The first boxes are on the way to the cities, and we’re decompressing from a first CSA harvest that was actually quite pleasant and smooth, all things considered. (The first harvest is always likely to be problematic, as various forgotten elements are rediscovered in the most frustrating of ways.) This year, only one thing went haywire, but we’re not even gonna talk about it! Not just because it was most likely my fault. Really.
Since we last posted, we’ve almost entirely mulched the non-crop spaces of the field, which feels great. While we’ll still be transplanting and weeding, the pivot has definitely been made into Harvesting season – aka Summer.
Speaking of summer – wow, holy heat!
We went to the local farmer’s market for the first time this year on Saturday – and it was ridiculous. SO HOT AND SOOO WINDY. Not many folks braved the weather to come out, so most of the day consisted of chatting with other vendors who were also holding down their canopies as best as possible (although one did manage to take a brief flight, knocking a sweet old lady on her back).
We’ve combated the heat with lots or irrigation and mulch for the plants, and dunks in the Saint Croix River for ourselves.
In Box #1: ALL THE GREENS
- Garden Huckleberry Preserves – We grew these last summer, and made this jam after the berries had ripened in late fall (they’re better after some frosts).
- Spring Salad Mix (Red & Green Lettuce, Mizuna, Arugula, Pea Tips, Baby Kale, Baby Tat Soi)
layering the salad mix
- Corn Shoots – These … are weird. We grew a lot of popcorn last year, and a bunch of it we dried over the winter – and then this spring, started looking for creative experiments to try. The shoots of popcorn have a very unique flavor – sort of grassy, corny, bitter, and sweet … and then more sweet, lingering, like Stevia or some kind of sugar substitute. If we didn’t grow them ourselves I’d be suspicious of how that kind of sweetness got in there! But it’s all natural!
corn kernels soaking for sprouts - Broccoli
- Radishes (Mostly ‘French Breakfast’, with an occasional ‘Crimson Giant’)
- Green Onions
- Bok Choi – crunchy goodness for your stir fry needs
- ‘Grand Duke’ Kohlrabi – you probably don’t care what the variety is called, but I’m pretty sure it will taste better knowing . Peel the outer layer, then it’s great raw, served with salt and maybe pepper, lemon juice, olive oil – you can also cook it though, and the leaves are edible too. Eat your alien.
- “Buttercrunch or Something Like That” Head Lettuce – some big leaves for your sammiches.
