Summer CSA Week 6 | Garlic Harvest next week!

Week 6: July 24 - July 27

Last year's garlic harvest crew

Mark your calendar for two upcoming events on the farm! (And read below for more info)

• Volunteer Garlic Harvest! Wednesday July 30th from 2-4:30pm (Please RSVP!)

• Summer CSA Member potluck & Honey Extraction! Sunday August 10th from 11am-1pm

I’ve long held that garlic is my favorite crop to grow. It’s the first crop we plant, starting the clock on the upcoming year when we put cloves in the ground in October. Then in spring it’s one of the first signs of life in the fields, with green tips breaking through sometimes even before the snows have stopped. I love it because we get to harvest it twice - first the curly scapes and then about a month later the bulbs. And, needless to say, it’s delicious. There’s very little not to like about garlic, if you ask me.

This year we’re feeling particularly appreciative of what looks like a beautiful garlic crop. When we planted our seed last fall, we were far from sure it would turn out this way. That’s because last year growers in Minnesota, ourselves included, were beset by a disease known as aster yellows - a phytoplasma-borne malady that is transmitted by a cute but annoying little bug called a leaf hopper. The leaf hoppers spring from plant to plant, transferring disease as they go and causing green foliage to turn yellow. Aster yellows, as you might expect, mostly affects plants in the asteraceae family (daisies, asters, other ornamental flowers) but in particularly bad years it can show up in carrots, lettuces, and garlic. And when it affects garlic, it not only yellows the leaves, it transfers into the cloves, infecting the seed for the following year. 

We spent hours in the fall sorting through garlic cloves, looking for signs of aster yellows in an attempt to sort out good from bad. We planted only good seed, in the hopes that we could stop the spread of the disease in this year’s crop. And it seems like we were largely successful - we’ve pulled 50 or so plants that yellowed prematurely over the spring and early summer, but the rest of the 1,000+ garlic plants have avoided the disease and are growing well.

Which brings us to garlic harvest! Next Wednesday, from 2-4:30pm, we will be harvesting our garlic crop. Last year we turned the garlic harvest into an open volunteer event and we had a blast, so we’re going to do it again this year. The harvest consists of pulling garlic plants out of the ground, shaking off dirt, transporting them to the greenhouse, and arranging them for drying. Afterward we’ll have some refreshments and hangout time for anyone interested. If you’re interested in joining, please RSVP so we have a sense of numbers. This is an inclusive event - feel free to bring the whole fam!

And while we’re on the topic of events, mark your calendar for August 10th from 11am-1pm for our Summer CSA Member Potluck and Honey Extraction event! Our beekeeper Joe is going to set up his extracting equipment in the big barn and give a demo of the process while he pulls the honey crop for this year. We invite you to come hang out, check out the honey, bring a potluck dish to share, and enjoy some time on the farm with us! We’ll send more info closer to the date, but we’d love to see you there.

Finally, one more event: this Saturday we’re holding our Saturday Patisserie. If you haven’t made it out yet for fresh-baked pastries and coffee, it looks like it’ll be a beautiful morning for it!

Have an eventful week,

Chris, Ashley, Hallie, and the 10th Street Farm Crew

Please return your CSA bag in the market each week - we reuse them throughout the season to keep costs down and minimize environmental impact!

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In Your Bag This Week

Head Lettuce: Beautiful crisp lettuce heads. Great for everything from lettuce wraps to salads and sandwiches. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Tropea Onion: Our favorite fresh red onion - mild and versatile. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Carrots: These carrots are sweet, crunchy, and oh so addicting! Remove tops and store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Cucumbers: Crunchy and refreshing, chop up for a salad, add to sandwiches or just eat raw! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Summer Squash: We’re growing two types this year - classic green and a striking striped variety. Both are delicious sautéed, grilled, or baked. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

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 an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Tomatoes: The tomatoes are really tasting great right now! BLT time? Store on the counter - never in the fridge!

Cherry Tomatoes: We’re loving the cherry assortment this year - such a fun mix of colors and flavor variations. Store on the counter - never in the fridge!

Broccolini (full shares): Tasty tender broccoli shoots - eat them leaves and all. Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Scallions (full shares): The white and green parts of these beautiful green onions are both edible - use the white like an onion, chop the greens as a garnish or hit of flavor in your dishes! Store in an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

Bok Choy (full shares): 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 an airtight bag or container in your fridge.

What should I make with what’s in the bag?

We made this cucumber avocado salad last night (it’s a standby for us) and every time we make it I’m wowed by how simple, easy, and delicious it is. Highly recommended. Toss in some onion or scallion if you want to add a little zip! If you’re feeling like you want something new with cherry tomatoes, salad is a nice direction to go there, too. A couple Smitten Kitchen favorites: cherry tomato salad with crushed croutons or a heartier pasta salad with roasted cherry tomatoes. 

If you’re historically underwhelmed by zucchini, might I suggest adding a little acidity to amp up the flavor? Something like a balsamic zucchini sauté or even a marinated zucchini and red onion might be just what your summertime plate needs. We also love zucchini on a grilled caprese sandwich with onion, tomatoes, and mozzarella!

If you've found a recipe you're loving, please send it our way. We're always looking for new things to cook and share with other members!

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We wash everything in your bag but we wash them in bulk so some things may need an extra rinse at home. Thanks!