Dear CSA Member,
This is the busiest time of year on the farm. The harvest is now well underway, transplanting seedlings for fall, tending the small plants in the greenhouses, weeds and insects loving the cool, wet weather we have been having and then once newly transplanted seedlings are planted there is irrigating. It is hard to keep up with all that needs to be done day to day. It is also a wonderful time of year when months of work is ready for harvest.
This is salad season. It comes and goes quickly so enjoy the greens of spring. The Romaine can be grilled, Lettuce Soup recipe is on the farm website and if you are invited to dinner or a party, volunteer to bring the salad! This week the lettuces are beautiful. The lettuce is mature but still sweet and tender. There are four different varieties: Romaine, Red Tide, Red Sails and Buttercrunch. New this season is a Frisee Endive that is also a great addition to the fresh salad. Red Tide is a smaller, redder lettuce. Red Sails larger and very tender so handle carefully.
Try slicing the Kohlrabi and adding it raw to the salad. It is crispy and sweet when raw. It also makes a delicious slaw.
For the first time this season Bright Lights Swiss Chard. Beautiful multicolored stems of yellow, reds, oranges adorn the Bright Lights Swiss Chard.
Garlic Scapes are the green pig tail looking stem. The scape is the immature seed head of the garlic plant that is removed to send more growing energy to the bulb below the soil. The scape grows from the center of the above ground portion of the plant. Scapes have the same flavor and use as the garlic bulb. Delicious Garlic Scape Pesto is easy to make. The recipe can be found on the farm Recipe section or use your favorite pesto recipe substituting the scape for basil.
Marketplace items Honey, Maple, Coffee, Organic Dark Chocolate can be ordered any time during the season and will be delivered with your CSA shares. The Organic Dark Chocolate is delicious.
Enjoy the Vegetables
Deborah for everyone at Stoneledge Farm