In Your Share…

HomiZWelcome to the first share of the Summer 2015 season! I’m excited about one of the beautiful new greens we’re growing called Dragon Tongue (in the photo). It is strikingly beautiful and tasty too.  All the greens this spring are going like gangbusters which makes it the perfect time of year to to try a combo that is comfort food in almost every culture – beans & greens. The varieties in your share would work well in classic southern recipes with the mustard greens, Italian ribollita with spring raab, or adapted to work in a French cassoulet. As a starter or at the center of the meal, these old standbys never fail to please!

We still have a few shares left in our Summer CSA so if you have friends or neighbors interested send them our way!!

Lots of tips for all the veggies you’ll get in your basket this summer at our exclusive CSA recipe site Cook With What You Have. Check your email for the password to the site and enjoy your 24/7 access to recipe inspiration!

This week your share may include…

  • Dry Beans: Choose from a wide variety of different types… Taylor’s Dwarf aka Speckled Bay’s are an 18th century heirloom, Good Mother Stallard is plump, creamy pole bean, Jachob’s Cattle is beautiful red & white speckled bean that legend has it that it was a gift to early settlers from Maine’s Passamaquoddy Indians.
  • Green Garlic: Our sunny spring means that these, as well as many other veggies, are ahead of schedule. The short stocky stalks are starting to bulb already – love that fresh garlic taste! Chop up the white end and use it fresh or sautéed. The tops make great soup stock.
  • Kale: Beautiful baby bunches of Red Ursa.
  • Mizuna or Spring Raab: You’ll have at least one of these in your share this week – was a race to the finish to see which one would be ready first. The mizuna makes a nice addition to salad, spring rolls or stir fry. The spring raab is a traditional Italian cooking green.
  • Dragon Tongue Mustard Greens: This comes to us via our friend and seed breeder extraordinaire Frank Morton at Wild Garden Seeds. We’re excited to hear what you think of this strikingly beautiful not-too-hot purple mustard green
  • Onions: Some folks are inclined to take this modest culinary workhorse for granted. Not me! Very few other vegetables are such a staple in the kitchen and have such staying power. The Copra onions in your share today were seeded 16 months ago, we harvested some as spring onions, others grew large & beautiful last summer and have been in storage without complaint for months.  Many conventional crops are sprayed multiple times in the field, and again to keep them from sprouting in storage. These have been treated organically every step of the way. When you slice and sauté them, just take a moment to appreciate this unassuming & awesome onion.
  • Peppers: These are HOT! They are dried cayenne peppers – put a whole pepper in a pot of stew or chop them up and make homemade red pepper flakes.
  • Popcorn: We got this Amish Butter corn seed from our friends at Ayers Creek Farm. It makes fabulous popcorn or if you have a grinder you can make amazing cornmeal or polenta.
  • Hakuri Turnip: This is the “gateway” turnip. Crisp & crunchy like radish, but without the heat. These have an almost buttery sweet flavor, and the greens are good too!

Coming soon… sugar snap peas!