CSA Newsletter

Ken moving up peppers and planting tomatoes seeds

Greetings from the Garden!  This special early box has potatoes, beets, carrots, celery root, potato onions, freshly dug parsnips and sunchokes, and braising and salad greens.

Field Notes.  The weather has brought us this special box.  Many things are earlier this year due to the unseasonably warm weather. It has been very bad for some things - maple syrup for example.  Ken did some pruning during the warm spell in January, but other tasks took priority in this hot weather, and now it is simply too late for this season.  The trees are leafing out.

Peppers just moved up  - will perk up in a day or two

In spite of the warmer than average temperatures, Ken has been planting the hot weather crops like peppers and tomatoes about the same time as he did last year.  Etched in our memories is the frost on Mothers Day 2010 or the 18 degrees on May 18th a few years back.  One can never accurately predict the weather a month in the future!

Tomato seeds

Ken is also getting ready to fire the pottery kiln this spring - he is a master at juggling the many tasks there are to do. 

From the Kitchen.  Each spring there is a period of transition as we move from roots dug last fall to roots overwintered in the ground.  Parsnips over wintered in the garden are much sweeter.  Parsnips, related to carrots are usually scrubbed, sliced, parboiled , drained and then sauteed in butter just to the caramelizing stage.  Delicious! 

Ken loves parsnips and makes them into pies.  He uses a pumpkin recipe, but uses much less sweetener.  Many people add parsnips to soups and stews.  I like a creamed curry parsnip soup - saute sliced onion, add a bit of curry, add soup stock and diced parsnips and potatoes, cook to tender and either run through a blender or food mill.  Re heat, serve with cream, milk, yogurt and a green sprig such as chives.

Sunchokes are also called Jerusalem artichokes - they are not from Jerusalem, nor are they related to artichokes.  They are related to sunflowers.  Scrub between the "scales" to remove any soil.  Use raw in salads, sauteed in stir fry dishes, or in any recipe that calls for water chestnuts.  Last year I made a great spinach dip with sunchokes in place of the water chestnuts.  My favorite is saute with minced garlic and add a splash of tamari just before serving.  Tamari is a natural soy sauce available in natural food stores.