Week 2: June 20 - June 23
Reminder: Please bring back purple bags each week so we can re-use them!
What a difference a year makes. Last year in June we found ourselves in the midst of the second straight year of extreme drought. It seemed like every week a big storm would develop, move in our direction, and then dissipate or veer away just before giving us any precipitation. This year, needless to say, is a different story. Over the past week we’ve gotten 5+ inches of rain on the farm, with a couple more in the forecast for the weekend. That’s more than we got for the entire summer 2023! We’re thinking of investing in a jet ski instead of our golf cart to make the farm rounds.
We’re fairly rain resilient here at 10th Street Farm. Thanks to smart planning early on in the farm’s formation, excess precipitation largely runs through the grassy areas of the back fields, around the vegetable beds, and into our pond where it provides a nice frog habitat. Plus, our naturally sandy soil lets water pass through fairly readily, so we don’t get huge puddles that last for days in the fields.
That doesn’t mean being inundated with rain is without its challenges, though. With this amount of rainfall, nutrients tend to leach out of the soil, meaning the plants have to work a little harder to get what they need to grow. In crops like lettuce or salad mix, the extra moisture can lead to rot and means we need to be choosier when harvesting and packing. Newly planted seeds wash out of beds, wet soil makes it harder to cultivate weeds, and thunderstorms disrupt harvests. And let’s not even talk about the mosquitos that have taken up residence in our high tunnel!
But we’re trying not to complain. Drought comes with its own set of challenges, and we’re grateful for every hour we don’t have to spend irrigating. After a winter with hardly any snow, the rain feels natural and necessary. We’ve enjoyed seeing the farm at its lushest form.
It’s a reminder that there are things we can control and things we can’t, and that farming is about playing the hand you’re dealt. As extreme weather patterns become more common, we’re always looking for ways to adjust, adapt, absorb. We’ll roll with the punches and keep the crops happy as best we can. But we would take a little less rain.
Have a rain resilient 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.
Arugula or Cilantro microgreens: Zippy micros to add a little flavor to whatever's on your plate! Store in your fridge.
Napa Cabbage: An asian cabbage that is fresh, crunchy, and delicious. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Garlic Scapes: This loopy fella is the flowering part of a garlic plant - chop it up and use it just like garlic. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Fennel: With a sweet, anise-y flavor, fennel is a divisive but delicious vegetable. We harvest it young so it's tender and juicy. And don't forget to use the fronds! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Carrots: These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Store in a bag in your fridge. Remove the green tops to keep them crisper longer.
Red Head Lettuce: Beautiful lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Sugar Snap Peas: So tasty we can't keep them around for long. Easily added to anything for crunch and a bit of sweetness. Store in a bag in your fridge, if they make it that far.
Beets (whole share only): Beets are so versatile -- the greens are nice and can be chopped, sautéed and eaten with a little goat cheese and balsamic vinegar. The root can be roasted or sautéed as is, no need to peel them. Great addition to salads or as a side dish. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Dill (whole share only): Fresh and herbaceous, this dill is a great addition to sauces and salads. Store in a bag in your fridge (in a cup of water, if possible!)
Summer Squash (whole share only): The first zucchini and squash of the year! Delicious sautéed, grilled, or baked. Store in a bag in your fridge.
What should I make with what’s in the bag?
This week we’ve got Napa Cabbage, one of our favorite early-summer veggies, in the bag! Napa makes for a great fresh salad, like this one with a sesame dressing or this one that tends more in the coleslaw direction. Or, if you’re up for it, Napa is perfect for making kimchi - a funky, fermented, Korean side dish. This is our go-to napa cabbage kimchi recipe. We also have some tender fennel in the bag this week. We love a simple braised fennel (and you can amp it up with a knob of butter if you’re feeling indulgent). Or, for a lighter touch, fennel pairs perfectly with pears or apples in a fresh salad. Another favorite is in the bag this week: garlic scapes! These are the stems of what would become the flower of the garlic plant. They taste like a slightly milder garlic - just chop them up and use them the same way you would use garlic! If you want to get a little more daring, try them in a garlic scape stir fry or whip up some delicious garlic scape pesto!
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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