CSA Newsletter for July 3, 2015

Farm Update

Today Fred and Keegan laid
down a bunch of white
plastic for the newest cool-
season transplants.  Basically,
the plastic keeps the soil a
little cooler so our cold-loving
veggies don't get stressed from
the heat of high summer.

Hello everyone!  Happy 4th of July weekend!  Like most of you, we are actually going to be able to get away from the farm for Saturday and do something fun, so this is going to be a pretty short newsletter this week!  My guess is that you guys won't mind that much, because you'll likely be vacationing, cooking out, and generally enjoying the holiday.  Here at the farm, things are going pretty well.  It's been an abnormally cold beginning of July, which means that our cool season crops (like the lettuce and greens) are enjoying this part of the year a lot more than they usually do, but our warm season crops (think tomatoes and sweet corn) are getting a slower start.  The insect pressure is starting to drop a little, which has been nice, but the weeds are really flourishing (although they are meeting their end as I type this, because the weeding crew is out there right now getting things back in order).  We've also seen a little bit of disease on some of our lettuce, as plant diseases are more prevalent in cool, wet conditions.  So you win some, you lose some, and sometimes the best plan of action is to step back, breathe, and take a day off so you don't burn out.  (At least that's what I tell myself.)  So that is what we'll be doing tomorrow, and I hope you all get a chance to do the same!  Enjoy your holiday, and we'll see you next week!

What to Expect in Your Share This Week

At the regular drop-off:

• Choice of spring mix or large-leaf salad mix
• Carrots for everybody
• Choice of kale or chard
• Choice of radishes, onions, or bok choy
• Choice of cabbage or beets
• Surprise veggie!  (Basically, this means that we'll have a bunch of odds and ends becoming ready in the field, but we don't know what's going to be ready on what day.)
• Choice of kohlrabi or herbs (might be chives, cilantro, basil, or parsley.)

For home/office delivery:

A Share:
Spring mix
Carrots

Savoy cabbages, all clean and ready to go
to the drop-off!

Kale
Radishes
Cabbage
Surprise veggie
Herbs

B Share:
Large-leaf salad mix
Carrots
Chard
Onions
Beets
Surprise veggie
Herbs

Recipes

I often have people ask how to cook a particular veggie, and this last week the one I got the most questions about was the chard.  So if you're wondering how to use your chard to best advantage, here are a few ideas!

Sauteed Swiss Chard with Parmesan Cheese:  This is pretty similar to how we usually prepare chard at home, but gussied up a bit with lemon and onions!  This is such a quick and simple side dish!

Or try out these 24 Swiss Chard Recipes from Martha Stewart.  You'll never run out of great ideas to try here, and there is a great mix of recipes that run from simple to fancy, depending on your tastes, time available, and skill in the kitchen. :-)