CSA 2016 - Week #3
We have some new greens this week in the shares... Next week we'll start harvesting kohlrabi and possibly fennel and cabbages! Click on an item below to see a photo and get cooking tips & recipes.
THE FOLLOWING SHARE CONTENTS IS FOR TUESDAY DELIVERY ONLY. IF YOU PICK UP YOUR SHARE LATER IN THE WEEK, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THE SHARE MAY CHANGE THROUGH THE WEEK. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR E-MAIL NEWSLETTER FOR THE CORRECT SHARE LIST.
Swiss Chard - This is a wonderful green that can be prepared in many ways. I like to savor its flavor early in the season by steaming until tender and serving with some butter or olive oil and salt & pepper. It's also delicious sauteed with butter, pine nuts and raisins. Kids love it that way! See the recipe below.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. When to use: CookedUses: Within 5 day
Toscano Kale - When we have kale in the shares for a few weeks in a row, I recommend doing something easy - like baking up kale chips, adding a handful to your smoothie, or adding it to your soup. The key to enjoying kale is to REMOVE & DISCARD THE STEM! Fine Cooking has an excellent photo tutorial and video to teach you how to easily do this.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Baked (Chips) Cooked (Best in Soups) or JuicedWhen to use: Within 5 days
Red Romaine Lettuce - I can't get over the beauty of these Romaines! If you came for a tour of the farm these past few Saturdays, you saw them growing in the field!
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Best Raw When to use: Within 5 days.
Baby Bok Choi - We harvested these in their true "baby" form. Bok choi has not done well for us this spring. Our first planting was largely lost to an unknown cause after excellent germination. This second seeding had terrible weed competition under the row covers (which protect them from flea beetles). So we're cutting our losses and harvesting them now before they become lost under the sea of weeds. More bok choi to come in the fall.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw or CookedWhen to use: Within 5 days.
"BONUS BUNCH" Cilantro - We planted a lot of cilantro this year. Over planting is always a good idea in case a crop has issues. But in this case, we've had a bumper crop! So a little bunch for every share this week helps us use up what's left in the field! Waste not, want not.
Storage: In an airtight (plastic) bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Best RawWhen to use: Right away! Within 2-3 days
A NOTE ON STRAWBERRIES - We are just starting to harvest our beautiful, organic strawberries! They are extremely labor intensive to pick, so we don't have enough time to harvest them for every single member in a given week. Instead, we will rotate through the groups so that everyone will receive them over the course of a few weeks. Please don't worry - we keep careful track of who gets what so that everyone receives their fair, equal share at the end of the season. If you don't receive strawberries this week, you will most likely receive them next week.
U-PICK STRAWBERRIES - With a very small berry patch and a limited number of berries to pick, we could not open up U-Pick to the entire membership. We thought that a first-come, first-served reservation system would be the most fair way to manage everyone, but I understand from the disappointed e-mails and phone calls that perhaps this was not the best approach. Please understand that we're trying our best here to make sure that everyone is treated fairly. You will be happy to know that all members will receive berries in the veg shares at some point this month! Thank you for your understanding.
STORAGE NOTE
In general, greens should be stored in an airtight plastic bag or container. They "go bad" when they dehydrate, so never put them straight in your fridge. If you find that they have gone "limp", a tell-tale sigh of dehydration, you can try soaking them in a bowl of cold water for a period of time. Often they will perk right back up again!
Recipes
Grannie's French Swiss Chard - A kid favorite and a family favorite!
10 Ways with Bok Choi - from the kitchn blog
Sweet Potato Lettuce Wraps - from our friend Emilie, CSA member and blogger over at The Clever Carrot