Week #7, Honorary farmhands

Strawberry u-pickers, toiling in the heat.

The stars aligned for our strawberry upick last weekend.  We had a lot of ripe berries and just the right number of people to pick them.  It balanced perfectly, with enough berries for everyone who visited.  This is unprecedented.  With a big crop like that, we could easily end the day with unpicked berries that would be over-ripe by this week’s delivery, and therefore wasted.  Fortunately, it all worked out.  Honestly, strawberries are our riskiest crop because they are so easily damaged by the weather.  It’s been wet this year but the thick straw mulch saved the berries.

It was hot during the u-pick.  If you visited on Saturday, then you have experienced a challenging harvest day in the fields and can now call yourself an honorary farmhand.  I think everyone left the farm happy with their berries, and slightly dehydrated.  Beth

More milkweed next year

Demand was high for the milkweed seedlings I offered for retrieval at the u-pick. We have given them all away.  I am pleased to know that many of you care about supporting monarch butterflies.  I will grow a bigger batch of seedlings next year, enough for everyone.  Sorry to disappoint some of you.  Beth

Veggie List and Veggie Notes
Week #7, July 3/5, 2019
– Weekly shares
– EOW/ purple
– Sampler/ sun

Folks, do not be surprised if quantities in your box are different from the list below.  I had to guess.  Our harvest schedule is weird this week because of the holiday.

Strawberries, 1 quart?
Caraflex cabbage, 1 head
Sugar snap peas, 1.2 lb
Romaine lettuce, 1
Zucchini &/or yellow squash, 2.5 – 3 lb
Kohlrabi, 1
Fennel with fronds, 1 large or 2 medium
Garlic scapes, a handful
Cilantro, 1 bunch
Basil, 1 or 2 husky sprigs
Some sites get 1 sunflower per box.

Next week’s box will probably contain carrots, sugar snap peas, Swiss chard, zucchini & summer squash, lettuce, garlic scapes, an herb and more.

Strawberries – These are ripe. Eat soon.

‘Caraflex’ cabbage – This is a nice salad-type that we grow in summer.  Don’t you love the pointy shape?  It has thinner, more tender leaves than the usual green cabbage.  Great in salads and slaws but can also be cooked.  Here’s the description from the seed catalogue: “Inner leaves are tender, crunchy, and have an excellent, sweet and mild cabbage flavor.  Perfect for summer salads, slaws, or cooked dishes.”  We’re sending it this week so you can make slaw for your holiday picnics.

Kohlrabi (pale green, round vegetable with thick skin) – Crunchy and sweet, kohlrabi is a great addition to salads.
Storage:  Kohlrabi bulbs will store for a month in the refrigerator.
Uses:  Kohlrabi are good peeled and eaten out of hand, or added to sandwiches, or added to salads.  It makes a nice salad on it’s own.  You can grate it, slice it, or cut it into matchsticks.  It’s also good cooked.  If you have it, the Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook has a long list of kohlrabi suggestions.

Fennel (large vegetable with a fat bulb and lacy fronds) – Fennel is a ‘swing vegetable’; it can be used raw or cooked.  Clean well and slice as thinly as possible for use in raw salads.  It is good simply prepared with olive oil, lime or lemon juice, salt and shaved parmesan cheese.  Cooking softens and sweetens fennel, and mellows its anise flavor.  Both the bulb and leaves are edible.  Here are ideas from Alice Water of Chez Panisse about how to use fennel:  ‘It’s strong anise characteristic seems to suit fish particularly well.  … We use fennel all the time.  We add the feathery leaves to marinades for fish and to numerous salads, sauces and soups and we use them as a garnish, too. … The bulbs are sliced and served raw in salads in various combinations with other vegetables, parboiled for pastas; caramelized and served as a side dish; braised whole; or cooked in vegetable broths & fish stocks.”

Garlic scapes (curly green things) – Garlic scapes grow at the top of garlic plants.  They look like flower buds but are actually clusters of tiny bulblets.  We snap off the young scapes to direct the plants’ energy into forming garlic bulbs underground.  Use scapes as a substitute for garlic cloves.  They can be minced, mixed with olive oil, and added to stir fries or simple pasta dishes.  The scapes can be sautéed, but will not brown like garlic cloves.  Expect them to retain their crunch even when cooked, and to be milder than garlic cloves, closer in pungency to the green garlic we’ve sent.

Cilantro – Used in both Mexican and some Asian cuisines.
Storage: Refrigerate.

Basil  – Yum, the first tender basil, perfect to combine with garlic scapes, zucchini, snap peas, etc.
Storage:  Basil will blacken if stored in the refrigerator.  It is best stored at room temperature with the cut ends in water, for example in a jar or vase.  Treat it like a flower.  Give the stem a fresh trim and change the water every day or two.

Sunflower (for some sites) – We continue experimenting with sunflowers.  They are one of the few flowers that we can send in the CSA boxes.  This cheerful variety ‘Vincent’s Choice’ does not produce pollen, making it a good choice to pack with vegetables.  Trim the stem and place in water.  Give the stem a fresh trim and change the water every day or two.  It might last 5 – 7 days.

RECIPES

Visit our 2019 Recipe Log or our 2018 Recipe Log or join our Facebook discussion group.

LOCAL THYME/ Comforting Classics
Paprika and Oregano Roasted Kohlrabi
Lamb, Kohlrabi and Fennel Curry
Smoked Trout, Snap Pea and Basil Pasta Salad
Cabbage Kohl Slaw

LOCAL THYME/ Outside the Box Recipes
Kohlrabi Gorgonzola Gratinée
Fennel Summer Squash Slaw
Burrata Snap Pea Salad
Southwestern Slaw

LOCAL THYME/ Quick & Easy Meal
Creamy Zucchini and Spaghetti
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RECIPES FROM LAUREN

PARCHMENT PACKET SALMON WITH SUGAR SNAP CILANTRO SLAW
Inspired by What’s Cooking Good Looking

Serves 4-6
Takes 45 minutes

1 pound salmon
1 lime, cut into thin slices
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
3 cups snap peas, ends trimmed and sliced lengthwise (about 2/3 pound)
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup packed chopped cilantro
2-3 garlic scapes, minced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Take a piece of parchment and lay it on a baking sheet. Place lime slices in a row on the parchment paper and top limes with salmon. Drizzle salmon with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper before laying a couple more lime slices on top.
3. Fold up the parchment into packets by taking the two long sides and bringing them together in the middle, folding it so it seals. Take both ends and twist tightly. Fold parchment ends under salmon. Bake the salmon for 20 minutes until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, prepare your slaw by combine peas, cabbage, cilantro and scapes in a large bowl. Toss to combine then add mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir until veggies are well-coated.
5. When salmon is ready serve warm with slaw on top or on the side.

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ZUCCHINI, KOHLRABI & FENNEL FRITTERS

Takes 30 minutes
Makes 8-10 fritters
Serves 2-4

1-1/2 pounds zucchini, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 large kohlrabi, shredded (about 3 cups)
1/2 fennel, cored and shaved
1/4 cup chopped basil and/or cilantro
2-3 garlic scapes, minced
1/2 cup flour
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

1. Place shredded zucchini, kohlrabi and fennel in a large cheese cloth and squeeze to remove most liquid.
2. Add drained veggies to a large bowl with basil and/or cilantro, garlic scapes, flour, egg, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
3. In a large heavy skillet, warm 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Reduce to medium low and add mixture in 1/3 cup portions to the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden brown on one side and flip. Press mixture into a patty and cook additional 4-5 minutes until browned and cooked through.
4. Serve warm with yogurt, ketchup or hot sauce.

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