The harvest has begun!
Here’s what csa’ers can expect to get this week:
Lettuce, spinach, arugula/mizuna, dill/cilantro, radish/turnip, Bok Choi, Scallions and asparagus.
For recipe ideas you can look on the right side of the blog and click on any of the vegetables for recipes I’ve added. I’ll be adding new recipes regularly and if you have any good recipes, please send them in so I can share them. I recommend the sauteed bok choi. It’s really quick and tasty.
Mizuna is a mustard green like arugula, but much milder.
The Turnips are ‘Hakurei’ Turnips, and the word turnip doesn’t describe them at all. They are more like sweet, tender pieces of heaven. It seems that everyone who’s tried them loves them, so I recommend trying them even if you don’t like turnips. They’re great in salads.
The asparagus is from ‘Plum ridge farm’ – aka. the land I rent. They’ve been growing asparagus organically for 30 years. With the late spring, the asparagus is still producing well.
On The farm this week
The time has flown by. It feels like we just finished the bulk of planting just in time to start the harvest.
After an entire spring without rain, we finally got some this weekend! And then once it stopped raining, we got some more. And then we got some more. And once that was done, we got some more! Until this weekend, I thought it would finally be a spring that I didn’t have to spend a Sunday night digging drains ( I don’t know why floods always happen on Sundays but they do). Here is a recently drained field of winter squash and corn. Hopefully with a little sun and a little more digging it will all dry up a little better.
I also want to introduce everyone who’ll be harvesting your veggies this year:
Nicole – back for her third year in a row! You’ll all see her at the market, but not often in pictures because she only works Tues and Thurs because of her ‘other job’. I’m trying to convince her to quit her ‘other job‘ and farm fulltime. Hopefully everyone can go talk to her at the market and help me try to persuade her.
Sarah claims that she’ll be back in September as she’s currently walking to the farm from Mexico. She’s 6 days behind schedule, but says she’ll make it up by the time she gets here. Talk about a long commute!
Devin (featured above holding spinach) is new this year. He has land somewhere southwest of here (I completey forget the name) that he’s converting into sustainable gardens. While we’re at the market relaxing in the shade, Devin will be back at the farm, bent over pulling weeds and grunting while mosquitos have an eating contest. We’re still working on a natural remedy for mosquitos that works – anyone have ideas? This year we’re trying just pure b.o. P.s – I recommend nose plugs at the pick up.
Kevin is also new. He’s helping part time as he’s busy starting a fruit and veggie market garden of his own in Winnipeg beach. Kevin was a planting machine this spring planting onions for a day straight.
That’s all for now. See you at the market!
Jonathan, Nicole, Devin, Kevin