A Quick FYI: This newsletter is being sent to all shares, regardless of Half Share Week Splits.  If you are a B Week Half Share, it is purely informational and many of these veggies will be in the box again next week so you can start thinking of recipes!  Anticipated Share Contents for Week Two below...
 
The Newsletter, Week One

Howdy Members!! 

 

Here we are, June 7th, and here is the newsletter to accompany your first CSA box of the season.  Returning members will be familiar with the format of this newsletter, and new members will soon become accustomed to the location of such informative tidbits as Farm News, The Box Chart, Cooking Tips and Recipes.  

 

A personal goal of mine is that through this newsletter I can give you some insight into our days on the farm: challenges, surprises, exciting moments, breakthroughs in growing and learning about how to best produce tasty, beautiful and healthy food.  And if the info in the newsletter isn't sufficient for you, or if you have a hankering for the country, please come out any time and visit us.  We accept volunteers at a moment's notice, and seriously encourage everyone to get a first-hand glimpse of what it takes to grow organic vegetables. 

Farm News

 

Okay, so here we are at Farm News!  It's was an "interesting" spring at the farm this year - I have already mentioned in previous emails about our hot spells, dry spells, windy spells and recent chilly spell so I won't bore you too much with those details.  After all, the great thing about eating local food is that you are experiencing to the weather happening where your food is being grown. (New members should also be aware that I like to discuss the weather A LOT in these letters.  It is, of course, a major factor in the growing of your crops and thus a major factor in my life.)  

 

We had a really rainy week in early April that delayed some plantings by a week or more, which meant that some items I had hoped would be ready for this week's box were not quite sized up enough, like spinach and lettuce heads.  But then we had all of that very warm weather in both April and May, so a few things matured quicker than anticipated.  We actually had a round of broccoli raab and a round of arugula "bolt", which means to go to flower, which means they aren't the greatest quality eating anymore.  So neither of those rounds of that crop made it into the shares.  Luckily we had another seeding right behind them, so there is both broccoli raab and arugula at it's perfect harvest point in your share this week. 

 

Our crew is assembled and working hard - early this week we put in the winter squash, which means our last big planting is in the ground.  We still have some rounds of lettuce and many of the fall crops to plant, but the majority of the planting will be done for the year in the next two weeks. 

 

And speaking of the crew, as I'm sure you know, farms are never run by just one person alone.  Wellspring is no exception.  Working in the fields this summer alongside myself we have three wonderful, dedicated and hard-working interns - Caleb Trainor, Heather Hall and Jessica Rosa Delfaus.  Caleb and Heather are both Eastern Wisconsin locals, and Jessica joins us all the way from Peurto Rico! We are brushing up on our Spanish already.  I'd also like to give a shout out to Eli Murphy, our fabulous early season intern who spent April and May with us, and Brett Smith who is currently WWOOFing for the month of June. 

 

What's In The Box and Where Does It Go? 


Crop?                      How?                     Fridge?                      

 

Arugula                      Bunch                 Yes 

Broccoli Raab           Bunch                   Yes

Dandelion Greens     Bunch                   Yes

Red Russian Kale     Bunch                   Yes

Pac Choi                   Head                      Yes

Napa Cabbage          Head                      Yes

Pea Shoots               Bunch                    Yes

Green Garlic              Bunch                    Yes

Salad Mix                  Bag                        Yes

Salad Turnips             Bunch                   Yes

Rhubarb                    Bunch                     Yes 

 

A little Information About Each:

 

I like to try and highlight a few of the crops that might be a bit more unfamiliar to people, and because this is the first week I'm going to highlight each of them.  Three recipes will follow. 

 

Arugula - Can be a bit spicy; eat like lettuce in salads or wilt to eat with just about anything. Goes great with eggs, raw or steamed, is wonderful with tasty treats like goat cheese and pecans!  A note about telling the arugula from the broccoli raab - the arugula has smoother leaves, the broccoli raab's leaf edges are a bit more jagged. 

 

Broccoli Raab/Rapini - Farmer Favorite!! This item is popular in both Italian and Chinese cuisine, and can be uncommon in The States. Check out the recipe below, and if you're not a fan of spicy you can leave out the hot pepper with the same great results. 

 

Dandelion Greens-We included very small bunch because I know bitter greens can be surprising and difficult for our palates!  But did you know that in Chinese medicine, bitter foods are considered detoxifying, helping to stimulate liver chi?  And who can't use a little of that?  If you're a meat eater, I'd consider pairing these with some bacon.  And if not, consider thinly chopping and adding to a salad.  Fats and salt will assist in breaking down the bitter flavor. See the recipe below for more cooking help! 

 

Red Russian Kale  - This variety of kale is meant to be eaten small, and is often considered the most tender and flavorful of the kales.  Since the stems are smaller  and younger you can include those as well - no need to strip the leaves from the tough stems! More kale recipes to follow.   You can use this type of kale in the recipes from last week also.  In addition, I thought this tip from Deborah Madison was so spot on and useful: "A splash of vinegar or a squeeze of lemon is often the secret element that brings a dish to life by heightening all the other flavors.  This is true even with foods that are naturally strong tasting, like the more aggressive greens.  That squeeze of lemon or light dousing of vinegar magically sweetens, softens, and sharpens, making everything taste better.  A bit of hot chile will do the same.  In fact, pepper sauce, the ubiquitous seasoning of the South, nearly combines both elements in a single jar." 

 

Green Garlic-A farmer favorite.  This is what the garlic looks like before it is dried and cured.  To be honest, this is a bit larger than it is usually harvested, but because of all of the warm weather we had - especially way back in March - the garlic is a few weeks ahead this year.  The usable part is the white bulbous part, and you may need to remove the middle section as it may have become a bit fibrous.   It's mild, but can be a bit spicy raw.  I love to add it to salad dressing, and I cook it in just about anything that I would normally put regular garlic or even onions in. 

 

Pac Choi-This Bok Choi relative is great in stir-fry or steamed with soy sauce, ginger and garlic (maybe the green garlic in your box!)  It cooks quickly, making a fast and easy side dish, especially paired with the broccoli raab or the napa cabbage.

 

Pea Shoots- This is a variety of pea plant I grow just for shoots - they taste a lot like peas!  (Real peas to come later this season.)  Always tasty chopped up in a salad, or our pea shoot recipe below - it's a favorite!

 

Napa Cabbage - I like to grow a smaller variety of napa, because I know it can be a bit unfamiliar.  (And the big ones don't fit in the box!)  Did you know that napa cabbage is the most common ingredient in egg rolls?  It's also a main ingredient in the traditional fermented Korean Kimchi  which is something I really like to make. 

 

Salad Mix - I think everyone is familiar with this item, but I did want to address a couple things in regards to it.  One - it IS NOT WASHED.  Usually I everything gets a dunk in the washtubs, but I decided against it with this week's lettuce mix.  That's because it is pretty fragile and tender from being grown in one of our hoop houses this spring - because it was grown "indoors" it isn't exposed to the elements and thus can bruise easily.  I think it will hold up better in the fridge for ya'll if you wash it as needed at home. 

 

Also, returning members will likely remember those lovely lettuce heads we had so much of last season.  They are still in the works (the field) this season, but because of that rain delay I mentioned earlier they just were not ready yet for this week's box.  So we have the salad mix instead. 

 

Salad Turnips Salad Turnips - A "fresh eating" turnip that is so yummy sliced up in salads, spread with a soft cheese (chevre, or goat cheese, is my favorite!), or just popped in your mouth.  They can also be lightly roasted - see below.  These are a great snack for kids! 

 

Rhubarb - We think this is almost enough to make a pie, but we've included a simple recipe to make a sauce for pancakes or yogurt or whatever you would like! 

 

Anticipated Share Contents Week Two: (As always, this is Farmer's Best Guess and is subject to change) head lettuce, napa cabbage, arugula, dandelion greens, radishes, green garlic, spinach, red russian kale, salad turnips  

 
Recipes

 

Pea shoot pesto

 

1  bunch pea shoots (cut above the rubber band and

washed)

1  clove garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil

1  teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1/2  cup freshly grated parmesan

1/2  cup toasted nuts (walnuts, pinenuts, etc)

12 ounces cooked pasta

 

Combine pea shoots, green garlic, olive oil, salt, parm

(short for parmesan in our kitchen), and nuts in a

food processor . Process until you have a nice bright

green paste . If it's not combining well drizzle in more

oil as it's processing . Toss with the just-drained pasta .

Garnish with a little freshly grated parm and serve hot,

or refrigerate and add a cup of halved cherry tomatoes

to make a nice pasta salad

  

Sauteed Broccoli Raab (Rapini) 

  This is probably the most classic way to prepare this vegetable. 

 

Ingredients

 

Kosher salt

1 bunch broccoli rabe

Extra-virgin olive oil

cloves garlic, smashed

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes


Directions

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Set up a bowl of well salted ice water. Drop the broccoli rabe into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the boiling water and plunge immediately into the ice water. Once cool remove from the ice water and let dry. It can be used right away or held for future use.

Coat a large saute pan with olive oil. Add the smashed garlic and crushed red pepper and bring to medium heat. Once the garlic is brown and aromatic, remove it from the pan and discard. It has fulfilled its garlic destiny. Add the broccoli rabe and toss around in the oil to heat up and season. Remember the broccoli is already cooked. Add more oil, if needed and season with salt if needed (it probably will).

 

 

Dandelion Greens with Bacon - from the brain of Farmer Alissa via many great chefs

 

1 bunch dandelion greens
1/4 pound slab bacon 

a bit of onion, shallot or your Wellspring green garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper

 

Wash the dandelion greens in several changes of water and dry thoroughly. Tear into pieces and put in a bowl.

Remove the rind, if any, from the bacon and cut into �-inch lardons. Heat a wide, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until browned and crisp. Remove bacon from skillet with a strainer or slotted spoon.

Pour off all but about 2 Tablespoons of the bacon fat and return the skillet to the heat. Add the minced shallot and saut�, stirring occasionally, for a minute, until slightly softened. Add the mustard and vinegar and stir for about 30 seconds, until bubbling and just the slightest bit reduced.

Pour the bacon and the dressing over the dandelion greens, toss gently and serve immediately.

 

 

Salad Turnips: 

From New York Magazine - Angie, our Exec at Wellspring, made these for us once and I loved them so much! 

Daniel "Chino" Parilla's Braised Hakurei Turnips

6 Hakurei turnips, tops removed

2 cups cold water

3/4 cup mirin

1/4 cup white soy sauce

 

Trim turnips and peel with a vegetable peeler. (1) Cut the turnips into sixths and (2) place them in a saucepan with the remaining ingredients. (3) Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat; cook very slowly for about 15 minutes, or until just tender. Let cool to room temperature in the braising liquid, then drain and serve with steamed or roasted fish.

 

 

Rhubarb Sauce  

Rhubarb from your Wellspring Share

Some sugar to taste, 1/4 cup? Depending on your taste buds :)  You can also use maple syrup, honey or any sweetener you enjoy. 

A bit of water

Spices you like, such as cinnamon, ground ginger, or clove

 

Chop all of that rhubarb into about 1 inch pieces

Put in a saucepan with the water and add the sugar. 

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until rhubarb has become a mushy sauce like consistency.  Taste for sugar and add spices if desired!  Eat with ice cream, yogurt, pancakes or by spoonful! 

 

 

 

What's In The Box Photos 

 

Arugula tday 2011
Arugula 

salad mix wk 21
Salad Mix 

salad nips 12
rrkale 12
Red Russian Kale 
Pea Shoots 
Pac Choi 
Napa Cabbage
Green Garlic 
Dandelion Greens 
Broccoli Raab/Rapini 
In This Issue
Farm News
What's in the Box
Recipes
Food Photos
garlic scape field '12