CSA Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden!  This week's box has Romaine and other lettuce, baby beet greens, pea shoots, mizuna, mustard and other braising greens, salad turnips, radishes,  green onions, sunchokes, parsley, and asparagus.

Field Notes.  Ken is tackling many jobs on several fronts.  He is nearly up to date on planting - quite the accomplishment with the late spring.  He is working on fencing and moving animals to new and greener pastures.  All the animals here are part of the team - geese clip grass, chickens eat ticks and other insects, and pigs are four legged tillers - they love to dig.  Ken provides pigs with new space to dig about weekly.  Some years they clear fence lines, other years they renovate portions of fields. 

Yesterday he checked the bees, and they seem to be well established and doing well.  After his day long seminar on organic bee keeping, Ken is working diligently this season to create strong hives this year.  He has been monitoring for any problems and so far so good!

Ken has been weeding perennial crops like asparagus and raspberries.  As he often says, perennial crops mean perennial weeds and one must be vigilant to have a crop.

I have just returned from two weekends of weaving class.  Thanks to Ken for holding down the fort in addition to all the other work.  I learned a lot, and it was a great teacher and group of people.

From the Kitchen.  Green onions. Chives.  I love that fresh green and onion flavor combined.  I don't trim tops when I clean onions so all the onion except the root can be used.  The white firmer portion is good either cooked or raw - I saute and add braising greens.  The green tops are great in salads, egg dishes, even cornbread!

Mizuna is an Asian green I like it as a salad accent or braised with a dressing  or lemon juice or vinegar, or chopped and added to soups or rice just before serving.  It is a member of the brassica family.
 

Baby beet thinnings are a great salad accent - they add not only color but a sweet, green earthy flavor.  I also braise them after I saute some onion,  And they are great added to a soup just before serving.

Parsley is a nutritional power house.  I add it to salads, rice dishes, egg dishes, stir fry  just before serving.  We grow both the familiar curly variety and also the Italian flat leafed which seems to have more flavor.

'Til Next Week
Judith