- New item of the week - a little sorrel. This is a tangy, kind of citrusy-green - think lemons in a leaf. The leaves are smallish and tender right now. Typically this is served in the spring but we planted it a little later so are able to offer this now. Chop up and add to a fresh salad or saute and pair with fish. There's also a nice recipe in Deborah Madison's book "Local Flavors" which calls for 4 cups of chopped sorrel, risoto, chicken stock, etc. - not sure if you'll have that much but it brings ideas forward on how to use this green.
- Some lettuce - not a lot but maybe enough for a small side salad.
- A head of cabbage
- About a quart of potatoes - again, these are "new" potatoes this week which means that they're fresh out of the ground. The skins are not cured as storage potatoes are so they're very tender. You can just wash and cook. If you want to store the potatoes for weeks, lay them out in a dark, dry spot. In general, store potatoes in a dark, dry, cool spot. If exposed to light, they'll develop green skin which contains toxins. So, if you ever have a green potato, peel off the green patches.
- A nice bunch of kale - this is Winterbor kale and is a frilly-type of kale. Pretty tasty right now. As the nights grow colder, all of the greens will increase in sweetness.
- A bunch of scallions - they've sized up nicely!
- A bunch of carrots
- Some zucchini - at least a pound, probably two.
- Some basil - probably enough to make pesto with
- Some tomatoes. These are still coming from the hoop house. The smaller varieties ripen first - the big beefsteak varieties are starting. I picked a Mortgage Lifter Sunday that weighed 2 1/8 lbs. and was as big as Hannah's face! Anyway - the tomatoes in the field are starting to show signs of ripening so pretty soon everyone will have about a quart of tomatoes per week. If you're interested in the varieties, there is a board on the table which compiled pictures and descriptions of the various tomatoes we're growing. There are roughly 33 varieties - all but one are heirloom varieties, some are Ark of Taste.
- A bunch of parsley
- Either cucumbers, beans, eggplant or peppers. There might be enough cukes so that everyone receives one but if not, you'll have a choice of the above. The beans are just starting, along with the eggplant in the hoop and peppers in the hoop. The eggplant and peppers in the field are still about 3 - 4 weeks from harvest.
- A bunch of mustard
- Herbs - thyme, mint, coriander, probably oregano, maybe tarragon, maybe sage.
- Flowers - this will be the first week for u-pick flowers! You may pick up to 10 stems. Soon the number will increase as the flowers mature. In general, please take a small to medium size bouquet - so if you're taking really large flowers, maybe take fewer than if you're taking tiny little flowers (for example, a sunflower bouquet might be one or two stems if there are multiple blooms on it or it might be 5 or 6 stems). Please take care to cut the stems instead of trying to break the flowers off - the plant roots are sensitive and disturbing them can finish off the plant. There are shears on the front table which you can use - please be careful not to cut yourself! If you would like help, please ask. In general, I pick the flowers when they are at lease 1/2 open and go back to the next flower bud's stem. Larkspur is picked when it is 2/3 open (up the stem). Watch out for the Cleome - it has little spikes on the stem! Cleome is the large purplish globe-like flower to the south of the patch. Enjoy - there are many butterflies and other beautiful creatures out there!
July 27 & 30
We're beginning today's harvest - here's the plan:
Week 6 - Summer
A picture of the board should be available tomorrow. Here's the basic contents for this week's box:
- 1 pound of fava beans. Hope you're enjoying them - they contain high amounts of protein for a fresh bean and are quite tasty. They're still pretty small so the inner shells can be eaten or removed - your choice. We're shelling the beans, remove the beans and then par boiling them for 2 minutes, max. They you can squeeze the inner bean out of the shell and eat. If you'd like to shell a lot of them and then toss in a skillet with some salt, pepper and olive oil, it is a tasty treat. I've also read that people use them in place of avacado for a bean guacamole. They're very common in Egypt so think about those spices if you want to use them creatively (corriander, cumin, cinnamon, etc).
- A box of peas - the report is that these are almost done producing. Peas and favas don't like the heat.
- A few tomatoes or maybe a summer squash - I don't know how many Sheryl and Nick were able to find but they're starting. I have a feeling you either got 1 tomato or 1 squash. Enjoy the first bites of these beauties! The tomatoes are from the hoop and the squash was transplanted out early. Don't worry, there will be tons in a few weeks.
- A nice bunch of carrots
- A nice bunch of onions
- A bag of lettuce
- A bunch of either kale or collards
- A bunch of beet greens (Bull's Blood - are they pretty!) or a bunch of swiss chard
- A bunch of radishes or a bunch of sprouting broccoli or one kohl rabi. We peel the kohl rabi, slice it and sprinkle with a little salt - sometimes a little lime juice but I find it nice with just a little salt. It will be sweeter in the fall but is still tasty now.
- A sprig of basil
- 2 sprigs of rosemary
- A little thyme, mint and oregano.
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