2016 CSA – Week #6
Notes from the Farm
More heat and more thunderstorms are on the menu for this week. Heat loving crops like eggplants and peppers will happily continue to develop with the high temperatures as long as we keep them well irrigated and tomatoes will start to show their colors. Cooler season crops like the kale that we’ve been enjoying over the last month gets stressed in the heat, so we’ll likely take a break from harvesting it after this week. Our lettuce needs to be watched very closely in the summer months and will often be harvested before reaching full size to ensure that the heads don’t go to flower and get too bitter to be enjoyed. We strive to provide salad greens throughout the summer regardless of the high temps, and at the moment we look to be in great shape to make that happen once again.
The zucchini and yellow squash continue to come in nicely but our first cucumber plantings have not been as productive as we would like. Hopefully more will be coming in the weeks ahead, but if you have been eagerly awaiting a pickling opportunity, know that the beets, carrots, kohlrabi, fennel, zucchini, and salad turnips we have had all offer the potential for delicious pickles.
Tomato update: A small amount of both the tomatoes and cherry tomatoes have begun to ripen, but there is not yet enough of either to pick this week. Thus, next week we should have our first tomatoes and U-Pick cherry tomatoes.
Best,
Farmer Steve and our Farmers: Alyssa, Diane, Tyler, Ed, Genna, Dan, Jocelyn, Jon and Ella
In This Week’s Distribution
U-Pick: Cherry Tomatoes ready next week
Fruit Option: Blueberries
Recipes and Cooking Tips
Natural-Fermented Kohlrabi and Beet Pickles
For the brine:
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Greek or regular oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 2 teaspoons turmeric (omit if using beets)
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons salt
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound peeled root vegetables such as kohlrabi, beets, turnip, cut into matchsticks or small wedges
Fennel, Escarole and Radish Salad
- 1 head escarole, cut crosswise into 2-inch-wide ribbons
- 1 bunch small or medium radishes, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced crosswise, fronds reserved
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Toss together escarole, radishes, and fennel bulb in a large bowl. Drizzle oil and vinegar on top, and season with salt and pepper. Gently toss. Garnish with fennel fronds.
*Sub in salad turnips for the radishes and add lettuce to increase the amount of salad and help cut the bitterness of the escarole.*
Use as a side dish, toss with hot pasta or serve with fish or pork.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 2 small heads escarole (about 1 pound total), trimmed, leaves torn and washed well
- Coarse salt
- 3 fennel bulbs
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
- 4 sprigs thyme