Beet
Kale
Fennel
Broccoli
Tropea Spring Onions
Hakurei Turnips
Iceberg Lettuce
Italian Parsley
Life is busy on the farm as we transition into June. We will be harvesting garlic this coming week and it is looking to be a good year, with a lot of large heads. This year we are experimenting with some different harvest techniques. We have always harvested the heads, bunched them together, and hung to dry (cure) in the top of our large barn. Once dried back and fully cured, we will clip the tops and roots and put in bins which are moved into a climate-controlled space. This year we are going to try clipping the tops off immediately, laying out the heads to dry (cure) in our shade covered greenhouse with lots of fans. We are hoping cutting a step will save us time and also help us move them into a climate-controlled environment more quickly, as we are convinced that this helps the heads hold moisture longer, hence store longer into the fall and winter. We will still bunch and hang the majority of our garlic, as we know this method works, producing well cured garlic heads. There is some question as to whether the garlic heads will cure down properly with the majority of the top removed. We are looking for the best method to hold the garlic for a long season while also reducing labor if possible, so we will see.
We harvested our red onion crop this past week, definitely very early for us; but they look great and are now drying back in our barn as well. Lots of late summer plantings are taking place, with Okra seeded last week and Watermelon being transplanted this week. Otherwise we are using any moments we have trying to catch up with our weed population from all the early May rain, making it a difficult feat this season. We have already dumped some carrot and herb beds; because at a certain point we cannot justify the hand weeding time. Beets have also been inundated with those late Spring weeds; but we can harvest them, they are just on the small side and literally hard to find. The immense weed population also helps the vegetable eating bug population thrive; so we are beginning to see some real damage to our leafy greens and tender crops; but the food is still delicious just a little ugly.
This week’s share has fennel (a personal favorite), Tropea Italian spring onions, beets, and Italian parsley all crops that are delicious together. Check out the recipes below and enjoy the share…..Autumn & Brian
Iceberg Salad with Italian Dressing
Labneh Dip with Caramelized Onions and Fennel
Roasted Beet & Fennel with Orange Vinaigrette
Broccoli & Kale Salad from Ina Garten
Pan-fried Turnips with Thyme & Breadcrumbs
Sheet-Pan Chicken Meatballs and Charred Broccoli
Roasted Beets, Avocado, and Sunflower Seeds from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden
1 lb beets
kosher salt & black pepper
extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbls red wine vinegar
¼ cup salted roasted sunflower seeds
½ cup lightly packed roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 scallions, trimmed, (including ½” off the green tops), sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well
½ cup lightly packed, seeded, chopped pickled peppers
2 firm-ripe avocadoes
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Trim the tops and bottoms of the beets. Wash the greens and spin dry in a salad spinner. Rinse and scrub the beets to remove any mud and grit. Cut up any larger beets so that they are all about the same size.
Put the beets in a baking dish that’s large enough to accommodate all of them in a single layer. Season with salt, then pour ¼ cup water into the dish. Cover tightly with foil and steam roast until the beets are tender when pierced with a knife. Depending on the size, density, and age of the beets, this could take between 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Meanwhile, if you have beet greens to cook, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add a glug of olive oil, add the beet greens, and toss them until they are wilted and a bit stewed, about 5 minutes. Set aside until cool, then chop through them a few times.
When the beets are tender, let them cool until you can handle them, then rub or pare away the skins. Cut into ½-inch wedges or chunks and pile into a bowl. Add the greens.
While the beets are still warm, sprinkle with the vinegar, ½ tsp salt, and many twists of pepper. Toss to distribute the seasonings and let the beets absorb the vinegar for a few minutes. Add a healthy glug of olive oil and toss again. Let the beets sit at room temperature until you are ready to serve.
To assemble for serving, add the sunflower seeds, parsley, scallions, and pickled peppers and toss gently. Peel the avocadoes and cut them into neat chunks that are about the same size as the beet wedges, and add them to the beets too. Toss thoroughly but very gently, so you don’t mash the avocado too much. Taste and adjust with more salt, black pepper, vinegar, or oil. Serve right away.