No matter how plentiful the harvest, we always breath a sigh of relief after the first week of the CSA is over. It feels like much of the spring is building up to that first week. Though many of our crew have been here since April and have become adept at seeding, planting, weeding and cultivating, it's hard to prepare for the shift that takes place when we begin harvesting for 200+ families! Tuesday we spent all day harvesting, cleaning and stocking despite the ever growing list of crops to transplant and weed. By Wednesday, though, we were able to begin spending our afternoons catching up on all the other field and greenhouse work that needs to get accomplished. We weeded carrots, strawberries, greens, lettuce, onions and leeks; planted flowers, tomatoes, edamame, and sweet potatoes; seeded lettuce, popcorn, gourds, and a second succession of cucumbers, put the asparagus to bed until next year; and much more! We're looking forward to planting out our winter squash this week, as well as continuing to weed and cultivate.
This week in the CSA:
- Green garlic - We planted some of our smaller leftover garlic heads last fall for an early summer garlicky treat! It has a milder flavor than the cured garlic we'll be enjoying later in the season. Dice up the white part to add to stir fries, or to make garlic bread.
- Kohlrabi - This unique vegetable has a crunchy texture like radishes, but a milder flavor. You can shred it raw on top of salads, pickle it, roast it or bake it (see below for a kohlrabi casserole recipe).
- Curly kale - The first week or two of harvesting kale the leaves are particularly tender, making it a great time of year to add them to smoothies or make raw "massaged" kale salads.
- Mini daikon radish - this is a new variety for us. It's a more manageable size than the giant daikon we grow in the fall. Great for pickling!
- Salanova lettuce mix
- Lettuce
- Spinach
- Salad Turnips
- Radishes
- Red Russian Kale
- Arugula
- Bok choi
- Fennel
CSA pick-your-own:
We hope you enjoy the pick-your-own! We welcome children into the fields but please always have an adult with younger visitors to help. Please walk in the pathways (along the grass and down tire tracks or straw mulched pathways depending on the crop) as other areas may look like just dirt but are likely newly seeded rows!
- Strawberries! They are plentiful this week - all rows are now producing. Check the tip of the berry to be sure the tip isn't still white before you remove it from the plant. To harvest, pinch the stem just above the fruit to avoid pulling on the plant. Walk in the straw pathways and don't forget to check further down the row in case the first area has been picked more recently!
- Sugar Snap Peas - To pick, gently hold the plant in place while you snap the stem just above the pea pod. Remove the top before eating. We are picking from the rows furthest from the farm stand this week (the next plantings should be ready in the coming weeks).
- Herbs - We have chives (the petals on the purple flowers are also edible), sage, oregano, thyme and mints available to pick in small amounts in the garden beds next to the farm stand.
CSA pick-up hours
Tuesday and Thursday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm
This week in the Farm Store:
We will have all of the veggies listed in the CSA available in the farm store, as well as toscano kale and mustard greens. We will be picking strawberries for the farm store all week and sugar snap peas starting on Wednesday. In addition, we will have Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds eggs, and mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm. We will also continue to sell basil plants and Sweet William flowers.
Farm Store Hours
Tuesday - Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm
Kohlrabi Parmesan Bake
from Food52.com
- 1bunch kohlrabi (about 3 large stems with leaves)
- 2tablespoons butter
- 2tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2cups heavy cream
- 1/3cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/2cup Panco bread crumbs
- 1small onion, chopped
- Salt and frechly ground black pepper
- Remove stalks and leaves from kohlrabi, reserving 1-2 leaves. Peel the kohlrabi and slice horizontally into ¼-inch slices. Chop the leaves, thick stems removed.
- In a small bowl, mix together parmesan and bread crumbs. Grease the bottom and the sides of a small casserole dish with olive oil.
- Place half of sliced kohlrabi in the casserole dish as the first layer. Sprinkle with half the onions and leaves. Season it with salt and pepper. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Pour heavy cream over the top, allowing it to seep down into the cracks.
- Sprinkle with breadcrumbs mixture over the top. Melt butter and sprinkle over the breadcrumbs. Bake on 375 degree Fahrenheit pre-heated oven for 45 minutes to an hour, as oven temperatures vary.
Kale Salad with Oranges, Currants & Feta
from Boston Globe Magazine, January 13, 2013
- 2 large oranges
- 2 bunches kale, stems removed and leaves washed, spun dry, and torn into bite-size pieces
- 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 1½ tablespoons milk, or more if necessary
- Salt and black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ cup currants
Finely grate 2 teaspoons zest from 1 of the oranges and set aside. Cut the peel and pith off the oranges and, working over a strainer set in a bowl, cut the segments free of the membranes and reserve; discard the membranes. Place the kale in a large salad bowl and set aside.
In a blender or food processor, process the orange zest, vinegar, garlic, red pepper flakes, ⅓cup feta, milk, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper to a smooth puree. With the motor running, very slowly add the oil and process briefly until dressing is thick and emulsified; you should have about 2/3 cup. (If the dressing seems too thick to coat the kale leaves, add more milk about 1½ teaspoons at a time to adjust consistency.) Add the dressing to the kale and, with your hands, mix the salad thoroughly until all the kale is coated. Rest the salad to allow the kale to soften slightly, about 30 minutes.