Week 6: May 16 - May 19
Reminder: Pickup is Thursday 3pm - Sunday 8pm
at 13197 10th Street S. Afton, MN
One question we sometimes get from share members is how we decide what goes in the CSA bag each week. So we thought we'd use this space to talk about exactly that. In any given week, as we fill your bag, we're working to strike the right balance on a few different variables:
Seasonality / We strive to get the best of the season into every bag, as soon as it's realistically possible to do it without sacrificing taste. While we could heat our greenhouses in January to grow tomatoes, they wouldn't taste very good! Instead, we let the crops and the season guide our bags, so that each week we showcase veggies as they're ready in their season.
Variety / Beginning months before the season even starts, we plan out a varied schedule of crops to ensure that the bag isn't the same from week to week. We don't want you getting bored of our vegetables! We shoot for a variety within each bag as well, with a mix of greens, microgreens, root crops, alliums, and other specialty crops (like rhubarb). Variety is the spice of life, after all.
Quantity / We know that a lot of our share members appreciate not being overwhelmed with veggies each week. There's nothing worse than the guilt of having fresh food going bad in your fridge! So we aim to give you just the right amount of produce to keep your meals interesting all week long, and big-time veggievores can always add more via the farm stand. We also keep an eye on the value of each bag, to make sure our CSA members are getting a little more bang for their buck than if they were just buying a la carte.
Quality / Above all else, our goal is to get the best of the farm into every single bag. To do that, we plant extra crops for each week to hedge our bets in case anything isn't quite up to snuff. The best of the best goes into the bag!
Our goal with the CSA is to make fresh, seasonal vegetables an exciting part of every week, and to enable people to eat local produce all year round. If you have thoughts on the bags this season, please let us know - we're always open to ideas and feedback. We hope you're enjoying eating through the spring with us! (And a quick reminder that summer shares are still available!)
Have a satisfyingly full week,
Ashley, Chris, Hallie, and the 10th Street Farm Crew
In Your Bag This Week
Flavor Mix microgreens: Mild and tasty, these make an easy salad on their own or can add some color to any other salad. Try them on eggs or sandwiches – or anything, really! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Farm Mix salad: Our main season mix of lettuces. Delicious with just olive oil and salt, or dress it up! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Arugula: Peppery greens that add zip to a salad. We love arugula dressed simply with oil and salt. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Radishes: Beautiful red radishes have a mild heat and a great crunch. Add to salads or sandwiches for a little extra flavor. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Salad Turnips: Also called Hakurei Turnips, these fresh-eating turnips are tasty and versatile. Slice them up with hummus, sauté them, roast them in the oven, or even try them on the grill. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Scallions: These beautiful green onions have been growing in our greenhouse since late winter and are finally ready to add some pop to your dishes. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Head Lettuce - Bibb (all shares) and Romaine (full share): Crunchy romaine heads and big buttery Bibbs. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Bok Choy (half share only): So versatile! Use in Asian-inspired dishes like soups and stir fries, or just chop and add to anything for a bit more flavor and nutrition. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Spinach (full share only): This spinach isn't quite as sweet as our winter crop, but it's oh-so-tender. Use as a salad base, sautéed as a side dish or bake into a casserole. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Kale (full share only): Strip the leaves from the stem and eat raw or cooked. Store in a bag in your fridge.
What should I make with what’s in the bag?
The head lettuce in this week's bag is absolutely perfect for lettuce wraps - we've been eating them all week. We're big fans of thai pork lettuce wraps, but this crispy tofu lettuce wrap recipe looks amazing if you're eating vegan/vegetarian. These scallion pancakes are just [chef's kiss] delicious, and vegetarian as well. For the greens, we've been really enjoying this baked spanikopita pasta with greens and feta - we find it works just as well with any mix of arugula, spinach, and/or kale. The kids love it too! And we're still loving the fresh-eating salad turnips with a little hummus or baba ganoush. But if you're looking to try something different, why not quick pickle them?
If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way! We're always looking for new things to cook and who knows, maybe it'll make its way into an upcoming newsletter...
Have a great week!
We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Please bring your bag back next week so we can re-use them! Thanks!
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