News from Terra Firma Farm

    Here at Terra Firma, we always do our best to make sure that every one of our customers gets their box each week, and that the box has everything in it it's supposed to have. We don't always get that right -- such as two weeks ago, when more than a dozen subscribers didn't receive their pistachios. We know how disappointing this is, and that you'd rather have the missing item than the credit on your account.
    Not getting a box at all, however, is far worse. We take great pains to ensure this never happens -- in fact, we pack extra boxes of all sizes and send them on the delivery trucks to make sure that if an error has occurred, the drivers can correct it. They have both a list and a sheet of labels, if there is any discrepancy between them, they deliver the higher number of boxes.
   Nonetheless, our subscribers are the final link in the chain. Our entire CSA operates on the honor system: customers take just one box. They take the right size box, and to help them remember which size is theirs, we put a label with their name right on the box. To make sure this system works for everyone, we need everyone to follow these guidelines:
      1) Please take only the box with your name on it. If everyone doesn't follow this system, there is no way for everyone to be sure they got the right box.   If one person doesn't follow the rule, and everyone else does, someone is going to end up without a box.
2) Please don't switch labels. Maybe your box is at the bottom of the stack and you're in a big hurry, so you decide to switch labels with someone else. We understand that some of the drop sites are very (VERY!) crowded and that moving 10 boxes takes some time. Unfortunately, those labels we use don't work very well when pulled off and re-applied. If it's windy or rainy at an outdoor drop site, the label that you move might fall off before the other person comes to get their box. If they don't see their name, they are likely to follow our rule and not take a box. Then we have to issue them a credit, even though there we packed a box for them.
   Alternately, you might take a label off a different size box than your own. I know, this seems unlikely, but it has happened dozens of times. The boxes we use for each size change during the year, and not all Medium (or Large) boxes look the same each week. Please, please, please take the time to unstack the boxes and retrieve the one labelled for you, even if it seems like a big waste of time.
    3) If there isn't a box labelled for you at the drop site, it's not okay to take someone else's box. Your account might be in arrears. Maybe your spouse/partner pays the bill and let it slip. If this is true, you are taking a box someone else paid for. This is not okay, even if it's a mistake.
    Finally, we ask the following of drop site hosts: please email us as soon as possible if you notice boxes remaining at your site. While boxes certainly are forgotten or abandoned sometimes, there might be a subscriber who didn't get a box that day who is entitled to one. Disappointed subscribers generally let us know immediately if they didn't get a box, and we can let them know there is one still available for them.

Thanks,
Pablito

In your boxes
    Strawberries have arrived with a vengeance. They got off to a slow start with the chilly weather last week, but they are making up for lost time now. And with real spring weather forecast for the rest of the week, the prognosis is good for lots more next week.
   Berries are not the only thing that is taking off this week. Several fields of Spinach and Salad greens -- planted between early February and mid-March --have all reached harvestable size at the same time (hint: we sure could have used some of them last week). So we are loading up your box with baby greens: Salad Mix, Arugula and/or Spinach. These fresh spring greens are a staple of our boxes this time of year, and you can expect at least a couple of bags a week until it gets hot.
    TFF's springtime CSA boxes tend to weigh less than their winter cousins. This has a lot to do with the absence of the heavier starches like winter squash and potatoes. And Peas (which we hope to start harvesting next week) weigh less than broccoli or cauliflower, whose season is nearing its end. The boxes don't have less value in them, but they certainly have less weight. This week is a transition week to the lighter, springier box.

Recipe -- Asian-style Slaw

Thanks to Christine for this delicious recipe. As always, the secret to good cabbage salads is a sharp knife and good slicing skills. The thinner you can slice the cabbage, the better it will absorb the flavors and the lighter and fluffier the salad will be.
Cut a cabbage in half along its equator. Place the cut sidesface down and then shred the cabbage as finely as possible.
Grate 6 carrots.
Cut 1 large or 2-3 smaller spring onions in half lengthwise, then slice thinly.
Core 1 red pepper and remove the seeds, then slice thinly
For the dressing, combine:
1/4 c. vegetable/sesame oil
1/4 c. rice vinegar
3 T. creamy peanut butter, softened
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. brown sugar
2 T. grated ginger
1-2 stalks green garlic, minced.
Toss with the vegetables and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving. Like most cabbage salads, it will keep for a week in the fridge.