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!
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