Slow Growing
With such a cool and rainy spring, our crops are looking very healthy and lush, but they are significantly behind where we would like them to be. What a contrast to last year’s drought and heat that began in mid June! While we have to make the most of every dry day this year, I am glad not to need to worry about watering much.
This week we are letting our lettuce catch up so that we can give you full size heads next week. It looks like warmer weather is imminent, which will help everything grow at a faster pace.
New herbs to try
Every year we try a few new herbs and flowers in the picking garden, or bring back old ones we haven’t grown in awhile. Bronze Fennel is a beautiful leaf fennel that gives a sweet anise flavor to salads. Salad Burnet has graceful small leaves that taste of cucumber, which can be used in salads. Lovage has a strong flavor of celery; just a leaf or two will add lots of flavor to stocks. Garlic Chives have long flat strap-like leaves which taste like a combination of onion and garlic. They are very tender and not too spicy.
Looking for a way to get involved?
Help keep our picking garden beautiful! We are looking for members to adopt a bed in the picking garden. You would be responsible for weeding that particular bed, probably no more than 20 minutes of work per week. If you are interested, sign up on the bulletin board.
-Farmer Aaron, CSA manager
Vegetables
Scallions
Kohlrabi
Kale
Broccoli Raab or Turnips
Pac Choi “Prize”
Herbs of note
Mint (Chocolate, Apple, Mountain, Spear-), Chives, Garlic Chives, Oregano, Lovage, Sage, Thyme, Dill, Bronze Fennel
Kohlrabi Salad
kohlrabi, leaves reserved
scallions
a few kale leaves
your favorite vinaigrette or creamy dressing
salt and pepper
Slice the kohlrabi bulbs into small pieces and reserve. Slice kohlrabi and kale leaves into thin ribbons. Put the leaves into a bowl with a little salt and dressing and massage them with your hands until they are limp. Toss with the kohlrabi pieces and scallions.
recipe based on the salad Annie made for dinner yesterday
Soba Noodle Soup with Chicken and Pac Choi
8 cups chicken broth
1 chicken breast (or other chicken part), about 12 oz, cooked
2 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
3 tbsp Thai sweet red chili sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
8 oz soba (buckwheat) noodles
2 pac choi, cut into 1 inch slices
6 scallions, thinly sliced
a few sprigs Thai basil, mint (I’d use the chocolate mint) or cilantro for garnish
lime wedges to serve
red pepper flakes for garnish
Bring chicken stock to a simmer. Add ginger, lime juice, fish sauce, chili sauce and brown sugar. Taste and add more chili if you want. Simmer 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook about 6 minutes, until tender. Drain into a colander. If the soup isn’t ready run under cold water and toss with a little oil to keep noodles from sticking.
Add the pac choi and scallions to the broth and simmer for 1 minute.
Divide the noodles among 4 bowls and top with chicken. Ladle the broth and vegetables over and garnish with herbs. Serve with lime wedges and red pepper flakes.
recipe from SimplyRecipes.com
"I conceive that the land belongs to a vast family of which many are dead, few are living, and countless numbers are still unborn."
- A Chief from Nigeria