Hot Weather Veggie Smoothies

Farm Update

Hi everyone!  We finally got some much needed rain, so we are all breathing a little easier this weekend!  That will really help our plantings of fall veggies along.  Tomatoes are also starting to come out in force, so it's likely that everyone will get tomatoes of some kind this week, whether it be cherry tomatoes or slicers.  We're also starting to see a lot more tomato horn worms (which, if you've never seen one, are completely gross).  We will still have bulk green beans available this week at $9 for five pounds, so just let me know if you're interested!  The watermelons are starting to become ready, so we'll likely have some for the CSA this week, and we should have some for the next few weeks.  We have both red and yellow watermelons, and in case you're wondering, they do have seeds, so don't be surprised by the seeds when you cut them open.  On the home front, we got to take a little bit of a break this weekend due to the rain.  I love rainy weather because it means Fred can get away from the farm for a few hours, which he did on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.  But the new workweek begins right now, so it's time to hit the (now well-watered) ground running again for another week!

What to Expect in Your Share this Week

Here are the options in each veggie station this week!  If you have a half share, you'll choose one from each category, and if you have a full share, you'll choose two.

• Tomatoes
• Green beans
• Carrots or beets
• Cooking greens mix, cabbage, or basil
• Peppers or kohlrabi
• Garlic, onion, or cucumber
• Potatoes or surprise veggie

If you have your share delivered to your home or workplace, or if you pick up at our East Lansing drop-off, here are your options for this week.  If you have a half share, choose one, and if you have a full share, choose two.

Share A:                                      Share B:

Tomatoes                                     Tomatoes
Green beans                                 Green beans
Carrots                                         Beets
Cooking greens                            Cabbage
Kohlrabi                                       Sweet peppers
Onion                                           Garlic
Potatoes                                       Surprise veggie

If you have a preference for share A or share B, just let me know by noonish the day before your delivery day, and I'll make sure you get your preferred share.  If you don't have a preference, I'll just choose for you. :-)

Hot Weather Veggie Smoothies

Is it just me, or has anyone else been avoiding the oven and stove this last week?  Sometimes when it gets so hot, you just want to stay away from sources of heat and eat something cold... which brings me to smoothies.  Not only are smoothies a delicious and easy meal or snack, they're also a great way to use up any veggies you might still have left over at the end of the week.  So keep reading for some yummy veggie smoothie ideas!

Carrot Cake Smoothie:  Try out this nutritious smoothie for the closest thing you'll ever find to carrot cake in a glass!

Mango-Cucumber Lime Smoothie with a Kick:  Spoiler alert!  The kick is cayenne pepper.  Intrigued?  Read on.  You can also trade out the baby spinach in the recipe for cooking greens, but I would wilt them a little bit first before throwing them in the blender.

Kale Berry Smoothie:  Use cooking greens mix or leftover kale for this smoothie, and if you happen to have some frozen blueberries on hand, all the better!

Or if you want to create your own smoothie recipes out of whatever odds and ends you have on hand, here is a good basic template for making your own smoothie creations!