during Tuesday CSA pick-up) if we don't get too much rain. We desperately need the rain so I won't mind if we get drenched! 

Our farmstand is adding more things this week and hopefully we even be able to take CREDIT CARDS by the end of the week. Look for Deborah's Kitchen fruit spreads from Littleton, MA in Peach Melba, Forest Berries, Mango Tango and more.  These are so so good and they are more than just a jam you pair with nut butter on a sammie. Try them paired with roasted meats, drizzled over goat cheese, stirred in rice with feta cheese, black beans and  braised escarole. This ain't your grandma's jam. We also have chickens, but they are still just teenagers and aren't laying yet. Until they are laying we won't have eggs available for sale. Waiting for a young hen to start laying is kind of like waiting for a pot to boil.....

Also, we will have reusable mesh produce bags for sale in the store in another week! You can sometimes find them at a local grocery store, but I was asked about them during last week's pick-up and figured we should add them to our selection of products in the store.

This is what the bed looks like when we finish- see all the tiny weeds with their little roots in the air......they are done!

The goats are up on the back hill behind the 'hangar' barn on the north end of the farm. It is a gorgeous walk up the pasture loop trail from the trailhead parking area so make it an adventure to find the goats this week.

We are always looking for volunteers to help out around the farm throughout the week!!!! Harvest help, weeders, carpentry, whatever works for you- we can make use of your skills. Please contact Annie Wolf, our volunteer coordinator and she will get you started. 

In your Share (hopefully):

Scallions

Chard

Garlic Scapes

Lettuce: Romaine and Leaf

Salad mix

Escarole

Braising Mix (mustards, spinach, baby kale, arugula, asian greens)

Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)

Honey Lemon Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Wow.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil
2 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 Chicken breasts, finely diced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
3 Tbsp Honey
1/2 tsp Poppyseeds
6 Butter lettuce leaves
1 CUP Julienned carrots
1/4 CUP Microgreens or cilantro
1 1/2 CUPS cooked jasmine or sticky rice (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt coconut oil.
2. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 30-45 seconds.
3. Add diced chicken and soy sauce to the pan, saute just until chicken is barely pink.
4. Add lemon zest and honey, turn heat to medium and cook just until honey is caramelized.
5. Toss in poppyseeds.
6. Serve in lettuce leaves (with rice, if desired). Top with julienned carrots, a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and microgreens as garnish.
7. Enjoy!

Alternates: You don't need to use butterhead lettuce for wraps- any lettuce will do....You can sub in your favorite pulled chicken or pork with BBQ and throw in lettuce wrap with cole slaw/avocado/salsa.

Vegetarian options: You can substitute strips of eggplant or white beans for the chicken.

This is the week of bitter greens- not spicy, but bitter and wonderful. Escarole is a green head that looks like lettuce that you've either had and lovelovelove or you've never ever heard of it....it is similar to endive and chicory and has that same bitter flavor. I love it. It is a vegetable that I look forward to every year. I think it is best sauteed in olive oil, lemon juice and tossed with white beans and goat cheese and garlic. I could eat a whole bowl. However, most folks are daunted by its bitter tendency- they feel the same about broccoli raab which is also in your share this week and is also another favorite. If you aren't familiar with bitter greens, they are wonderful- full of folic acid and tops out spinach for Vit A & D. You have to be pretty hardcore to eat them raw (though they are great in a mixed salad- like radicchio in flavor). Mellow them out by eating them with creamy sauces such as alfredo and hollandaise. Add them to soups such as Italian Wedding soup. Check out CookThink for more info about escarole and I found a gorgeous recipe for broccoli raab here.