May 23 or 26 CSA week 2
Share contents: 2 heads green bibb lettuce, 1 bunch of collards, 1 head of bok choi, 1 bunch of red beets, 1/2 pound of gailan broccoli, 1/2 pound of garlic scapes, 1/4 pound fresh basil, 1 pint of strawberries.
The basil is damp. we just washed it this morning. It is in a bag with paper to take up some of the moisture. If you aren’t going to use it right away, remove it from the bag and let it air dry on a cloth before refrigerating it or it will turn black. We were thinking a pesto made of the basil and garlic scapes would be nice.
You can also use the garlic scapes anywhere you would use garlic for a milder version of the same flavor.
Collard greens steamed and then sauteed with a few garlic scapes and served with apple cider vinegar and salt to taste are delicious.
The strawberries are suffering from the rains of the last week…they aren’t as sweet and many are just rotting on the plants. Here’s hoping for some dryer weather so we can enjoy them for a couple more weeks.
Those of you picking up at market today will have to grab basil, collards, and berries as well as a box. We couldn’t fit everything in the boxes. For Saturday pickup we’ll use bigger boxes.
First CSA of 2018
Katelyn and Anna picking spinach for your share; our herd of Red Devon cattle in the background.
Your first share of the season contains:
2 small heads of bibb lettuce, 1/2# of spinach, 1 bunch of green garlic, 1 bunch of cilantro, 2 pounds of sweet potatoes, 1 pound of Turkey Red wheat all-purpose flour, Strawberries!
The strawberries were picked on Monday and stored in our cooler but are VERY perishable. They need to be eaten right away or refrigerated and eaten within 2 days or frozen. We did not wash them so they have some pollen dust on them.
The flour was milled by Farm and Sparrow and is wheat that we grew last year here at the farm. It is an heirloom variety. If you are unable to eat wheat, just exchange your flour for another item.
The sweet potatoes were grown here last year and stored over winter. They are at their sweetest.
Try making a pesto of the green garlic, cilantro, and some spinach with salt and olive oil.
Please be sure to bring a bag with you to transfer your vegetables into. The berries and flour will not be in the box so be sure to talk to us and get those items! In the weeks to come you can return berry boxes for us to re-use.
Here we go! We hope you enjoy!
2018 CSA Begins
It has been a cold spring and things are slowly growing…we feel ready to kick into high gear but the weather is not conducive to our attitude and so we must be patient. We must believe that its all in good time. We are going to start the CSA 1 week later than we have been the last few years just to be sure we have food to fill the shares. The 2018 22 week CSA season begins on May 16 for Wednesday pickups and on May 19 for Saturday pickups.
The strawberries are blooming and there are loads of green berries. The spinach is growing and lots of tiny carrot and beet seedlings await their first hand weeding when the soil dries a little from the recent rains. We are stepping up tomato and peppers seedlings. The hummingbirds have just arrived to their summer home!
Things we need from you are: the pick-up you will use (RAD market on Wednesday afternoons 3pm-6pm OR NATM on UNCA campus on Saturday mornings 8am to noon.) Anyone who wants to receive weekly email reminders, payment if you haven’t paid yet.
See you very soon!
Last Extended CSA Share of 2017
The brussels sprouts can be removed from the stalk using a paring knife. To prepare them, peel off outer leaves that have little spots on them and give them a rinse. You can cook them whole or cut them in half. We like them tossed in olive oil and salt and roasted in a 425 degree oven until tender (15-25 minutes). Or steamed and then sauteed in a little butter and salt n pepper. There are loads of more complicated recipes but they taste so good that simple preparation lets their true flavor shine.
The rutabagas and turnip are great combined with potatoes in a mash or scalloped. If you want to save them for a few weeks, remove the leaves and store them in a bag with the air squeezed out.
The spinach is getting sweeter with cooler temperatures. It is great raw in salad. It is also great lightly sauteed with some garlic and lemon juice.
Thank you for being a part of our CSA this year! The extended share is our favorite part of the season, perhaps because we are nearing a quieter time on the farm where we can relax a little. We hope you have a good end to your year and we see you again next year,
Anne, Aaron, Addiebelle and Cyril Grier
Addiebelle, Anne, Aaron, and Cyril Grier
Gaining Ground Farm NC 