In our Summer CSA share this week

Exciting to have delicious Sugar Snap Peas in the share today! There will me lots more next week as long as they make it through the upcoming heat wave. In general, peas like cooler weather so our traditionally gloomy June weather – aka Junuary – is perfect for them. Since that is definitely not the weather pattern we are experiencing this year, we can only weed, water and keep our fingers crossed that they continue producing through the triple digit weekend that is in the forecast.

The weather so far this summer makes me feel like we’re farming in California?! Extended high temps can damage cool season crops like the peas and some greens. It can also interfere with tomato pollination and cause blossoms to drop resulting in lower yields later in the season. So hopefully this heatwave won’t last too long. In the meantime, we’ll be watering all the crops a little extra this week, since transpiration rates can increase almost exponentially as the temperature increases. And we’ll be throwing some mud on the greenhouses to provide a bit of shade to crops in there.

Highlights from the CSA box this week…

• Sugar Snap Peas hardly need a recipe. They make a great snack on the way home, you can add them to salad, or our shareholders can try one of these recipes at Cook With What You Have with the free access included with membership in our CSA.
• Make sure and use the greens with your Spring Onions! They are delicious and can be used just like scallions.
• The Purple Kohlrabi is sweet & crunchy so cut into carrot size sticks it goes great with dip or hummus. Or try this German Style Kohlrabi with Dill recipe
• Here’s my favorite way to make the Amish Butter Popcorn. If you have a grinder, it also makes really good polenta.

Not a shareholder? Come on board for a prorated Summer CSA season at one of our two pickup locations (SE Portland or Lake Oswego) and take home fresh, local, sustainably-farmed produce like this every week!