CSA basket: Week of 6/27

We see a few cherry tomatoes ripening and green beans growing. Summer's here...

Expect the following in this week's basket:
Lettuce, arugula, collards, kale, kohlrabi, peas, fennel, scallions, turnips, basil, parsley, cilantro

CSA basket: Week of 6/20

Happy summer solstice.

The garden is loving these long, warm days. But it is also wishing for some rain. Wish with us! 

Also: Yoga on the farm begins this Friday! Relax and renew on the farm when you pick up your CSA basket with yoga instructor, Krystal Ford. Classes are from 5-6pm on Tuesdays and Fridays. Childcare available.

Pea break

Expect the following in this week's basket:

Sugar snap peas, shelling peas, lettuce, arugula, tatsoi cabbage or collards, chard, fennel, Thai basil, parsley, cilantro, radish or salad turnip

Fresh note: Eat your shelling peas as soon as you can! If you don't plan on eating them within 2 days, shell them and freeze them for optimal sweetness. Store your sugar snap peas in a closed plastic bag. Store your greens in a breathable plastic bag. And don't throw away those fennel fronds... make fennel frond pesto (recipe here).

CSA basket: Week of 6/13

We've got a good one; expect the following in this week's basket:
Lettuce, bok choy, tatsoi cabbage or collards, kale or chard, arugula, garlic scapes, radish, salad or baking turnips, cilantro, parsley

Enjoy those scapes... it's the only time in the season we'll get them. They are the flower stem of the garlic plant that we have to break off so the garlic bulb starts to grow underground. The scape is crunchy with a mild garlic flavor and can be eaten raw or cooked.

Coming next week... peas!

CSA basket: Week of 6/6

The greens are looking good this week. We like to make them in a veggie pasta, add them to omelets, saute them for a savory pie or empanada filling, or chop them up raw for a salad or taco toppings.

Spring taco w/ lots of greens

On another note... We are happy to collect your food scraps, yard waste, coffee grounds, egg shells, etc. so that we can make compost! For the past five years we have hosted a "compost collective" here on the farm. We supply you with a clean bucket; you take it home with you, filling it all week with anything organic (meaning, anything that will decompose; i.e., it doesn't have to be organic-with-a-big-"O"). When you pick-up your CSA basket, you can exchange your full (or half-full, or barely-full... best thing is to bring it weekly) bucket for a clean one. Learn a bit more here.

Expect the following in this week's basket:
Lettuce mix, lettuce, chard, collards, spinach, arugula or kale, radishes, scallions/green onions, chives, tatsoi cabbage (maybe)

Healthy collards

Healthy chard

2016 season begins! 1st pick-up on 5/31

The 2016 season begins with our first basket pick-ups on 5/31 and 6/3.

Well, to be honest... the season began for us back in February, when we started all of our onion, leek, shallot and parsley seeds inside of our house, in a sunny window. The mild winter allowed us to be working outdoors a few weeks earlier than we usually do, so we were able to do a lot of orchard work and beautification projects on the farm. Mid-March started the vegetable planting, with peas in the ground and kale, chard, spinach, lettuce transplanted.

Now, with our house cleared of soil, grow lights and seedlings; and with all of our 130 beds planted; and our greenhouse now just full of extra tomato, eggplant, pepper and cucumber starts, we are ready to begin our CSA distribution!

Remember, spring starts lean and green. But we'll soon boom into heavier and heartier baskets.

Storing greens so they maintain their freshness can sometimes be tricky... please take a look at this link with tips on storing vegetables.

You can expect the following in this week's share:
Lettuce, kale or chard, braising mix or arugula, chives, green onions/scallions, radishes.

A note: Those purple chive flowers are edible! Sprinkle them in your salads or soups.