Farm share week 5...with flowers!

A new week and a new farm share...with a special treat thanks to the hard work of Bobbi Mennella.  Each share will include a beautiful small flower bouquet to decorate your kitchen table.  Putting together a beautiful bouquet is no easy task, especially for people like Jack and me who have no aptitude for it.  We are lucky to have Bobbi, who is so good at it.
Also:
New potatoes-  grocery stores have taken to selling something they call new potatoes, but these are he real deal.  True new spuds cannot be mechanically harvested or stored for too long as they haven't developed thick skins.  But they cook in half the time, and have a delicate flavor and great texture.  These ones are a mix of varieties hand dug by our friends at Willowood farm, who grow literally tons of amazing tubers.  Enjoy them in any potato recipe...I love them as breakfast potatoes!
Carrots- more of our amazing carrots...they just keep getting bigger and better.  We made carrot soup this week and it was delicious.  Or, Try putting them in a pan in the oven covered with stock and bake for 40 minutes at 375 to make glazed roasted carrots.
Lettuce- back on the list for more summer lettuce salads.  The lettuce is sweet and crisp right now.
Broccoli- our second planting of broccoli is ready now, so we are harvesting lots of broccoli.  It had to be picked at the perfect time when the heads have sized up but have not started to sprout yet.  This cool moist weather is perfect for broccoli harvest as it ripens more slowly and evenly.
Sugar snap peas- the peas are at their absolute peak in productivity and in quality- so sweet!  The peas have been a dream come true this spring, and while they do take a while to pick, it goes fast when the plants are loaded with peas as they are right now.

Farm share week 4

Fava beans - There are many ways to eat a fava bean. Some prefer the less mature pods which can be eaten whole like green beans. The fava beans that you are getting this week will be fully mature and should be shelled. The beans in the middle also need to be peeled, which is easier after first boiling them. Then you are left with the little gem in the middle, which should be cooked. They make a great addition to a salad or by themselves with butter and salt as a side dish. They also can be used for hummus in the place of chickpeas.
Carrots - Sweet and crisp, our carrots make a fantastic snack when eaten raw or a tasty side dish when roasted.
Salad Mix - This week's salad mix is a blend of seasonal fresh cut greens including arugula, baby lettuce, spinach, tatsoi and mustards.
Cauliflower - This is our first week having cauliflower and we are very proud of our beautiful heads! I am roasting some right now as I write this. I will be putting it on a pizza for dinner.
Swiss Chard - I just braised some of our greens in a mixture of chicken stock, soy sauce and sriracha. Delish! The chard is so tender.
Hakurei Turnips - These mild sweet Japenese salad turnips are in the share again this week. If you've had enough turnip salads try roasting them. We put them on the grill this weekend and brushed them with hoisin sauce.

Farm share week 3

Spinach - This week our spinach is bunching size (don't worry--we will have more salad spinach!). The bigger leaves make this spinach fantastic cooked or juiced. Despite its size, this spinach is tender enough to make a great salad when washed and chopped.
Beets(!) - Gorgeous beets! At this point, our beets are smaller than normal grocery store beets, which allows them to be used in a slightly different way. Because they are so young they haven't developed a touch skin and can be eaten without peeling. Their size also allows for less cooking time. We either roast them for 30 minutes in aluminum foil or boil for 15 minutes and then roast for 10-15 minutes. If you boil them they will be a bit more tender,  if you just roast them they will have a bit more crunch.
Lettuce - We're sending out a mixture of romaine, green leaf, red leaf and crisp heads.
Broccoli - Again! We have so much broccoli and we are happy to send out some larger heads this week.
Snap Peas - Snap peas are one of our primary crops here at the farm. Snap peas are eaten pod and all, no shelling necessary. They make a fantastic snack when they are raw. They are a great addition to a salad or stir-fry.
Kohlrabi - The alien vegetable. Kohlrabi are a brassica, the plant family that also includes as kale, broccoli, and cabbage. They have a flavor similar to broccoli stems or cabbage. They should be peeled and can be eaten raw or cooked. They make excellent fries and are superb eaten raw with a dip. You can use the leaves as well, the same way you would kale or collards. 
Walla Walla Onions - Our onions have jumped in size but they still have the mild, fresh flavor and texture of Spring onions.

Farm share week two

Hi all! Thanks for making last week so easy! We had no major hiccups, and it should only get easier from here on out as everyone settles into a routine. We are excited about the share this week! 

Broccoli -  It is coming on fast so we are giving you another dose this week.

Head lettuce - We have beautiful red leaf lettuce this week, I just had it for lunch today topped with radishes and a vinagrette. A little more bitter than the romaine, so consider that with your dressing pairing.

Carrots - They are the perfect size this week, great raw or, as I prefer them, cut in half lengthwise and baked in the oven.

Strawberries - We weren't expecting to have them on the share this early but we are passing our good yields on to you! They will be best in the first 24 hours, but if you want to eat them later in the week you probably ought to stick them in the fridge.

French breakfast radishes - A farm favorite in the spring, these radishes have a strong flavor without being too spicy. Great on a salad or in sandwiches. 

Red Russian Kale - We love to grow this kale because the plants are so hardy and productive. They are tender so they can be stemmed and used in a salad, and they also are great braised or juiced.

Garlic Scapes - We LOVE garlic scapes. These are a part of the garlic plant that is harvested in May and June. They have the garlic flavor but their form allows them to be used in a number of settings. Blake likes to preheat the oven to 450 and toss them with salt and olive oil, then bake for 10-15 minutes until they are getting charred at the ends.

If you need more ideas, we recommend the website epicurious.com, where you can enter a vegetable into the search bar and find tons of recipes for them. Enjoy!

Farm Share Week ONE!

Thank you to everyone who signed up for shares of vegetables.  We are excited to be kicking off the season, and especially happy to have such great veggies for the first share!  It has been a truly fantastic growing season so far.  I can't remember ever having broccoli so early in the season.
Remember, shares can be picked up anytime after 4 pm.  We will be hanging out to chat until around 6, when we'll have to go home.
You don't need to bring ANYTHING to the first pickup.  Your share will be all packed up for you in a reusable bag that we ask you to return the following week.  We still have at least 8 or so more spots available, so if you are enjoying your veggie share, please tell your friends and neighbors who might want to sign up themselves!
In our very first farm share of the 2014 Season, we have:

Starhawk Lettuce-  This mini green romaine is called a "single serving" sized head of lettuce.  It is delicious and super convenient...one or two snips with a knife, a quick rinse and you have the beginning of a tasty lettuce salad...we didn't want to overwhelm you with salad makings this week because you'll also receive...

Arugula-  We all agreed, probably the nicest batch of arugula we've ever had on the farm.  The perfect size, easy to cut, and super flavorful without being too spicy.  Arugula is a Mediterranean green with a spicy, nutty, lemony flavor that is fantastic in a salad...or in a pesto or pasta.  Enjoy!

Baby bok choi- Perfect for stir frying.  We love the baby bok choi when it is this nice size, easy to chop up and throw in a wok. I'm not a big fan of the gigantic bok choi that it takes five meals to get through.

Hakurei Turnips-  Our favorite vegetable of the Spring.  This is a Japanese salad turnip that is totally different from the European winter vegetable.  If you've never tried them, you are in for a treat.  Slice them up and eat them raw, with a dip or in a salad.  If you do cook them,  they only take a second to steam or stir fry.  The greens are great lightly steamed or braised, too!

Broccoli-  Needs no introduction...the broccoli field is just getting started so smaller early heads this week..  there will be lots more broccoli to come.

Parsley-  Expand your parsley use beyond just a garnish.  Parsley is so tasty!  Especially this Italian flat leaf type.  Chop it up for a salad, or blend it into a salad dressing.  Great in a soup, on a sandwich, or in any Middle Eastern food like tabbouleh, hummus, falafel, etc.

Swiss Chard-  Beautiful big bunch of "Bright Lights" rainbow chard.  Chard is in the same family as beets and spinach, but can actually be used pretty much interchangeably with kale.  Cook it the same as you would kale; it has a sweeter flavor and beautiful color on the plate.

Onions- Fresh Spring onions. Sweet and mild, these onions are great raw on a salad as well as cooked. You can use greens as well, use them like you would green onions, chopped up raw as a topping to a salad or another dish.