A new season feels like a kind of rebirth. Or like a granted wish. A little like a second chance, a pardon or forgiveness. We start a new season with all of the experience and memories of the cumulative seasons past. We remember the good the bad and the ugly. With last season being one of the harder years in the history of our farm from the weather, we are exceptionally grateful for a new season! We’ve been through hard times and high times and here we are to roll the dice again.
Experience matters in farming. We know seed varieties and how they behave. We know which parts of which fields are notoriously rocky and hard on equipment. We know our equipment and feel comfortable operating it. We are increasingly more comfortable managing people and working with crews. We know where the water will flow in heavy rains and just where to run the irrigation lines when it doesn’t. We know the early signs of plants that are stressed from cold, heat, nutrients or disease. We farm with increased awareness of everything that could go wrong (and right!) when farming 11.5 acres of vegetables.
But even with all the experience in the world, we are still at the mercy of Mother Nature. Even the best farmers in the world are not immune from flooding, intense heat stress, frost, hail and high winds. The forces that we work in tandem with are both delicate and subtle while also immense and powerful. Perhaps it is this truth that makes farming so romantic and beautiful from afar. While under closer examination it can also look very dirty and rough.
But lucky for us all, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farms exist! The gloriousness of CSA is that no matter what kind of season it pans out to be, we are in this thing together. Farmer Adam and I feel so thankful and grateful that there are folks like you all out there who still find value in fresh, local and seasonal food! We feel thankful for the backbone of our CSA membership and the audience that supports and applauds us for our very best efforts. And I assure you we are giving it our ALL!
After all said above, the farming season is truly off to a fantastic start! I wish I could give you a flying tour of the fields right now. Everything is planted and fresh and young and new. It all looks controlled and impressive at this stage. We are still planting sweet corn, herbs, and continuous successions of lettuce this week. The temperatures are still mild and the rain has let up for a bit. The Spring Lettuce, pac choi and spinach will make your mouth water just looking at them! The children are running barefoot through the fields, the birds are singing their nesting songs and all is promising and “Cheerio”!
If this is your first time as a CSA member with our farm, Welcome and Thank You! We wish for you to fall hopelessly in love with cooking and the slightly slower pace of life that allows us to cook meals at home. We hope for you wonderment and joyful discovery of new foods and vegetables that you had no idea you appreciated. We wish for you a deeper connection to the seasons and the foods that nourish us through them. We feel thankful to share this journey through the 2019 growing season with you! And for everyone else who is returning like the migrating birds and butterflies, Welcome Home! You are my sunshine!
Herb Packs- A four pack of herbs for you to plant in your garden or in containers to enjoy fresh culinary herbs all summer long! This week’s herb packs include Thyme, Oregano, Basil and Sage. Transplant your herbs into larger containers or in your garden. Give them plenty of soil, sunshine, water and love and watch them grow!
Potatoes- These are potatoes that were overwintered in our cooler from last Fall. Some people received red potatoes, some gold, some russets and some purple vikings. It was a bit of a mix of what we had left from last year. 2 lb bags per box.
Pac Choi- One very nice and large head of pac choi per box. Pac Choi is wonderful in asian salads, stir frys or any way that sounds delicious to you! Check our recipe suggestions below!
Shallots- These are also overwintered gems that we cleaned and stored to share with you in our first CSA boxes of the season. Shallots are in the onion family and they can be used like an onion in your cooking, but they really shine when used in home made salad dressings, marrinades and sauces. They would be a great addition to your asian salad! They should be refrigerated if you don’t think you’ll get to using them up right away!
Asparagus– 1 pound bunches per member this week. My All-time favorite way to eat asparagus is grilling it! Toss it with a little olive oil, lemon juice, sald and lemon pepper and then grill it until it is at the desired firmness that you like to eat it at! My kids like it cooked to where it’s a bit crispy, but I like it more on the raw and firm side!
Lettuce- One very nice head of a red buttercup lettuce per member this week. Many of them were very large. I love how Spring Lettuce is so tender and succulent like no other time of year!
Spinach- About .40 lbs of spinach per member this week. The leaves are very young and tender and can be used in a salad or egg bake or lasagna. The possibilities are endless for Spring Spinach!
Arugula- One cute little bunch of Arugula per member. Arugula is tricky to grow in late Spring when the days get to be warm. The bugs want to eat it and it wants to bolt. We harvest it very young like this when it is still very tender. We love it on pizza or added to a salad. Arugula is on the bitter end of greens, so cutting it with some nuts or feta cheese or a nice oil and vinegar dressing helps ease the bitterness. Bitter greens are good for you, so get them in your body!
Recipes
Ricotta, Lemon and Arugula Quiche
