CSA 2014 - PRE-Week #1
THIS WEEK IN THE SHARES
Mustard Greens Braising Mix - 3/4 lb.
This is a lovely mix of mustard greens delicious in a salad, or like we suggest by the name, braised gently.
Baby Lettuce Mix - 3/4 lb.
Radishes OR Turnips - 1 bunch
Radishes require no explanation. If you're new to these Japanese white salad turnips, you should know that they are best eaten raw (no peeling needed). The tops are also edible gently steamed or sauteed.
Oregano - 1 bunch
Spinach - 1/2 lb.
Arugula - 1/4 lb.
A Special Note on the bagged greens: We’re using a greens harvester for the first time this year which makes the harvesting faster and allows us to give out a lot more to each member! The downside is that it also harvests some weeds along with the crop. So, we’re asking members to help us by removing the weeds from their bags at home. We’re sending extra poundage in the shares to make up for the weight of the weeds in each bag. We think this is a fair trade off and we’re going to try to reduce the number of weeds as we get more experience working with this harvester over the course of the season. Thanks!
FARM WEATHER REPORT
Farmers love to talk about weather. And why not? It is the single most important thing in their lives. (Ahem, after their family, of course!) It is the main factor in determining the success of a crop, the timing of a planting and the outcome of a harvest. In other words, not only is it important to your farmers, it is going to be very important to you this year too! The weather will determine what gets harvested and packed into your CSA box, and what you will ultimately be serving up on your table this season. So, how is the weather on the farm? Well, this spring has been unusually cold, as I'm sure you know all too well. Fortunately, this didn't keep us from our usual seeding schedule in the greenhouses where we start many of our crops. It did delay our strawberry crop, which is now about 2 weeks behind schedule. I saw a few berries blushing in the fields yesterday, so I expect we'll have them ready to harvest in about a week and a half. We'll keep you posted!
STORAGE
All of the bagged greens can be stored in the fridge for several days. Do not wash until you are ready to use them. The turnips or radishes should have their tops (greens) removed before storing in an air-tight bag. They'll last longer that way!