CSA Week #2

THIS WEEK IN THE BOX

1 head Red Romaine Lettuce
1 bag Lettuce Mix* - 1/2 lb.
1 bag Baby Spinach* - 1/2 lb.
1 bunch Toscano Kale
1 bunch Garlic Scapes
1 bag Sugar Snap Peas
1 pint Strawberries or Escarole (It was too rainy to pick strawberries for our Wednesday groups, but if the weather cooperates, there will be more next week.)

*NOTICE: These greens are not washed and were harvested in wet conditions, so they must be washed and dried immediately when you get them home.  Greens left wet in the plastic bags will rot.  

PRODUCE NOTES

The Size of the Share - You may notice that the volume of this week's box is less than last week, but it's actually worth more!  High value items that require labor intensive harvests make up the majority of the share this week - like lettuce mix, baby spinach, strawberries and sugar snap peas.  For those of you who are new to CSA, we want you to know that as crops begin to come in (like sugar snap peas) we send out everything we have in the fields (even if it's just a little) and then you'll usually receive a full amount the following week as the plants start to produce more.   

GARLIC SCAPES - The scape is the top of the garlic plant-- a delicacy you only get to savor for a few weeks each June, so enjoy! Remove the top head (the bulbous lighter part). The rest is edible. It has a distinct garlic flavor, but it is certainly milder than the cloves. You can cook with it as you would garlic, add it finely chopped into salads, or try one of our several selected Garlic Scape Recipes.

SUGAR SNAP PEAS - These are an early-June favorite! They're just starting to come in, so we're sending out all that we have, and there will be plenty more coming your way in the next few weeks.  To remove the stem on the pea, snap off the top and remove the attached string that pulls off down the side of the pea. I like to eat them lightly blanched (which brings out their sweetness and bright green color!) and salted. To blanch them, boil a small pot of water, drop in the peas for just 1-2 minutes, and then remove immediately. They should be bright green and still a little crunchy. My mom makes a delicious appetizer with room temp blanched snap peas, chopped red onion, chopped mint, chopped garlic, olive oil and sea salt & pepper. Toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve! 

TOSCANO KALE - Everybody loves kale!  If you don't think you do, then you've most certainly been cooking it wrong! First off, you must be sure to remove the tough stem.  To do so, run your knife down either side of the center stem, pull to remove, and discard.  Then, coarsely chop the leaves into ribbons or pieces.  Secondly, be sure to cook your kale until tender, but not overcooked.  This can take a little bit of getting used to, because kale takes a lot longer to cook than most greens. When it's tender and turns a bright green, it's usually done. If you are feeling not-so-sure about kale, then this rainy week is the perfect week to make my favorite White Bean & Kale Soup.  It will warm your body, fill your home with a beautiful aroma, and make you a kale lover at first bite!  (Trust me.)  

We welcome you to explore our website to learn more about our farm and the wonderful things you can do with your weekly share. You may find our PRODUCE STORAGE TIPS page useful in figuring out how to maximize the life of your veggies, and our RECIPE section to search for ways to cook up your box! And maybe you need help identifying a particular mystery vegetable? Try our CROP GUIDE.  

THIS WEEK'S RECIPE SUGGESTIONS

Tuscan White Bean & Kale Soup
Roasted Garlic Scapes

More recipes for all the week's produce can be found here on our RECIPES page.  

UPCOMING EVENTS

Join us for U-Pick Organic Strawberries at the farm!  Our farmstand and U-Pick fields will be open this coming weekend, so find out more here.