We're at week Six of CSA already! Where has the time gone?
We hope everyone isn't burned out on Kale yet. I know some people can't get enough, and some feel 1 bunch every other week is more than enough... Last week, we gave a few extras to members being a holiday week and having many kale plants that needed to be picked to get them going. Also the lettuce wants to bolt in the heat we've been having, so we harvested extra for members as well. We promise there will be less greens and more of other things in the coming weeks as more crops start coming in.
By next week you should start seeing summer squashes in shares, and possibly purple string beans. I picked a few cherry tomatoes yesterday from the fields too. In 2-3 weeks, you can expect more beets, some cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and even carrots. Also Grindstone Farm has started harvesting their blueberries from under the cover of their high tunnels, so field blues are about 2 weeks from now! The carrots pictured below are about the width of a pen and longer than one... We will thin some baby ones soon (about three weeks) to make room for the others to get bigger! As you can see from the photo there are purple, yellow and orange carrots to look forward to.
We hope everyone isn't burned out on Kale yet. I know some people can't get enough, and some feel 1 bunch every other week is more than enough... Last week, we gave a few extras to members being a holiday week and having many kale plants that needed to be picked to get them going. Also the lettuce wants to bolt in the heat we've been having, so we harvested extra for members as well. We promise there will be less greens and more of other things in the coming weeks as more crops start coming in.
By next week you should start seeing summer squashes in shares, and possibly purple string beans. I picked a few cherry tomatoes yesterday from the fields too. In 2-3 weeks, you can expect more beets, some cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and even carrots. Also Grindstone Farm has started harvesting their blueberries from under the cover of their high tunnels, so field blues are about 2 weeks from now! The carrots pictured below are about the width of a pen and longer than one... We will thin some baby ones soon (about three weeks) to make room for the others to get bigger! As you can see from the photo there are purple, yellow and orange carrots to look forward to.
This week's harvest will include the following:
Collards (to give you a break from the kales and because they're finally looking great after the woodchuck assault)
lettuce
snow peas
mustard greens (green, red, or mizuna)
turnips greens
hakurei turnips (tender sweet salad turnips)
bunching onions
radishes (a mix of multi colored easter egg and french breakfast varieties)
Italian Dandelion Greens
basil
kale
swiss chard
and the start of summer squashes
There is much weeding that needs to gotten to, and with the frequent rains it's been difficult to get to much of it. Travis has spent many a late night till the sun goes down tackling this task. We also have to finish trellising our tomatoes and cucumbers. Any workshare members, or folks who would just plain like to vounteer are encouraged to come help with some of these tasks this week. Friday is looking like the best day weather wise at this point. Please contact us if you are available to come lend a hand!
We have gotten many of our fall harvest crops in the ground as well, leeks, more carrots and beets, and the rutabagas are already getting huge. Cauliflower, romanesco broccoli and other broccoli, escarole, and more lettuce. Later plantings of spinach we hope will get you some spinach in shares later in the season, as right now it's just way too hot for it! Turnip greens that we'll be harvesting this week will give many of the purple top turnips room to grow and get bigger!
We have scheduled our Open House for Sunday July 20th. Everyone is welcome to attend, come tour the farm and partake in a potluck dinner. From 1-3p.m. we will be giving walking tours of the farm, including free u-pick crops for all in attendance. For families we will offer a kid oriented farm tour too. Tours start on the hour at 1, 2 and 3. Meet up at the main barn at Grindstone Farm, 780 Co Rt 28. Also Grindstone Farm's blueberry patch will be open for CSA exclusive U-pick. (There will be a charge for this u-pick crop.) At 4p.m. join us for a potluck supper. Bring your own place setting, and a dish to pass. Grills will be available for use as well. Please include a list of ingredients for diet restricted folks. The pond will be available for swimming, so bring your swim wear, towels and floatees for the kids! (Sorry, the "grinder will be off limits for this event) After supper, folks are invited to stay and "jam" together with any musical instruments they'd like to bring or share. Electricity will not be available. I tried to get a band to come play, but I guess not many folks are willing to sing for their supper.
Hope to see many old and new faces at the open house this year. It is a great time to come meet fellow members, and your farmers; show your kids where their food comes from and see for yourself. So invite a friend, bring the family and spread the word!
This week's recipe uses collards and the bunching onions. Just substitute the whole onion with the baby bunching onions!
Vegans and vegetarians can sub the bacon with some extra butter or olive oil and the chicken stock with vegetable broth.
Collards are a great source of magnesium, calcium and vitamin K; all of which are better absorbed and utilized by the body with some good fatty acids (hence the traditional use of bacon grease.)
- 3-ounce slab of bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
- Splash red wine vinegar
- 1 pound collard greens, trimmed and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 3/4 cups homemade or low sodium canned chicken stock
DIRECTIONS
- STEP 1 In a large straight-sided skillet, combine the bacon, onion, and oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and bacon renders some of its fat, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vinegar, and cook until it evaporates, about 30 seconds.
- STEP 2 Add the collard greens and chicken stock. Bring liquid to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover, and cook 15 minutes.
Please feel free to share your favorite recipes through the season with other members in the comment sections here or on our facebook page!
Just a couple shots to end with to give a taste of what to look forward to!
Just a couple shots to end with to give a taste of what to look forward to!
yellow crookneck summer squash
black raspberries
not quite blueberries
cherry tomatoes
snow peas
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