Time seems to be moving quickly this summer and suddenly Independence Day is here! We will be closed Saturday, July 4th and the Farm Store will open instead on Friday July 3rd from 10am-2pm. In addition to the calendar, the progression of the season is evident all around the farm. The current harvest is a great indicator of course (it must be summer, zucchini is here!). There other markers of time in the fields and none stands out more to us than the moment that the first spring beds are fully harvested and ready to be mowed in. After we've harvested a bed of crops we mow down the weeds and other plant matter that remains to make disking debris back in the soil easier in preparation for future planting. We have already filled early season greens beds with late summer lettuce plantings and said goodbye to the strawberries and some of the peas in the pick-your-own fields, making way for fall sunflower and snap bean plantings. It doesn't make us sad to mow down beds because we are happy about the food we've all enjoyed from the area and we look forward to what will grow next! I must admit, we also take great pleasure in watching weeds disappear under the mower blades.
This week in the CSA:
- Garlic scapes- These are the stem and flower of the garlic plant. Removing them helps our garlic bulbs grow larger, not to mention they are delicious! Scapes taste just like garlic only with a more mild flavor that can be cooked or eaten raw.
- Swiss Chard- This tasty cooking green has rainbow colored stems! Chard is similar to beet greens in flavor and I often use it as a substitute for cooked spinach in recipes.
- Summer Squash- We grow two types, one is a pale yellow called slick pik and the other is a yellow and green squash called Zephyr.
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Beets
- Kale
- Fennel
- Arugula
- Red Russian Kale
- Lettuce
CSA PYO
- Basil- It's time for pesto! We will also have Thai basil available which is my favorite flavoring to add to rice noodle dishes.
- Snow and Sugar Snap peas- This week will be the last of the peas, look for the smaller darker green peas as the larger pale pods can be starchy.
- Herbs including cilantro, parsley and dill
- Yarrow
In the Farm Store this week
We will have the CSA items in the farm store as well this week. In addition we will have some radishes, scallions, happy rich broccoli, and kohlrabi available.
I first cooked with swiss chard while working at the Community Farm of Ann Arbor and have been enjoying it ever since! Here is the recipe Farmer Annie Elder taught me, it is printed in the Community Farm of Ann Arbor Cookbook.
Annie's French Greens and Rice
Saute:
- 1 Large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, diced (I use garlic scapes when I have them! I substitute one scape per clove but feel free to adjust to your preferences, scapes have a more mild flavor than cloves)
When the onions begin to cook clear, add
- 6 large green leaves (kale or chard), diced. (Our leaves are medium sized so I add more)
Continue sauteing until greens are very tender, it just takes a few minutes.
Stir in 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. pepper. Scoop over a bed of rice, hot.
Annie adds a few dallops of sour cream, I like to top mine with a fried egg for a quick but tasty dinner after work!