hay bales
Wellspring CSA Week Two

 

Happy Thursday everyone!  I can hardly believe that it's already Week 2.  On the farm I experience something called "Farm Time", which means that the days seem to fly by and I'm always amazed when another week comes.  Yet at the same time, it feels like things that happened just a week ago could have occurred several weeks or even a month before.  A simultaneous speeding up and lengthening of time? 

 

Farm News
 

In case you are keeping track we have had zero, that's 0, drops of rain fall on the farm since the last time I wrote this newsletter.  So the main farm news is that things are dry and things are thirsty.  And things are also hot!  (Isn't the farm news section fascinating?)  

 

Earlier this week we had a Planting Extravaganza, putting eleven different types with sixteen different varieties of vegetables in the ground.  We also found some time to weed, among other things, the spinach that is in your shares this week. 

 

One of my favorite plots on the farm right now is Field Five, a small plot near the greenhouse and one of our ponds, where most of the herbs are being grown this season.  On Monday we hoed the thyme, sage, marjoram, oregano and parsley in this section, and completed the field by planting the rosemary.  The plants look great, and it's going to smell very nice in there soon. 

 

What's In The Box (And Where Does It Go?) 

 

Crop                               How?          Fridge?                Notes? 

 

Arugula                          bunch           Yes

Red Russian Kale          bunch           Yes

Broccoli Raab                bunch           Yes

Dandelion Greens         bunch           Yes

Pac Choi                       head             Yes

Green Garlic                 bunch           Yes

Salad Turnips                bunch          Yes

Spinach                         bunch          Yes

Head Lettuce                head            Yes    Sylvesta and Two                                                Star Greenleaf /New Red Fire Redleaf

Radishes                      bunch           Yes   French Breakfast or                                                                          Cherriette 

Mini Broccoli            head                 Yes     SOME Delivery                                                                         Locations

 

Full Share members will recognize many of these items from last week's share.  For our B Week Half Shares I have taken the notes from last week and added them here so you can get an idea of what some of the more unfamiliar items might be.  I won't elaborate on the Spinach, Head Lettuce or Radishes, as I gather ya'll are familiar with those.  Though I will say I think the spinach is quite lovely this week, and that I just am not a radish grower.  Try as I might, they just don't turn out picture perfect.  Also that we are having a bit of a cut worm problem on the farm this season, something I didn't see too much of last season.  But if there are a couple of holes/light brown spots on the butterhead the cutworm is the culprit.  There should still be plenty of tasty lettuce to eat even with those small imperfections. 


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. 

 

Vegetarian Cook Deborah Madison has this to say about arugula salads: "Those who have come across arugula and fallen in love with it don't want an arugula accent; they (we) want an entire salad of it...discard the long stems, but keep any cream colored blossoms for a fine edible garnish.  Pungent olives, hard-cooked eggs with the yolk still a little moist, grilled onions, and fresh figs with salty cheeses all form happy alliances with arugula. Vinaigrettes featuring extra virgin olive oil and walnut and hazelnut oils are a good match for arugula's warm flavor, as are assertive aged red wine and sherry vinegars and lemon juice." Sigh. I want to eat at her house. 

 

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 in last week's newsletter, 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 a small bunch because I know bitter greens can be surprising and difficult for our Western 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?  

 

Also, if you were Thomas Keller, you'd stuff a few quail with some house made sausage, hard-to-find mushrooms and other yummy bits, toss those dandelion greens w/a shallot or two and some vinegar and plop the quail down over top the greens.  If you don't have a quail around to stuff, but you are 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!  I have a recipe below...

 

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.

  

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! 

 

A Note About the Broccoli - About 2/3 of the drop sites received a very small head of broccoli in their boxes this week.  I am a little nonplussed with this early variety of broccoli that we are growing - I think this will be the last year I try this particular variety because it seems to just button up (form a crown) when it's very small, thus producing very small heads that do not become ready at the same time.  There will be a lot more broccoli to come (the next variety looks great) and next week there will be more mini heads for the drop sites that did not get them this week. 

 

Family Volunteer Day 

 Saturday, June 16, 9 a.m. - noon

 

Volunteer as a family with chores around the farm. Wonderful opportunity for children to experience farm life and how veggies grow! Tasks will include weeding, mulching, bed preparation, harvesting and checking the chickens for eggs! Families are invited anytime from 9 a.m. to noon.

Please email wellspringeducation@gmail.com if you plan on attending!
 

 

 

 

Recipes

 

A note about the way I cook: it's not very precise.  I truly think that if your ingredients are good it's hard to go too wrong, and I usually just make things up on the fly.  Basic principles about cooking with greens: oil and other animal fats, salt and vinegars are your friends.  As are nuts, cheeses, alliums (onions/garlic etc) and citrus.  I recommend gathering your favorite and the greens in your box and experimenting. 

 

Raw Kale Salad from The Brain of Farmer Alissa

I think I shared this one last fall, but not everyone was here last fall so I thought I'd re-share.  If you think you don't like kale, you just haven't had it the right way.  This is one way you must try, especially if you are living in a kale-less world.

Ingredients: 

 

1 bunch of red russian kale or about 1/2 a bunch of larger leafed kale 

Some olive oil

A vinegar that you love - I'd recommend balsamic, but red wine or cider will be great too, OR some lemons 

Walnuts or almonds

Red onion, or even the green garlic in the Week 2 2012 Share would work 

Some cheese - I like feta a lot for this, but I have also used a hard cheese like pecorino

Olives? If you like them? 

Salt and Pepper 

 

Directions:

 

Prep the kale by washing it and chopping it into strips.  If you are using baby kale I don't think it's necessary to de-stem (heck, I actually never de-stem because it's so time consuming and I think the stems are yummy.  But some people would disagree.  So de-stem if you are feeling particular and leisurely.)  Place it in a bowl and drizzle some olive oil over it - enough to lightly coat.  Then get your (clean) hands in there and work it around a bit.  Or use a tongs if using your hands doesn't feel right to you.  Salt it a bit. 

 

Prep your other items - thinly slice the onion or green garlic and the olives (if using) and grate or crumble the cheese.  I recommend chopping and then lightly pan or oven roasting the nuts to bring out the oils a bit and added flavor.  I actually use a toaster oven for this process because it's harder to forget about them with the see-through front.  

 

Put all the other items on the salad and douse with the amount of vinegar that feels right to you.  Add a couple turns of the pepper grinder and dig in! 

 

Dandelion Greens with Bacon - from the brain of Farmer Alissa via many great chefs (Repeat from Week One)

 

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.

  

Also, I thought this Spinach and Green Garlic Soup recipe looked simple and tasty! 

 

http://orangette.blogspot.com/2008/04/that-easy.html  

 

 

 

 

Veggie Photos 
Photos of the radishes, min-broccoli and green leaf lettuce not included.  I am guessing all of our members can recognize radishes and broccoli.   And if you have a green head of lettuce in the box that doesn't look like the butterhead, it's the greenleaf. :) 


Dandelion Greens 


Broccoli Raab (Rabe)/Rapini 

Green Garlic 

Pac Choi 

salad nips 12
Salad Turnips 

Gr lettuce
Butterhead Lettuce 

red lettuce wk 7
Red Leaf Lettuce

Spinach wk 3
Spinach

rrkale 12
Red Russian Kale 

In This Issue
Farm News
What's In The Box?
Family Volunteer Day
morning