CSA Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden!  This week's box has lettuce, salad greens, braising greens like small turnip tops and kale, the last of this spring's spinach, the first beets, radishes, asparagus, garlic scapes, green onions, mint, the first edible pod peas, and strawberries.

Field Notes.  Last week I mentioned Ken is filling up the garden and field - and he is.  Since he plants by the biodynamic calender, he groups crops by leaf, fruit, flower or root.  He is continuously planting greens and roots like radishes and green onions.  Many of the fruit crops are yearly plantings like tomatoes or peppers.  He has finished planting most of those.  Most annual root crops like potatoes and bulb onions are also planted. 

Tomatoes climbing up in the mobile high tunnel

As the annual plantings get wrapped up, Ken makes the decision which areas will be planted with green manures and which we will mulch.  Although green manures require water, they enhance the soil.  If it looks like a dry season, we mulch to moderate soil temperatures to encourage microbial life in the soil.  Mulch also aids in slowing down weeds and moisture retention. 

We feel grateful for whatever rain we have gotten, and I am very happy we have not had hail.  One of the advantages to internet hookup is the weather maps with storm tracks, so we can see what is coming.  We could use some rain.

Garlic scape

From the Kitchen. Garlic scapes.  What are they?  Here is the season opener for garlic fans.  As the garlic matures it sends out a seed head.  If we left it, it would grow and tiny bulbils would form - garlic "seeds."  These large scapes have lots of wrapping for the amount of tiny bulbils - they are really good pickled.  We prefer to cut them when small and use the stalk and tiny scape as you would garlic chives.  Chop and add to salad dressings, meat dishes, stir fry - any place you would use garlic.  And if we cut the scape when small, the garlic plant focuses its energy to create larger cloves in the bulbs - a real plus!

Mint seems to be at its peak once hot weather arrives.  I use mint in beverages, as a garnish, in tabouleh, and I dry it for winter teas.  It is a cooling relief as we head into this early hot weather - enjoy!

Radicchio -good salad accent or cooked

Turnip and beet tops are nutritional powerhouses!.  I use beets tops like chard.  I tend to use them wilted in pasta dishes, in a braised side dish, added to soups just before serving.  Both are tender enough this week that they could be added to tossed green salads for color and zip.  We do this with mustard, radicchio, and radish tops.  I cut any thick stems, roll the leaf if large and cut ribbons to add to salads
  
This week begins the pea season.  Snap off the little caps on the stem end and unzip any strings.  I blanch and use in pasta salads.   Also delicious in stir fry.  



REMINDER - We will be harvesting and delivering on MONDAY July 2nd instead of Wednesday July 4th.