CSA Week 2 – What’s in the box?

“Humans lived nearly 200,000 years without money.
No human has ever lived without soil.”
– David Korten (Life depends on soil, not money.)

FARMING 101: SOIL FIRST!  As a member of our CSA program, you can feel good knowing that you are eating food grown in a way that protects and nourishes the soil, regenerates soil biodiversity AND sequesters CO2 in the soil!#farmersfightclimatechange  Forget all the “talk” about sustainable farming — this is all those best ideas put into practice!  Our farming practices gobeyond organic and is collectively know as “regenerative agriculture”.  We plant cover crops, we rotate crops to give our fields a rest, we make and use our own compost and we implement conservation tillage (never disturbing below the very top layer of soil).
Thank you for helping us farm for the future!

CSA HOUSEKEEPING
So, how did things go last week?  Did you find your pick-up location ok? Do you have any questions about storing your produce? Did you find some good recipes? Most importantly, how did everything taste?  We love to hear from you, so please get in touch if there is anything we can do to help. We want you to be delighted with your weekly share!  So if you’re not (for any reason), please tell us and we’ll make things right!

Have a great week, friends!
XO Maggie, Farmer Matt, Kelly & the Crew

Baby Arugula
Super tender, baby arugula!  The leaves are so tender that they will bruise easily.  Wash gently and dress with a light vinaigrette just before you’re ready to eat.  The leaves will get soggy if they sit in the dressing for long.  Enjoy!
Storage: In an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in salad. When to use: Within 3 days.  

Garlic Scapes
We wait all year to harvest the flower scape of the garlic plant.  See photo above — the garlic plant sends up greens and then a flower starts to form at the end of the scape.  Don’t eat the very tip where the flower head is.  Cut that off.  The rest of the curly scape is decidedly edible and delicious!  I like to toss in oil and grill until tender.  You can also roast them whole in the oven.  They take on a texture similar to asparagus and a mild garlic flavor.  (The garlic bulb itself will be harvest separately in July.)
Storage: In an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Boston (Butter) Lettuce
This early-season lettuce is back again this week.  We’ll have one more week after this one, and then they’re done for the season…
Storage: In an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw in a salad. When to use: Within a week.

Toscano Kale
This is an Italian varity of kale that goes by many names – Toscano, Dinosaur, Lacinato…  The leaves are very sturdy, so they hold up well in soup and they make great kale chips!
Storage: In an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator. Uses: Raw, Baked (Chips) Cooked (Best in Soups), Steamed, Smoothies or Juiced. When to use:Within a week

French Breakfast Radishes
This planting of radishes germinated so well that we have more left in the field!  Instead of leaving them there, we cleared out the field and everyone is getting a small bunch again this week.  Next week the red radishes are coming in.  I hope you’re enjoying them!
Storage: In an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator.  Separate the roots from the greens first- then they can be stored in the same bag.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.

Japanese Salad Turnips
If these are new to you, you’re in for a treat!  Theses turnips are excellent raw and there’s no need to peel them.  Just wash them and take a bite!  Juicy, sweet, a little spicy, yummy…right?  These are CSA cult favorite and you’ll soon find out why.  They are very versatile.  Excellent raw dipped in hummus or sprinkled with salt.  Great roasted or in soup.  The greens are edible, so don’t toss them!  I like to saute them in a little olive oil with garlic.
Storage: In an airtight container/bag in the refrigerator.  Separate the roots from the greens first- then they can be stored in the same bag.  Uses: Raw or cooked. When to use: Within 5 days.