CSA Week 2 (B Week) Newsletter!
Hi Lovely BUG Farm Friends!
Well, the big time planting season is upon us here at BUG Farms! We have been busy this week getting your tomato, eggplant, pepper, zucchini, tomatillo, ground cherry, green bean, and cucumber plants and seeds in the ground. It only took the 4 of us 3 hours to plant and water in about 450 transplants at our Claybourne plot on Monday, and after harvesting and packaging your CSA shares this afternoon we planted about 15 rows of the other goodies. We planted all of our warm season crops 3 weeks earlier this year than we did last cold and wet spring.We are hopeful for good weather, few pests, and a lot of tasty food in the coming weeks and months to share with all of you : )
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So, we are fully into Greens Season, and we have lots of them for you this week! The Brassica Mix is absolutely divine, and the lettuce mix is also about as perfect, tender, and sweet as it can get, we are very proud of them! The radishes, because of the hot weather, look a bit humble, but they are nice, solid, and juicy once you bite into them. The spinach we harvested grew back from last week's harvest quite quickly, so we tried to salvage some before too many leaf miners burrowed into the new growth. The hot weather is also playing tricks with the arugula, even though it was fairly small, it has already started bolting, but it is still tasty. We are skipping this week for microgreens, but don't worry, they will be back next week and for the following "B" week. Anyway, here is the list of veggies in the delivery this week:
Week 2 (B) Veggie List
- 1 Bag Spinach (Red and Bloomsdale Mixed)
- 1 Bag Lettuce Mix
- 1 Bag Brassica Mix
- 1 Bag Arugula
- 1 Bunch Radishes (French Breakfast)
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Half Share Members Please Review:
Here is a reminder on which Half Share Members will be picking up this week:
Delivery Week B
- "Up The Hill" Home Deliveries
- Shiva Centre Pickup
- 1800 E 2700 S Pickup
- University:Bright Horizons Pickup
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Add-On Share Details
Grain Share:
Half Grain Share members will recieve Rolled Oats this week.
Full Grain Share members will recieve Quinoa this week.
I will include a recipe using the quinoa further on in the email ; )
Bean Share:
All Bean Share members will recieve Trout/Jacob's Cattle Beans this week. Here is what Zursun has to say about these beans:
Originally from Germany, but now grown in the U.S., Trout beans, are also know by the name Jacobs Cattle in the northeast. The bean has a striking maroon and ivory coloring and a smooth, creamy texture and mild flavor making it ideal for soups.
This bean is also listed with Slow Food's Ark of Taste, here is their description and history about this variety of bean, very interesting!
Jacob’s Cattle bean is also called a Trout bean or an Appaloosa bean, but Jacob’s Cattle bean is the oldest name for the variety. This bean is a Prince Edward Island heirloom. Legend has it that it was a gift from Maine’s Passamaquoddy Indians to Joseph Clark, the first white child born in Lubec, Maine.
It is a plump, white and red speckled, kidney-shaped bean with vivid maroon splashes. It is full-flavored, holds its shape under long cooking, and stands up well to plenty of seasoning. The bean has a rich aroma. It is a little tannic on the tongue and tastes almost like a green bean with a slightly fruity aftertaste. The aftertaste was also described as rich and nutty.
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Recipes and Storage Tips!
I have a large collection of recipes on my website, you can search for an ingredient and get a list of recipes that include that veggie. Go to: http://www.backyardurbangardens.com/recipe
Radishes:
Storage Tip: Once you get your radishes home, cut off the radish greens and store both leaves and roots in a plastic bag with a piece of paper towel to keep them fresh.
Radish Leaf Pesto
Here is a fun and tasty way to use up your Radish Leaves, remember, they are edible too. This recipe is from http://chocolateandzucchini.com. It is always nice to have pesto, and you can use almost any greens in place of basil leaves, you can also substitute Arugula for the Radish leaves in this for a tasty result.
- 2 large handfuls of good-looking radish leaves, stems removed
- 30 grams (1 ounce) hard cheese, such as pecorino or parmesan, grated or shaved using a vegetable peeler
- 30 grams (1 ounce) nuts, such as pistachios, almonds, or pinenuts (avoid walnuts, which make the end result too bitter in my opinion)
- 1 clove garlic, germ removed, cut in four
- a short ribbon of lemon zest cut thinly from an organic lemon with a vegetable peeler (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to get the consistency you like
- salt, pepper, ground chili pepper
Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process in short pulses until smooth. You will likely have to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. This produces a thick pesto; add more oil and pulse again to get the consistency you prefer. (This can also be done with a mortar and pestle; it's great for your karma and your triceps.)
Taste, adjust the seasoning, and pack into an airtight container (I use a recycled glass jar). Use within a few days (it will keep longer if you pour a thin layer of oil on the surface) or freeze.
Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese
This is a recipe I adapted from the NY Times Recipes for Health section.
1 CSA bag spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cooked quinoa, (1 cup uncooked)
2 large eggs
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.
2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.
3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruyère, and the sage. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.
Salads!
I would reccomend highly the lettuce mix and brassica mix to eat raw in a salad, they are tender and tasty right now! I have lots of salad recipe ideas on my website here: http://www.backyardurbangardens.com/recipe
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Photos from the Week : )
The guys harvesting the Brassica Mix, you can tell where we harvested the lettuce mix from : )
From Upper Left to Lower Right: Lettuce Mix, Arugula, Brassica Mix, ready for harvesting at Daya's Plot!
Coleman Harvesting the Brassica Mix
Brassica Mix, so pretty (and tasty)
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Yay! Well, let me know if any of you have any questions, or if you are interested in adding a Grain Share or Bean Share to your membership, we are still looking for more folks, and I can give you a reduced rate for the weeks you have missed.
Until Next Week,
Sharon
