Today we picked during rain sprinkles. It was a nice cool off, but the rain kicks up dirt in the garden onto the produce. Most things were double washed, but as I said last week, it doesn't hurt for you to rinse again.
We went into the picking wondering what we could give you, but found a variety we think you'll be happy with. We were actually a little jealous that we weren't CSA members ourselves :-)
The way we get your bags is first, we pick what we can, meaning what is there. We then wash, rinse, spin and bag everything, dividing up what we found. Sometimes full shares will get something half shares don't, vice versa.
Everyone got a geranium plant. Put this in a bigger pot and it will grow and flower beautifully all through fall. It likes sun, but works in the shade too.
We found 4 cucumbers in the hoop house so those went to our 4 full share members (the other 6 of you are 1/2 shares).
Garlic Scapes were a plenty in our garlic beds this week and you each got a bag. The scapes are the tangly, green specimens that look like a cross between a plant and an octopus (not quite like the Egyptian onions from last week, but close). They aren't as dangerous as they look. They are, in fact, pretty wonderful once you get to know them. Garlic (and its relatives leeks, chives, & onions) grows underground. As the bulb grows from the softer planting stage soft to hard, a shoot pokes its way through the ground. Green like a scallion, the shoot is long and thin and pliable enough to curl into gorgeous tendrils. This stage of growth is the garlic scape. If left unattended, the scape will harden and transform from green to the familiar white/beige color of garlic peel. Keeping the shoot attached will also stunt further growth of the bulb. So, to allow the garlic to keep growing, we cut off the edible delectable. The scape is great fun; it’s a little less mild then garlic. Try dicing it into scrambled eggs, adding to a veggie saute, or using as garnish for rice. This week I’m including a recipe for a dip Mom makes with it, that is to die for on most anything. We have been known to eat it right off the spoon :-)
Garlic Scape Dip
• 1 cup sour cream
• 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• Garlic scapes – to taste (if you LOVE garlic, add them all…..if you just want just the flavor of garlic, add a handful)
• Dash of Hot Sauce – to taste
Process scapes in a food processor or blender. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and hot sauce.
The basil mix we've included in your bag is also a plant that needs to be pinched for it to grow well. You get to benefit from that this week too. This basil is from the greenhouse right now, but eventually that will be field grown. The hoop house gets too hot in the summer for most crops.....we haven't figured out what we can grow in there yet during the heat. Something tropical perhaps :-)
There is another bag of lettuce this week, and we anticipate that is something you should see every week. It is our most seeded crop, meaning a new batch is seeded every week so we always have it.
We had full size spinach as well, so everyone got a small bag of this. It would be great to slice up and add to a pasta or in a quiche or something, as there probably isn't enough to cook up as a side dish (you know how spinach wilts away to practically nothing when cooked). Here's a recipe I like.
Beans, Bowties, Spinach & Cheese
• 8 oz bowtie pasta (farfelle)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed (you could use scapes finely chopped)
• 3 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 15 oz can white beans
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 5 oz. fresh spinach, chopped (this is probably just about what you have)
• ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
In large skillet heat oil. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cook & stir until tomatoes are slightly soft, about 2 minutes. Add beans, broth & spinach & cook until spinach just wilts, stirring constantly. Season with salt & pepper.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta & add to skillet. Add in cheeses, toss lightly & serve immediately.
We've made you a Bouquet Garni, which is French for "garnished bouquet" and is a variety of herbs, usually tied together, that is used to make soups, stews, stocks and sauces. They can also be stuffed inside a chicken. We didn't tie ours...sorry, we were too busy rinsing and bagging all the other stuff to take time to do that :-)
There were only enough radishes to put in the full share this week. I've mentioned we are learning as we go too, so we have planted more in larger quantities, in succession (see previous blog post to understand what that means), so within a couple/few weeks, we should have them consistently. I am including yet another recipe that was in my current Martha Stewart Magazine. It is an inventive take on hummus, and is a chunky bean dip that gets flavor and texture from garlic and radishes. Save it for another week you get radishes if you didn't get them this week, or pick some up from your local farmers market or farm stand. I can see this dip going fast!
Smashed Chickpea, Basil, and Radish Dip
1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (reserve 1/3 cup liquid)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil, coarsely chopped
4 radishes, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice (app. 2 lemons)
Pita chips
Lightly mash chickpeas, oil, 1/2 tspn salt and pepper in a bowl until creamy but still chunky. Stir in basil, radishes, garlic, and lemon juice. Stir in some of the reserved chickpea liquid, until the dip holds together. You may not need it all. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
I use beans a lot when I cook. They are tasty to me for one, and I like the texture for two, but more than that,third they are a good source of plant protein and they have fiber in them as well.
Last week our full shares got rainbow chard, so we've mixed it up this week and given that to the half shares and the full shares get beet greens. We will try to make it interesting for you each week.
We love feedback, so anytime you want to tell us what you made with your items, or just that you liked your bag, feel free to drop us a line. Also don't be afraid to tell us if there is a problem with anything!
Thanks! See you next week.
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