Week 4: July 3 - July 7
PLEASE NOTE: To make sure as many people can pick up their share as possible, we are opening the farm stand and starting CSA pickup TODAY at 3pm. Bags will be available through Sunday evening as usual - this just allows an additional day for folks who might be leaving town over the holiday weekend. Thank you!
One of the hardest things to do on the farm is take a break. There is always more to be done - more to weed, more to harvest, more to tinker with. We often need to force ourselves to pause, drink some water, take stock of the day's tasks and what we can reasonably accomplish without working ourselves to exhaustion. (And to be honest, we spend most of our time during those breaks thinking about what we could and should be doing back out in the fields.)
Taking a break away from the farm is even harder. No matter how much we'd love to press pause, the vegetables don't seem to share that desire. They keep growing, ripening, and needing care - whether we're on the farm or not. Stepping away, even for a day or two in the peak season, can feel like an impossible task.
We're incredibly lucky, though. Thanks to knowledgable, experienced, and generous support, we're able to take a small break this week. Hallie's parents are watching the farm over the weekend, watering greenhouses and caring for crops while Ashley and Chris take the family to Montana for a few days and Hallie and her family head up north for some lake time. We feel incredibly grateful for this small respite in the summertime - it's a luxury many farmers don't have.
This week seems like a natural one for a little R&R, as we stop for a bit on the 4th to revel in the height of summer, with parades and fireworks and popsicles (and, this year, thunderstorms of course). We've adjusted the farm stand and CSA pickup hours in case you're taking advantage of the holiday - getting away to a cabin or a lake or a BBQ, or even just laying low for a bit. We hope you have a moment to press pause and savor the summer.
In many ways, this is the calm before the storm. The onslaught of delicious veggies is upon us - the first tomatoes are in whole share bags this week, and the days of nonstop harvest are on the doorstep. So we'll revel in this rare break - and look forward to getting right back at it next week.
Have an festive and restive 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.
Cone Cabbage: A whimsically shaped green cabbage that’s perfect for making slaws, fermenting sauerkraut, or caramelizing in the oven. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Cipollini Onions: These fresh white onions are perfect in any recipe that calls for an onion! 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.
Cucumbers: They're here! Crunchy and refreshing, chop up for a salad, add to sandwiches or just eat raw! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Haricot Vert Green Beans: These are a beautiful French bean, very thin and tender. Steam or sautéed lightly to maintain their beautiful crunch. Store in a bag in your fridge.
Eggplant (half share):Â This Asian variety of eggplant has a very thin skin, so you don't need to peel it - just cut it up and cook it! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Kohlrabi (half share): These alien-like roots are a cousin of radishes and salad turnips - mild and delicious. Peel and eat raw or cooked! Store in a bag in your fridge.
Tomatoes (whole share): The first tomatoes of the season! These will soon be a mainstay in bags - for now they're just a taste of what's to come. Store on the counter - never in the fridge!
Carrots (whole share):Â 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 (whole share): Beautiful crisp lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in a bag in your fridge.
What should I make with what’s in the bag?
We've got some fun new stuff in the bag this week - tender French green beans and stunning Italian onions, for example. If you're grilling on the 4th, the onions make a perfect addition to a vegetable skewer. And the green beans would be a perfect BBQ side dish - either sautéed with almonds and lemon or perhaps charred (also on the grill?!) with a yogurt curry sauce.
There's cabbage in the bag, too - a fun conical variety called Caraflex. Don't be intimidated by its unusual shape! This is essentially just a very tasty green cabbage - perfect for a summer slaw, with carrots and that onion if you didn't make skewers. Or if you want to continue in the charcoal direction, toss it on the barbie and serve it grilled with paprika lime butter. Yum.
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!
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!
Comments