Weekly Share June 4th – 11th

Fennel
Summer Squash
Mesclun Salad Mix
Red Round Radishes
Russian or Broadleaf Kale
Scallions
Dill/Mint

As we have mentioned a few times, this has been a strange spring; what with extreme weather patterns and temperature shifts. You may have noticed a lack of arugula and baby mustards or late arrivals of broccoli and carrots. Some of this is due to late, early Spring plantings, but more even are the effects of the late April into May weather. We are now hitting a period with very little lettuce, the heat swings and unending wet weather a few weeks back confused 3 successions into bolting, beginning to flower and although we have a little arugula in our mix, we are still waiting for a sufficient stand, maybe in mid-June it will happen, fingers crossed. When the heavy rains came our farm was spared in many ways, only a few inches of rain fell; but with our heavy soil it did create some breathability issues for certain crops and mostly it invigorated all the spring and summer weeds. The amount of growth on the farm over the past two weeks has been remarkable. Everything has enjoyed the rain, making it hard to catch up with weed management. This puts a bit of a strain on us, as May is a huge planting month. We plant all our indoor and outdoor peppers, 2 successions of tomatoes, eggplant, corn, beans, okra, 2 successions of squash and cucumbers, 3 successions of lettuce, chicories, cut greens, 2 successions of basil and more. So we are slowly cleaning up crop fields and trying to give the crops room to breathe. Slowly but surely they are coming to maturity and before you know it we will have roots, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, and even tomatoes.
This week’s share includes our first fennel, sighting of the year. It is still very small; but pungent too. It is fabulous used both raw and cooked. Some people find fennel too strong or overbearing, in this case it is best to cook it, which will mellow the anise flavor while bringing out the sweetness. Braising or roasting are both great cooking methods. We particularly enjoy fennel sautéed with garlic scapes and spring onions, capers or olives, some anchovies and chile flakes, and even a few greens such as chard or kale. Then toss with your favorite pasta and a splash more of olive oil and you have a fabulous meal. We also encourage people to use some of the radish, scallion, and herbs in the share to make a fresh relish of sorts. All minced up with a bit of citrus, salt, and a touch of oil. This is a great addition to tacos, salads, fish, eggs, etc. Please check out some of the recipes below and enjoy the share….,Autumn and Brian

Black Barley, Fennel, and Radish Salad

Zucchini-and-Fennel Salad With Pecorino and Mint

Egg And Radish Salad

Polenta Bowl With Garlicky Summer Squash & Kale