The crew has been using the beekeeping suits & veils to keep the mosquitoes away!
 
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Week Seven! - We are providing the e-news for ALL shareholders, however only Full Share and Week A Half Shares pick up this week!
 
 Don't forget to snag your tickets to the Taste of Wellspring before we sell out! You won't want to miss it! Info is on our website and at the bottom of this email under "Upcoming Events and Classes."
 
In case you have not gotten a chance to read it yet, here is our CSA Shareholder AgreementMissed a newsletter? Check out our newsletter archives on our website!

Unfortunately, we have been noticing (or hearing about from our pick-up sites) that an abnormal number of boxes are getting ripped, are not being unfolded & flattened after emptying the contents, or are being taken from the pick-up sites. Please help us keep our pick-up sites happy & our costs down by being careful when unfolding the boxes, keeping the pick-up spots neat & tidy, and not taking the boxes home with you. When we have to buy new boxes, our prices go up and wax boxes are surprisingly expensive! Please take a look at this document  that shows correct & incorrect ways to handle the boxes. Also, here is a link to a short video showing how to unfold the box properly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykUjnZZHY6o
Be sure to share it with anyone else who might be picking up your box for you! Sorry to be a nag on this. I wish I didn't have to! Thank you to all of you who take the time to read this and who regularly read the newsletters each week!
 
Farm News from Farmer Evan

Hello and welcome to week 7 of the CSA.

I figured this would be a good time to talk about all of the rain we have gotten and some of the issues it brings with it.  The most damaging storm was the day-long deluge we experienced 3 or 4 weeks ago where we got 5 inches of rain in 8 hours.  Over the next 5 or 6 days we received another 3 or 4 inches of rain.  This amount of rain meant our soils reached there "Saturation Point" which means it was holding the maximum amount of water it could, and thus there was very little air left in the soil.  It is these anaerobic conditions that are harmful to plants.  The majority of crops already planted survived well but those in our lower fields did suffer some damage.  Spinach is the most sensitive crop to wet soils and a beautiful stand was killed and the freshly seeded stuff did not make it either. Maybe a quarter of our Brussels Sprouts did not survive (luckily we had some extra plants we could replace them with).  Our other low field has all of our tomatoes, peppers and eggplant as well as the first planting of summer squash. Most of these crops survived but their growth has been severely stunted.  One major side affect of stunted growth is that the plants want to produce fruit prematurely.  The main goal of a plant is to reproduce and pass its genes onto the next generation, in the case of tomatoes and peppers that mean producing the fruits we eat.  When a plant gets stressed out it gives up on growing vegetatively (the leaves) and focuses its limited resources on reproducing.  If we let the plants produce fruit when they are still small the fruit will be much smaller and potentially less flavorful because there is not enough vegetation to produce the sugars and nutrients necessary for vigorous, healthy fruits. To prevent this we clip off fruits and blossoms so the plant focuses on growing big instead of growing fruit.  We have had to perform this "plant husbandry" on the tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, summer squash and winter squash.  I feel confident our efforts will pay off but only time will tell.

For some good news, the celery and onions loved the rain and are looking very nice.  For some great news, BEETS!! and fennel and green beans; three of my favorite veggies in one share.  I enjoy all three prepared the same way, although usually in separate dishes- roasted with olive oil, salt and garlic until golden brown and delicious.

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

 

CROP                          FRIDGE?            NOTES/VARIETY

 

Fennel                           Yes                         Orion

Lettuce Head                 Yes           Red Butterhead, Romaine, Magenta,                                                                  New Red Fire, or Salanova

Collards                         Yes                     Flash or Champion

Green beans                 Yes               not washed, bagged w/ the peas  

Peas                              Yes             not washed,  bagged w/ the beans

Basil                               NO                            Genovese

Broccoli                         Yes              Arcadia, Bay Meadows, Amadeus

Beets                             Yes                          Red Ace

Mini Cabbage                Yes                           Farao or Savoy

Kohlrabi                         Yes                                 Winner

 

Storage Tips 
   BASIL! Do NOT put the basil in the fridge. It will turn black. It does not like cold or wet, so this herb is tricky to store. If you can't use it right away, the best method here is an airtight container/jar loosely packed with a small, damp piece of paper inside- left out on the counter.
  Peas and beans are bagged together to use fewer plastic bags. Neither are washed and should be washed just before eating.
 Though we wash most of the vegetables after harvest, it is impossible to get every last bit of dirt off of them all. Therefore we recommend giving all the greens another wash before storing in a bag/container with a piece of paper towel, in your crisper drawer. Later on in the week if your greens start to get limp, remember that this does not mean that they are rotting, it simply means that they have lost some water weight.  A quick soak in ice cold water will rejuvenate them. 
    The broccoli should be eaten as soon as possible because the fresher it is, the better it tastes! Even though it will last in the fridge, I suggest not waiting.  
   For best storage practices for all your fresh fruits and veggies, check out this great resource from the Berkeley Farmers Market
 
Save those scraps! Keep the stems, trimmings, peels, etc from your veggie prep each week in a gallon bag in the freezer. When you accumulate enough, you can make a delicious, homemade vegetable stock...from seemingly nothing at all! Check out this blog post for the details on how to do it.
 
Recipes from Farmer Heather

There are several "slaw-able" items in the boxes this week, so here is a formula to experiment with and have fun creating your very own slaw du jour with whatever crunchy veggies or fruits you may have on hand!
Tip when picking items to slaw: veggies & herbs in the same plant families tend to go well together. For example, the Apiaceae family members make great slaws - carrots, celery, dill, fennel, cilantro, parsley. So does the brassica family - cabbage, kohlrabi, radish, turnip, horseradish, broccoli stems, etc. Don't limit yourself to only that family or put all of these in one slaw, just let it be a base you build off of. 

Alright, you need a dressing: creamy or vinaigrette, they both can work! Just make sure you have:
-an acid (vinegar or citrus juice/zest)
-a sweetener (honey, agave, sugar, maple syrup, etc)
-seasonings (fresh or dried herbs, spices, salt, pepper)
-a fat (oil, sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk, mayonnaise) 
whisk the first 3 together, then add the fat last and whisk, whisk, whisk.

For the salad part:
-crunchy veggies and/or fruit (shredded, sliced, chopped or a combo)
-aromatics, optional (green onions, fennel fronds, herbs, etc)
-garnishes, bonus (nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc)
mix the first 2, toss with dressing, top with bonus garnishes. 
You are DONE! That's SLAW she wrote! (groan...)
 

Kohlrabi aka Edible Spaceship: You can saute it with butter and onion, you can make slaw, you can make fritters, you can scoop out the inside with a melon baller and stuff it, the possibilities are endless! Check out the recipe below for a very refreshing and simple way to use it (along with your basil!).

Raw Kohlrabi & Grapefruit Salad

from Kiran Tarun 

2 medium kohlrabi, peeled and thinly sliced

1 big ripe and juicy grapefruit (segments & juice)

1/3 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)

1/2 tsp honey

a pinch of salt & black pepper

a pinch of fresh herb (thyme/basil/mint)

 

In a bowl, add all ingredients. Mix and refrigerate to develop flavors. Serve chilled or room temperature.

 

 

Baked Kohlrabi Fries w/ Chili powder & Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

from Five & Spice

 

1 kohlrabi  (stems and leaves removed, if they came with them attached - you can sautee those parts, if you want)

1 Tbs. melted coconut oil, ghee, or olive oil

salt, chili powder and ground cumin

 

Preheat your oven to 425F.  Wash the kohlrabi, then use a sharp paring knife or good vegetable peeler to peel them.  Cut them into matchsticks. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the kohlrabi sticks with the oil and sprinkle very generously with salt and chili powder, and sprinkle on a smaller amount of cumin.  Spread the kohlrabi in a single layer.Bake in the oven, flipping once, until they are soft and getting blistered and dark on the outside, about 30 minutes. Remove and eat warm with ketchup or with yogurt dipping sauce (see below).

 

Cilantro Lime Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)

1 Tbs. lime juice, plus a pinch of lime zest

2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Stir all ingredients together.  

  

Fennel: Farmer favorite! Not everyone is a fan of the anise flavor that fennel carries, but cooking it will reduce the intensity. You can slice it paper thin for a salad or on a sandwich (especially one that has cured or smoked fish on it!). Fennel also makes an excellent pizza topping or is delicious with a lemon atop of roasted/grilled white fish. Save the stalks for making soup stock (or pickle them!) and use the fronds to top a salad or slaw.

 
Food Photos 
Red or Green Salanova lettuce heads 
OR Red or Green Butterhead (aka Bibb/Boston) lettuce heads
 OR Romaine lettuce head
OR Magenta lettuce head
Green Cabbage
green beans
Green beans
red ace beets
Red Ace Beets
peas
Peas (bagged w/ beans)

 

  

fennel
Fennel
broccoli
Broccoli
collards
Collards
basil
Basil

 

Kohlrabi

 
Upcoming Classes, Workshops and Events at Wellspring!
 

For more information and to register for classes, please visit 

www.wellspringinc.org or call (847) 946-5565

 

 

Registration is now open for:

The Taste of Wellspring - Farm to Table Dinner 
Sunday, July 27th - 5 to 9 pm 

8200 W County Line Rd, Mequon, WI 53097

 

The Taste of Wellspring is our annual fundraiser dinner held to generate support for Wellspring's education classes and community outreach programs. For the event, chefs from the local, regional area get creative and serve up gourmet dishes featuring Wellspring's produce, accompanied by local, sustainably sourced meats and dairy products. Live music and a silent auction are also part of the event to make for an evening full of local food and fun! 

 

Visit our Website to view the participating chefs and menu!

 

Cost: $75 per guest till July 15th, $90 after. Sponsorship opportunities starting at $250 includes 2 guests for the event. 

To register, visit www.wellspringinc.org call (262) 675-6755

  

Organic Baby Food Making With Master Preserver Christina Ward
Thursday, August 7th - 6 to 9 pm  

Many baby foods can be overly processed and contain synthetic ingredients. Join Master Preserver, Christina Ward, in this hands on class to learn how easy it can be to make your own baby food with fresh, organic produce! Preparation, storage and recipes tips will be covered. Students will work together to make their own baby food to bring home. All supplies will be provided. 

 

Cost: $50 until 8/4, $55 after.

 

Seasonal Produce Cooking Class - Brunch!

With Chef Greg Leon of Amilinda

 
Saturday, August 9th 
10 am to Noon 

Impress your family and friends with brunch made from seasonal ingredients! Chef Greg Leon will lead demos, tastings and give cooking tips. Recipes to take home! Come hungry!

 

Cost: $30 till 8/5, $35 after.

In This Issue
Farm News
Box List
Storage Tips
Recipes
Food Photos
Upcoming Events and Classes