The Farmers 8 Daughters: CSA Week 3, July 8

You all did such a nice job remembering to bring bags last week. Some of your bags may be a little small though - you will know who you are when you get them today and there is not a single ounce of space left :-) If you have a bigger bag, that would be helpful, especially seeing your share will only grow in size as we go forward.

With some of the heavy rain we've had this past week, it makes the produce messy. The dirt splashes up on the greens, making them extra dirty. We rinse, soak, rinse again, but you still may want to give them a cleaning before using, for extra measure.

The lists are as follows:

Medium Size:
Beet Greens
Kale
Bok Choy
Turnip Greens
Romaine Head
Radish
Daikon Radish
Herb - Sage

Large Size:
Beet Greens
Swiss Chard
Bok Choy
Collard Greens
Romaine Head
Mesculen Lettuce Mix
Radish
Daikon Radish
Sugar Snap Peas
Herb - Sage

The Daikon Radish are the long white carrot looking root. They are not as spicy as a regular radish, and are great cooked. I can see a combination of those with the bok choy, in a stir fry. Or blanch them, and grill them to add to a salad.

This weeks bonus item is stock - medium shares got chicken, and large shares got turkey. These were made in the fall and frozen, after we slaughtered some poultry - it is way better than the canned stuff from the store :-) Don't be afraid of it - it may be thicker, even "blobby" from the gelatin in the bones of the birds, and the fat layer may look different also. But it is arguably good fat, from birds raised on pasture, not confined with no access to sunlight, let alone grass. Anyway, it's a great start for a soup; just dice some of your greens and add some diced chicken and pasta for a simple soup. It's also great to use for a base in your rice instead of water. I do this often, and it just adds so much flavor. Or of course, just use it like you would in any recipe that calls for stock.

Here are some updated pictures of what the gardens are looking like.