Spring - Week 1

Hello Everyone -

Well, the snow returned but it's still green in the hoops - welcome to our first week of spring veggies!

Reminder - today is the first day for the spring session and we will distribute weekly from now on.  Veggies will be in the garage until the weather breaks and we can move outside.  So, please park either on the cement drive or in the area in the horseshoe drive in front of the garage and enter through the laundry room door then enter the garage through the door on the left.  If it warms up, I'll open the main garage door but otherwise please feel free to come in.  If Terra, the dog, is in there, please don't let her outside.  Also, for those that are new - we have a horseshoe drive - please enter from the west and exit to the east and drive slowly in the driveway because we have animals and children that are frequently playing in front.

Today's veggie plan:

1. Parsnips
2. Carrots
3. Onions
4. Garlic
5. Napa cabbage - this will be the last of it until fall - the heads are wide this time of year (not like typically sold in the store).  Cabbage heads up when the days begin to shorten so, as the days are now getting longer, the growth pattern is changing.  Chop it all up, wash it and either eat fresh or saute - very tasty.
6. Baby choi - this is Mei Qing choi which is also tasty.  It's called "baby" but is actually just a mini variety and this is as big as it gets.  Some plants are beginning to bolt (flower).  The flowers are edible and beautiful.
7. Salad mix - probably a mix of bolting pac choi, mizuna and baby collards
8. Either arugula or spinach or maybe a little of both
9. Some rosemary and thyme
10. Spicy peppers

We hope you enjoy it!  Hope to see you between 3:30 - 6:30.  If you're here between 3:30 - 4:30 and I'm not around, I might be in the hoops seeding.  You can walk over and check it out if you'd like.

Heart of winter - distribution 2 - January 23

Hello!  We're officially into winter, I think.  With sub zero temps some of the plants in the hoops, especially the choi, are showing some wear.  We've tried to sort through it but if we missed some spots, please cut off any brown tips.

Bug alert:  There might be aphids or other bugs in the napa cabbage or the choi.  If you soak the veggies in some salt water the bugs should float to the top.  I generally just briskly swish the veggies around in water and the aphids, if there are any, let go.

Today's veggies include:

1. A quart of potatoes.  These are the last of the crop from 2012.
2. A bunch of carrots - they don't get better than this.
3. A quart of onions.  This is a bit more than we generally distribute but I thought you might like them.
4. A bunch of choi - this is optional because it really did take a beating with the freeze.  It is really very tasty even though it might look bad.  I would cook this up tonight or tomorrow night if you take it.
5. A head of napa cabbage.  Some are more like large open plants but they're still good.  I have a recipe for asian cabbage on the recipe blog that you might like to try.
6. 2 large daikon radishes.  Cut these up and eat raw or shred and make a salad or use like a root veg and add to a stew.
7. Spinach or salad mix or both if there's enough
8. Garlic
9. Rosemary
10. Thyme - if it's not dead.  Last week it looked good but the cold snap might have changed things
11. Spicy peppers - either cayenne or aji or, upon request only, ghost.  These are dried.

Heart of winter - week 1, January 9

We distributed a nice amount for our first week. The storage crops are still holding which is a good thing. Here's what was in the box:

1. Brussels sprouts or napa  cabbage
2. Leeks
3. Carrots
4. Parsnips
5. Winter squash
6. Lettuce - not great to look at but still tasty
7. Spinach
8. Large bunch of Choi
9.  Garlic
10. Rosemary
11. Spicy peppers

Fall - week 4

Fall - week 3

Fall - week 2

Fall - week 1