Welcome to Wellspring's 2014 CSA season!! After the long cold winter and spring that couldn't make up it's mind, summer has arrived and has brought with it some delicious vegetables.  I am Evan Conklin, and I will be your Farm Manager for your trip through our CSA Season.  I figured now would be as good a time as ever to give a quick background on who will be growing your food this season (with a lot of help).  I grew up in a small town in Northwest Michigan called Boyne City where I spent summers sailing on a small inland lake and eating delicious veggies from my family's sizable garden.  Fond memories of that garden led me to begin working on a farm in upstate New York in 2011.  Since that first season, I have worked on farms in the thumb of Michigan, Southeastern Michigan and an Educational Non-profit farm just south of San Francisco.  All of these experiences have instilled in me a love of growing, eating, and sharing good food with my friends and community, which is why I feel lucky to have found an organization like Wellspring where all of these passions can be fulfilled.

     The rest of the farm team includes our Assistant Farm Manager, Heather, who many of you know from past years or from registering this year; Adrian, who is starting a fruit and nut tree, medicinal herb, and perennial vegetable nursery and is doing edible landscape design as well as helping out with the vegetables; and last but not least our interns Craig and Christina who have added a great enthusiasm and energy to the farm as they learn the ins and outs of farming, so they can continue their work to change the food system for the better when they leave. 

It has been a difficult but ultimately rewarding spring for the farm.  As all of you probably noticed we had an extremely cold spring.  A cold spring means we cannot get into the ground as early as we would have liked because it is wet/frozen.  It also means that once the plants do go in the ground they grow extremely slow.  Right after the plants started to recover from the cold weather they got hit by an obnoxious pest called flea beetles which target plants in the cabbage family, most notably the Pac Choi, radishes, and arugula, and chew tiny holes in them.  We successfully controlled the infestation with a combination of row cover, peppermint soap (Dr. Bronner's, of course!) and an organic pesticide derived from a bacterium.  Even with our successful control of the beetles many of the choi still have holes in them, but rest assured they still taste delicious and are not noticeable once they are cooked.  The row cover, which is a spun polypropylene fabric, retains heat as well as blocks pests.  As a result the pac choi is also beginning to go to seed, or bolt.  They still are juicy and tender and can be used in stir fries of soups. The great news is the warm weather of the past few weeks and the rains of the last couple days have the vegetables growing like crazy and a bountiful summer is in sight.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as we will.  

     We are so pleased to have you as part of our Wellspring family.  It was great meeting many of you at the orientations but for those who haven't yet made it to the farm, do know that there is an open invitation.  All of you are invited to our free event this Sunday from 2-6 p.m. (see more information below).  Later in the season we will also introduce the other staff who are support members to our farm team and those that do the growing as shared above by Farmer Evan.

     While the box is a little lighter in item numbers than the Wellspring norm, I do want to remind you that this is part of the partnership within a CSA between farmer and consumer. That part where we share the risk.  Unfortunately this long winter really changed the timing of things but, as Farmer Evan noted, the future boxes will continue to increase in bounty.  I the meantime, I hope you will relish in the FLAVOR of your share and again, we look forward to an amazing season and seeing you at the farm!

 Celebrating the First Harvest 2014 Season!

CARAWAY + CARDAMOM POACHED RHUBARB

from Pink Patisserie

Serves 4

1 bunch fresh rhubarb stalks, trimmed and cut into 4 inch pieces
3 T. sugar or sweetener of your choice
1 3/4 C. water
1/4 tsp. caraway seeds, lightly crushed
1/2 tsp. cardamom pods, lightly crushed

Place the rhubarb in a large skillet in one layer if possible. If not possible, poach the rhubarb in batches.  Pour the water over the top, add the sugar and spices and simmer over very low heat.  Do not allow the mixture to come to a rolling boil. Simmer the rhubarb until soft, about 3-4 minutes only if you want it to retain it's shape.

Remove the rhubarb from the poaching liquid carefully with tongs and place on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Bring the liquid to a boil and allow to reduce to 1/2 a cup.  Serve along side the rhubarb and pour over the top, spices and toasted nuts when ready to serve. I prefer to eat the the rhubarb warm over ice cream/frozen yogurt with the sauce drizzled on top.  This would also be great served cold with yogurt or oatmeal for breakfast! 

Dandelion - This is the cultivated variety of dandelion. It is very bitter and very good for you! It cleanses the liver, is great for eyesight, has lots of vitamins A and K, and the list goes on. Some people make juice with it. It is good in salads when mixed with other greens (or on its own if you really love it!), and gets less bitter when you cook with it. Sauteed dandelion greens with chopped up bacon is a popular dish. The fats help break down the bitterness. I've also found it is great when cooked and topped with crumbled blue cheese. It would be great sauteed with that green garlic as well!

Pea Shoots - These tasty tendrils are baby pea plants. They are packed with nutrients and are great for snacking. They also work great in a salad or a sandwich or to make a pea shoot pesto to serve over pasta. (Could use with some of the Green Garlic).

Pac Choi - This is like a smaller, more tender version of bok choy. It is great in stir-fry or a noodle bowl. Try sauteing it with garlic and ginger with a drizzle of sesame oil over it. These guys are also great for the grill and can be grilled whole with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Hon Tsai Tai - This is a flowering Asian green that is one of my favorite greens we grow. The stalks and flowers are also edible! The flowers are fun to put in salads or spinkled on top after you saute the greens and stalks. Below is an adaptable stir-fry recipe that you can use either or both the Hon Tsai Tai and Pac Choi in!

Basic Stir Fry

adapted from Healthy Living in the City

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
2 cups water
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 pound extra firm tofu or meat of choice, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 onion, chopped (or green garlic!)
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 ounce chopped crystallized ginger
2 carrots, sliced
2 teaspoon fish sauce
4 tablespoons gluten-free tamari sauce
4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3.5 ounces shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
8 oz (about 4 cups chopped) Hon Tsai Tai/ Pac Choi / other Asian green

In a small saucepan place quinoa and the 2 cups of water. Cover and turn to medium. When the lid starts to rattle, turn the heat to low and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Keep lid on and pull from heat so the pan doesn't burn.

Meanwhile, in a large wok or large saucepan add sesame oil and heat over medium.  Add the tofu and red pepper flakes and saut� until the sides are golden brown and crisp, 8-10 minutes.  Add the onion and garlic and stir until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Add sliced carrots  and Hon Tsai Tai stems and stir another 2-3 minutes. Add crystalized ginger, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar and tamari sauce, stir another 2 minutes. While carrots are still crunchy add mushrooms. Continue stirring until carrots are soft and mushrooms have thoroughly cooked, about 2-3 minutes more. Just prior to serving add the Hon Tsai Tai leaves and flowers, or greens of your choice.  Immediately pull from heat and continue mixing the greens into the stir-fry. The heat from the other ingredients will wilt the greens.  Serve over quinoa.

Sage- A wonderful herb - even in an easy recipe like sage butter over pasta. Here are 45 Things to Do with Fresh Sage.

Oregano - Use this link to create new flavors with this herb.

Sunday, June 8th - 2 to 6 pm