CSA Newsletter for Week 8

Farm Update

If you've never tried okra before,
you're in for a treat!  This is our
first year growing it, and I'm so
glad we gave it a try, because
it's delicious!

Hi everyone!   Hope you're all doing well!  I know I sound like a broken record, but we still really need rain.  Fortunately, as I'm writing this I can hear thunder in the distance and there are some beautiful dark clouds overhead, so I've got my fingers crossed that those clouds will start pouring down rain.  We've had our hopes dashed in situations like this before, so I'm being a little superstitious and purposely not looking at the weather radar, but it's looking good for some precipitation!  Because of the mini-drought (the end of which I hope we'll be celebrating soon!), the variety in the shares this week feels a little more limited, but I'm still happy with the good stuff we'll be bringing to the drop-offs.  The onions and potatoes are maturing like crazy right now, and so are the weeds!  Yikes!  Those weeds are a never-ending battle, but I'd still choose the Sisyphean task of keeping them under control over winter any day of the week.  We're starting to see some increased insect pressure at the farm as well, because they come out in droves when the weather gets too dry, but it's a lot better than most years, so I'd call that a win.  

Hooray!  It's raining!!!  Excuse me while I go and dance outside in this beautiful rain, because it's time to celebrate!!!

What to Expect in This Week's Share

If you are picking up at one of our traditional style drop-offs (Alma, Mt. Pleasant, and 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!

• Blueberries or cherry tomatoes
• Lettuce or cucumbers
• Kale or cabbage
• Carrots or zucchini
• Potatoes or fennel
• Onion or shallots
• Basil, shiso, or okra

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, B, or C, and if you have a full share, you can choose two of them.  So just email me by lunchtime the day before your drop-off to let me know which share you want for this week!  If I don't hear from you, I'll just choose for you. :-)

Share A: Blueberries, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, fennel, onion, and okra.

Share B:  Cherry tomatoes, romaine, kale, carrots, potatoes, shallots, and basil.

Share C: Blueberries, romaine, kale, zucchini, potatoes, onions, and okra.

             

Recipes

I'm chuckling to myself as I write this, because I can just see you guys reading down the list of what's in the shares this week.  "Hmmm... blueberries or cherry tomatoes.  Sounds yummy.  Some pretty good stuff, some more normal stuff, and ... wait...  Shiso?  What even is that?  And what do I do with collards?"  So never fear!  Here are some ideas for those two potentially unfamiliar items this week!  

Shiso (which is also sometimes called perilla) is a delightful leafy herb whose flavor falls somewhere between basil and mint, so you can use it in a similar way to either of those.  Or you can check out these Japanese Shiso Leaf Meatballs for a new spin on an old favorite!  How awesome do those look?

I actually only had okra for the first time within the last year (having been born and raised here in the north, it wasn't a staple of my diet growing up, the way it was for many of our CSA members with southern roots).  But now I'm making up for lost time, because I really love it!  Try out this Easy Baked Okra for a fantastic easy side dish!