Week 2 Newsletter

In your box:

• Garlic scapes
• Kale, Red Russian
• Mizuna
• Radishes
• Salad mix
• Scallions (green onions)
• Strawberries
• Tat soi

 Even if it were not for my new “no-weather-related-complaint” pledge, I wouldn’t have too much to complain about this week. Following the streak of April-type weather last week, we had a whole week of sunshine and steadily rising temperatures to kick our garden into high gear. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and corn were especially happy this week. Corn loves hot, humid weather with good ground moisture, and this week our sweet corn surged above the “knee-high by the 4^th of July” mark with a few days to spare.

Strawberries seemed equally pleased with the return of sunshine, producing a bumper crop this week. On June 30^th, Nina picked a personal record 144 pints of strawberries! This is well over 100 pounds, not including all of the sub-standard berries that she ate in the field. We have been absolutely spoiled with strawberries this spring, so enjoy it while it lasts. We may have strawberries available for sale to canners and people with tastebuds, so e-mail or call us if you would like to purchase some in addition to what you receive in your share.

This was a frustrating week for early spring crops, which never really had a chance this year. Our spinach is bolting (going to seed) and our peas look pathetic, so we aren’t expecting much from them this season. They prefer the cool weather of April and May to get a good start on growing, but with our wet start to the year we couldn’t get them planted when we liked. We may still see some peas yet this spring, but it looks like we’ll have to wait until fall for our next chance at spinach.

Just a few helpful hints and instructions:

• Please remember to return your boxes weekly. These wax boxes are $1.50-$2.00 each and can be reused throughout at least one season. Please help us keep our costs down by returning them to your delivery site each week. If you have a memory as faulty as mine, you can also bring your own bags/boxes to your delivery site and leave the farm box there.
• Yes, we can and do reuse the blue berry pint containers. Unless they develop mold or juice stains, please return them to your delivery site.
• All of the bags that we package your produce in are compostable, recyclable, and reusable. We do not reuse them for your produce, however. Feel free to recycle or compost them yourself, or else send them back to the farm for our compost pile.
• Whenever it is advantageous to the crop, we thorougly wash most of what goes into the box. Some crops (strawberries, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.) develop mold quickly when washed, so they go in the boxes directly. We do recommend washing everything you receive, simply because dirt and little bugs usually take a scrubbing or two to fully come off.

New this week:

Scallions

(also known as green onions) are a special cultivar of onion that don’t mind growing in close proximity to each other (if only our state legislature and Governor could learn from them….). They are harvested before forming any sizable bulb, and are a great addition to meals before sweet onions develop in a few more weeks. To prepare, cut off just the bottom of the white part to which the roots attach. The rest is edible, including green tops. Chop finely and use in any recipe calling for onions.

Mizuna

is a close relative of arugula and mustard greens and is used in many of the same ways. The leaves feature jagged tips, and its taste is much more mild than its spicy relatives. Mizuna can be chopped and added raw to a salad, wilted lightly, or else used as a cooking green in a baked dish.

Tat soi

is a relative of bok choy and can be used in similar ways. Cut the leaves with a bit of white stem away from the stalk and use in stir-fries and pasta dishes.

Expected next week: Beets, parsley & turnips.