Week 2

Greens greens and more greens!  It’s what’s for dinner!  Welcome to week 2 of the CSA folks.

  • “Samantha” red leaf lettuce
  • A mini lettuce head, either “reef” (the frilly one) or “little gem” (a romaine)
  • Mustard greens
  • Broccoli raab
  • Spinach
  • Green garlic
  • Salad turnips
  • Radish

My favorite way to cook the broccoli raab is to toss it with olive and salt on a baking sheet and roast it in the oven at about 400 for about 20 minutes, turning once.  The green garlic is good added to any saute or stir fry – remember it doesn’t have nearly the kick as cured garlic.  Treat it more like a vegetable than a spice.  The salad turnips are excellent raw as a snack or cut up into sticks for dipping.  Their greens are edible as well – treat them like the mustard greens: they are a braising green that doesn’t take a whole lot to cook through.  In fact, if you want a big mess of cooked greens, saute or braise the spinach, mustard greens, radish tops, and turnip tops together.

It feels like a lot has happened on the farm since last week.  The peppers and eggplants are now in the ground, the winter squash seeds began popping up, the peas are making little peas (coming soon!), we began setting up the tomato and cucumber trellises, everything is growing like gangbusters, and on and on….  The whole farm has only 4 open beds (out of ~80) right now.  It was super pleasant to have a bit of a misty morning as a contrast to our recent hot and dry weather.  It felt like the perfect conditions to be harvesting spinach early this morning.

Some of you have noticed that we have a new wash and pack set up this year, thanks to Josh!  It sure is pleasant to empty the wash basin and not be standing in a giant puddle.  I’m still adjusting to using it but it’s such a huge improvement.

These CSA days are long!  I’m still adjusting to the 12 hour workday, but it sure is satisfying to greet a bunch of you at the farm and send you on your way with fresh produce.  I am truly grateful for this community of neighbors and friends who appreciate this little farm in the city.   I’m tuckered out for the evening and there’s still my own veggies to put in the fridge, and the dishes to do….  Until next week, eat your greens and get plenty of sleep!

Farmer Matt