In Your Share (May 23rd edition)

We were quite happy for the sunshine and got lots more stuff planted. We even turned the irrigation on, but then the rains returned. This week we’ll hopefully be planting tomatoes and winter squash!

• Cauliflower: This is my favorite time of year for cauliflower! These varieties wrap their leaves tightly around the head to protect it then they burst forth in all their perfection. Cameron & Maystar are the varieties we are picking this week. Try Kelly’s Cauliflower Carpaccio and Lane’s Cauliflower Risotto.
• Chard: I have very fond memories of picking swiss chard from my parents garden and making Swiss Card Bisque with my mother and grandmother. Here is the old fashioned original recipe. This chard was planted last season, survived the winter and grew back nicely this spring.
• Green Garlic: We planted these small garlic cloves last fall especially for spring harvest. The lighter green bottom of the stalk is the most tender part. The upper stem hs good flavor but is not as tender so use it for soup stock. The whole plant has a nice mild garlic flavor. Good on the grill or as a pizza topping. I think these (and the leeks for that matter) could easily be adapted to the Barcelona tradition of calçotada.
• Leeks: These were planted last fall and have grown well over the winter. They are not huge, but they have nicely blanched stems that can be used to replace onions in almost any dish. The darker green tops are not as tender, but they make a fabulous soup stock. Here is a recipe specifically for making leeks into calçotada, including the yummy romesco dipping sauce.
• Parsley: This variety is aptly named Survivor and was created by one of my favorite local seed breeders Frank Morton at Wild Garden Seeds. Frank has spent years developing varieties that are specifically adapted for our region and for organic systems. Read more about why that matters here.
• Pea Shoots: We’re still waiting for the pea pods to mature, but in the meantime we can enjoy the tasty shoots. These are the greens from the pea plant they have a sweet pea flavor similar to the pods. They are good in salad or can be sauteed too.
• Sweet Spring Onions: These Walla Walla type onions  were planted last fall and grew well over the winter. The green tops are edible too.
• Cherry Tomato Starts: We’ll grow lots of slicing and heirloom tomatoes on the farm and you can grow your own cherry tomatoes! We have several types of cherry tomato starts for you to choose from this year. We give out the plants because these are so easy to grow in your garden or even in a pot on our deck.

Coming soon… onions scapes & baby lettuce heads!!