FARM SHARE # 7 - July 23, 2020

FARM SHARE 7 - Napa cabbage, fresh onions, radishes, chard, herb choice (basil in this share), beans (green, purple, yellow or streaked), squash, cucumbers, green garlic, purslane

My next project is to search for purslane recipes.  So far I've seen: pickles, steamed purslane, pea and purslane soup, flat bread, and more from Indian, Mexican and Turkey.  Here are a couple of links (link 2) to get you started.  What do you like to make with purslane?

By the way, be sure to wash your purslane asap.  We rinsed it but it needs a more thorough cleaning!

FARM SHARE # 6 - July 16, 2020

Napa cabbage, herbs (choice of mint, parsley, basil, dill or cilantro), fresh onions, choice of squash or cucumber, red currants, beets (yellow and red), radishes, greens (choice of kale, chard, or callaloo), mesclun

More squash and cucumbers and napa on the horizon.  

Beans are forming on the vines.

FARM SHARE # 5 - July 9, 2020

Salad turnips, beets with their tops, scallions, basil, mesclun, head lettuce, greens (chard in this share), herbs (apple mint in this share), cucumber (some folks got squash), choosing item.  Nothing pictured in this share but members could request callaloo, sorrel, or purslane, if they wished.

It rained last night and some of the greens got very wet!  Wash and dry your mesclun as soon as possible.  Today would be best.  That way it will store for you.  Or you could eat a big salad tonight!  We are pleased there was mesclun because the lettuce really struggled in the recent hot, dry weather.  It's recovered pretty well and more is coming along in the garden.

Don't forget to eat your turnip and beet greens.  They are delicious and so good for you.  Here's a yummy recipe from our RECIPE BLOG for salad using beets and their greens.  Another old favorite is for whole beet borscht from the Laurel's Kitchen cookbook. 

If you have any questions or suggestions about the shares send us an email or leave a comment on this post.  We look forward to hearing about what you made with your vegetables and seeing pictures of your food!  Send an email or post at our facebook page or tag us on Instagram.

Although it is HOT again today and will be this week, we are so grateful the recent rains and cloudy days.  It makes is so much easier to plant and harvest and it's easier for young seedlings to thrive.  Thank you, Mother Earth.

Farm Share # 4 - July 2, 2020

Carrots, greens (mustard in this share), pea shoots,
garlic scapes, herbs (dill in this share), lamb's quarters, head lettuce

We decided to include some wild greens in today's shares.  Lamb's Quarters are a delicious, nutritious, and a favorite green around our farm.  Robin eats some in his breakfast almost every day.  It really tastes good!  The ones you got today are a bit bigger than ideal, so you might want to just cook the leaves, not the stems, if they seem too tough for you.  They are great with scrambled eggs or in a quiche, or as a simple cooked green.  If you like them, let us know.  We can add them to the shares more often and also show you what they look like growing in the garden.  They are a prolific weed/generous gift of nature around here and you probably have some in your yard.  We also put the tender new tips in the mesclun sometimes.

We had planned to include snap peas this week but the deer feasted on them!  We have more coming in a spot that is protected by an electric fence so keep your fingers crossed that the deer don't find those.  There are many animals around here that like to eat vegetables as much as we do. 

The recent heat pushed a lot of our mesclun lettuce over the edges, bolting and bitter.  The head lettuces are fine and there is more mesclun growing but there may be a break before it's plentiful.

Garlic scapes are an ephemeral crop so enjoy them while you can.  I am determined to make pickled scapes this year.  They are also good grilled or roasted with garlic and olive oil.  Other ideas are scape pesto or scape mayonnaise.  Have fun.

The heat and recent rain are helping a lot of summer crops grow very happily.  Napa, radishes, beans, squash, cucumbers, New Zealand spinach, and more beets are on their way!  And flowers!

Enjoy your share!