CSA Newsletter

Greetings from the Garden! This week's box has lettuce and salad greens like arugula, bok choy, kohlrabi, kale, snap peas, garlic scapes, green onions, basil and thyme, asparagus, strawberries, and the first carrots.

Field Notes. Ken says, "We are settling into summer." He plans work around the time of day - transplanting in the cool of the day, killing weeds in the heat of the day, nailing frames for the bee hives or planting seeds inside during the hottest weather. And likewise I am planning picking around weather - cool for picking the strawberries and waiting until dew has dried to pick peas to avoid the spread of molds or fungus.

And in the midst of the heat wave we are discussing planting fall crops like rutabagas. Planning continues throughout the season. Ken is gearing up to move the pigs and get next year's compost together. So next week I hope to report on the annual "big pig rodeo" when we move half grown pigs to their next major pasture area.

From the Kitchen. Ah, garlic scapes. Certain varieties of garlic send up a seed head called a scape. These scapes need to be cut to help the garlic put energy into filling out the bulb rather than the scape. I see the scapes as a garlic preview - after a couple months of no garlic except garlic chives, I enjoy incorporating chopped scapes into salad dressings, stir fry dishes, pasta salads - anywhere I use garlic.

Kale is a favorite in this household. Kale is the oldest member of the cabbage family - right from the ocean before each culture kept altering it. Think how one plant became Brussels sprouts or cabbage, or cauliflower or broccoli or kohlrabi in Europe and bok choy or napa or tatsoi in Asia.

One of my favorite summer salads is to cut carrots in half circle slices, cook a few min, remove from heat and stir in the kale to wilt. Chill under cool running water, squeeze, and toss with dressing. I like to put toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds in a blender with umeboshi paste and some stock for dressing. Kale is great braised with a chopped green onion or garlic scapes and some interesting vinegar. Ken puts chopped kale in a bowl and tops with a poached egg in stock or any clear broth soup.

Basil's arrival signals summer is here. Basil likes heat and is one of the first plants to go with a light frost. So I enjoy the basil season. I make pestos for pasta. Pesto is paste, and Ken makes many herb pestos over a season. We freeze them and use in winter when green herbs are scarce. I add basil to tomato dishes, dill to fish, cilantro to Asian or Mexican dishes, etc. Rinse, dry, chop, and puree or process with some olive oil to make a paste. We store in freezer jam jars with a layer of olive oil on top to preserve color and flavor. Many people dedicate an ice cube tray to freeze and pop out small ice cubes of pesto and store is a freezer bag for future use.

We also add basil to soups, salad, stir fry. It is nice in a curry with coconut milk.

Sunday, July 10th is our annual Garden and Field Tour. Please RSVP if you plan to come so I know how many people to plan for the garden snack.