In Your Box:

• Bok Choy
• Garlic Scapes
• Head lettuce: “Grandpa Admire”
• Kohlrabi
• Radishes
• Salad mix
• Scallions
• Strawberries

Farm News

After three straight years of drought, it might seem like all the rain we’ve had this year would be a blessing. And indeed it was–up to a certain point. But now it’s just getting ridiculous! From a farming standpoint, the incessant rain has led to a lot of headaches. 

We’ve got more pest issues this year than I’ve had in the past. Pill bugs (roly-pollies) are thriving. This is a good thing, as they break down organic matter in the garden, but they tend to hide out in the lettuce leaves to escape the high water. I pick them out as best I can, but my apologies if any hitch a ride in the lettuce and end up in your box! Mosquitoes don’t affect the plants at all, but they are a horde this year and certainly irritate the poor farmer trying to work around them!

All of the rain has made farm work itself even more difficult. There just aren’t enough dry hours to keep up with the weeding. We’re also seeing some crop losses, with some strawberries rotting from being waterlogged and some of our later crops dying from sitting in water too long. We’ll still hope for the best, but I hope you’ll understand if the boxes are a little uneven later in the season.

In conclusion, farmers love to complain about the weather and I’ve certainly had a lot to talk about this spring and early summer! And if the weather pattern shifts into more of a drought, you won’t hear me complaining. For a while, at least….

This week’s box

We’ll keep providing strawberries as long as they hold out, but this might be the last week they are available. Enjoy them while they last!

One new crop this week is the kohlrabi. If you’re not familiar with kohlrabi, it is a relative of cabbage and turnips and has a similar flavor. The leaves can be snapped off and used just like kale. The bulb itself can be peeled and sliced on a veggie tray and tastes great with dressing or lemon juice. It can also be used in stir-fry.

Also, we welcome garlic scapes to the box this week. Scapes are the long, curly critters with beaks. They grow off the top of the garlic plant and would eventually flower and try to produce seeds if left on the plant. These are remarkably expensive in most grocery stores, but the truth is that we have to remove them anyway. Once they are snapped off, the garlic puts all of its growing energy into its cloves. Basically, once it knows that it can’t reproduce by seed, it shifts its focus to its other means of reproduction–delicious and nutritious cloves. Scapes keep well in the fridge for up to a month and can be used just like garlic. The whole scape is edible, so chop it up small and enjoy.

Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy

From NYTimes Cooking

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
• ¾ pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped gingerroot
• 2 garlic scapes, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• ½ pound bok choy (1 head), trimmed and thinly sliced
• 2-4 scallions, thinly sliced
• Pinch chile flakes and salt, as needed
• Cooked rice, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. Pour half the mixture over the chicken, along with half the ginger and half the garlic. Let stand 20 minutes
2. Heat a large, 12-inch skillet over high heat until extremely hot, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and the chicken. Cook, stirring constantly, until meat is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining peanut oil to the skillet. Add the bok choy and cook 1 minute. Stir in the leeks and chili flakes; cook, tossing frequently until bok choy and leeks are tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the marinade and a pinch of salt. Move vegetable mixture to the border of the pan. Add remaining ginger and garlic to center of pan and cook, mashing lightly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return chicken to skillet and combine with ginger, garlic, and vegetables. Serve immediately, over rice.

Coming up

 We are expecting komatsuna, garlic scapes, scallions, head lettuce, radishes, salad mix, kale and spinach. Peas should be ready soon!