Weekly Share June 2nd – 8th

Mesclun Salad Mix
Escarole or Lettuce (Red Romaine or Oakleaf)
Cabbage (Tendersweet or Early Jersey)
Russian Kale
Fennel
Garlic Scapes
Spring Onions (Bianca Di Maggio)
A little something extra

We had a busy week, starting with the CSA workday. Thanks to all the help last Sunday, we really got a lot accomplished and appreciate getting a chance to work with CSA members on the farm. Although we don’t often recognize it, what with our busy and hectic farming schedule, when we have visitors at the farm, working with us, we are reminded of why we chose to make farming our work and life. See we were not raised as farmers, but individuals who searched out this lifestyle. Even though it is difficult and often a struggle, it is important for us to remember the privilege we have had to make this choice and follow our dreams. We both love having space and living out in the country surrounded by plants, animals, changing seasons, and delicious food as well as the tremendous farming history on our land. In our day to day life, we are working at being better farmers and persevering through whatever difficulties arise and so it is vitally important to be reminded of our choice to farm and of all the special things we get to experience everyday.

This week’s share brings fennel, cabbage, and spring onions into the mix. The Spring onions are small cippollini onions, so they will have a sweet flavor, excellent for grilling. These are the best cabbages we have ever grown, so please enjoy them. We have been making different coleslaw variations for many a meal. Cabbage is a great keeper as well, so if you are inundated with too much produce, this will hold for a number of weeks. Fennel is such an amazing vegetable; if you shy away from its intense flavor, think about cooking it instead of eating it raw. It will be absolutely delicious. Our favorite way to eat fennel is to thinly slice the whole bulb, sauté with onion in butter, add a small amount of stock (beef, chicken, or veggie), salt, and cover. After 10 minutes uncover and cook till liquid has evaporated. This preparation can also be done as part of a pasta dish, add to the onion and fennel some capers or olives, anchovies or tuna, olive oil, chile flakes, and then toss with pasta and grate some salty hard cheese on top. You will not be disappointed. This week you are getting another larger bunch of garlic scapes and this may be it for the season, as they all came on at once. They will store in a plastic bag for at least 3 weeks, but can also be pickled using  the brine for a basic dilly bean recipe and they make amazing additions to any pickle plate. Other options for the scapes are making garlic butter (blend the scapes, mix with softened butter and a little salt, then using wax paper make the butter into a log roll, wrap in plastic wrap, freeze, and use as needed.) or garlic scape pesto (check out this website for recipes: http://www.saveur.com/article/-/Garlic-Scapes-Recipes).  Have a great week and enjoy the share….Brian and Autumn