CSA Newsletter for Week 2

Farm Update

Ben and Jewel trellising the tomato plants on Tuesday.  (BTW,
my guess is that Ben hid behind the post on purpose, because
he totally hates getting his picture taken!)

Hi everyone!  Well, the first CSA week is over and done, and it was a success!  It was so nice to see everyone again, and to meet all the newbies!  As usual, we had a ton of different things going on around the farm this week.  We got our walk-in cooler up and running in time to start the harvest on Monday, which was good, because we had one of the parts go out pretty much as soon as we thought we had everything working, and we had to figure out how to replace it on short notice.  We’ve also been doing a ton of weeding, as well as the harvesting, washing, and packing that goes into getting everything ready for the CSA.  Things are definitely growing quickly!  Ben and Jewel re-trellised the tomato plants the other day because they’re getting so long that they’re ready for the next tier of supports.  But we’re glad for this cooler end to the week, because that will keep the strawberries from becoming overripe too soon.  Fortunately, it looks like they are going to hold on long enough for almost everyone to get some strawberries in their shares again next week.  We hope you’re all enjoying your first week of veggies, and we’ll see you next week! J

What to Expect in This Week's Share

If you are picking up at one of our traditional style drop-offs (Alma, Mt. Pleasant, or Midland), here’s what the options will be at the different stations.  If you have a half share, you’ll choose one item at each station, and if you have a full share, you choose two items at each station.

• Strawberries or beets
• Carrots or zucchini
• Head lettuce or spring mix
• Pearl onions
• Basil or kohlrabi
• Swiss chard, kale, or collards
• Bok choy, radishes, or fennel

If you have a prepacked share (Midland hospital, St. Johns, Lansing, Okemos, or home delivery), here are your options.  If you have a half share, you’ll choose either share A or share B, and if you have a full share, you can choose two of them.

Share A:                               Share B:

Strawberries                         Strawberries

Carrots                                 Zucchini

Butter head lettuce               Romaine lettuce

Pearl onions                         Pearl onions

Kohlrabi                               Basil

Collards                                Kale

Radishes                               Fennel

Recipes

Pretty much every year, one of the main questions I get when it comes to vegetables is, “What is this weird looking thing, and what do I do with it?”  (I guess that’s actually two questions.  Oh well!)  The weird looking thing they’re almost certainly asking about is kohlrabi, one of the most underappreciated veggies out there!  While it’s extremely common in most of Europe, kohlrabi is still relatively unknown in the United States, so you don’t often see it at the grocery store.  Just in case you’re one of the many people who has no idea what to do with kohlrabi, here are 5 Tasty Ways to Prepare Kohlrabi from The Kitchn.

Another somewhat uncommon veggie in the shares this week is fennel.  This lovely green, frondy vegetable has a slight licorice flavor, and you can use both the bulb and the fronds.  If you’re unfamiliar with fennel, or if you’re just looking for some inspiration, check out 53 FreshFennel Recipes that Make us Fall for it All Over Again, from Bon Appetit!