Happy 4th of July! It's hard to believe it's already July, and yet here we are, alternating between sweatshirts and high-powered A/C from one weekend to the next. This weekend's rain was completely necessary, but also a little nerve-racking to get that much at once. The bean plants were knocked over, but they're still beginning to yield enough for shares this week.
Our big project last week, and continuing into this week, is to weed the beets by hand. Randy's been dying to turn on the sprinklers in this patch, but didn't want the weeds to be watered also. First we attempt to remove the weeds, then we'll focus on watering. We grow traditional red, Chioggia, and golden beets.
There are twenty 300-foot long rows. To give you a little context, here's a view of how far this beet field goes. It is literally a weeks-long project. When we weren't harvesting this past week, we were weeding. We're almost done, though!
Crew member Ethan had the brilliant idea to pop up some tents over the patch we were weeding, and it gave us some much-needed respite from the sun. This crew deserves a ton of credit for their hard work during last week's heat wave!
This week we're all trying a potentially new herb. You'll either receive shiso or savory in your share. There is plenty of information about both in the Library of Resources. Share your creations in our Facebook group so our other members can see what's worth trying!
This is shiso.
This is savory.
If you have any large boxes at home, we're seeking them throughout the remainder of the season. Bring them by on your next visit, and we'll be happy to use them for donations, bulk box orders, and wholesaling. Thanks so much!
Speaking of bulk boxes, we're already working our way through our waiting list for pickling cucumbers! The heat made all of the squash, zucchini, and cucumbers flourish over the week. We planned out last week's box thinking we'd just barely get by with enough cucumbers to give you 1/2 lb. each, and we could have given so much more!
If you'd like to get on the list to receive bulk boxes of veggies so you can pickle, can, and preserve this summer, you can order yours by following this link: 2021 Bulk Box Waiting List
The following bulk boxes will be available this season:
Cucumbers: 25 lb. boxes for $25 (Makes 12-13 quarts)
Plum tomatoes: 25 lb. boxes for $30 (Makes 8-9 quarts)
Imperfect Peppers for Freezing (some blemishes to cut around, in assorted colors): 25 lb. boxes for $30 (Makes 8-9 quart bags)
Cherry Peppers: 10 lbs. for $30 (Makes about 10 pints)
CT has a new law as of July 1, 2021 that bans all single-use plastic bags. We are no longer legally allowed to provide a courtesy bag at pickup, so we encourage you to bring a reusable bag to pick up your veggies. Thanks so much for supporting us in this! (This is Randy's mom, Dawn, who's in the store on Saturdays. She's modeling the new reusable bags given to us by Randy's cousin-in-law Mike, who works for KIND snacks [they make the KIND bars!])
If you receive a delivery, you'll receive your share in one of these bags, and your name will be labeled on the bag. The following week you'll get another bag, and you'll leave us the bag from the previous week to pack into. If we don't receive the previous bag back, we'll leave the veggies loose in your cooler.
We SO appreciate your remembering to leave a bag and your cooler with ice during these very hot summer days! We feel happy about the new law and committed to our decision as a farm to move in this direction away from plastic as much as possible.
Exciting news! Some of our greenhouse tomatoes are starting to turn red!
We have no idea if and when we'll have enough of these to cover shares, but we're hoping they'll at least be available in the store soon. Our secret in helping them to ripen? Water LESS. Believe it or not, putting stress on the plant is what causes the tomatoes to ripen. Field tomatoes typically arrive here around the last week of July or early August.
This week you'll find the typically veggie swap area filled with extras for our members! Feel free to take an additional item as a thank you! We love this program and we appreciate you all and your commitment to us so much.
Remember that our "Week of Choice" is happening from August 1st to August 7th. If you'd like to waive your pre-packed box and instead receive a voucher to spend on items of your choice in the store, you must use this form to opt in.
If you wish to continue to receive a traditional pre-packed box that week, that is completely fine with us! In this week's share, you'll find a small piece of paper that outlines the information a bit more. You can use the form to opt in, but we'll also document your response at pickup the following week, so you have some time to think it over. The deadline to opt for the voucher will be July 24, 2021.
Last but certainly not least, we're looking for LGF's Greatest Griller of 2021! Enter our grilling contest with a simple photo submission from now until July 11th. Our crew will pick a winner to receive a special prize on July 12th. Here are the criteria to enter:
You MUST grill a veggie! Since we are a veggie farm, we're looking to share some inspiration with dishes that our community can make.
Tag us with a photo submission of your grilled creation (Our Instagram and Facebook handles are @laurelglenfarmllc). OR email the photo to us at laurelglenfarm@gmail.com (We'll reshare it with your first name on our account.)
Simply provide us with a short caption of what it is. You are absolutely welcome to explain it if you'd like, but we just need to be able to label it on our social media. No recipe needed!
Last fall, we did a soup cook-off and Dana was declared our "Souper Star." Here's what she won (and the prize for this contest is also pretty similar and fun!)
In Your Share (In approximate order from shortest to longest shelf life)
Small:
1 head of radicchio
1 bunch of Tokyo bekana
1 bunch of savory or shiso
1/2 lb. of beans
1 lb. of cucumbers
1 lb. of beets
1 fresh onion
Large:
1 head of radicchio
1 bunch of Tokyo bekana
1 bunch of Swiss chard
1 bunch of savory or shiso
1/2 lb. of beans
2 lbs. of cucumbers
2 lb. of beets
2 fresh onions
Caring For Your Share:
The information for onions in the Library of Resources is for dried onions. Store your fresh onions in the refrigerator. You can place a plastic bag over the greens to keep them fresh, and you can use those like scallions!
Put summer savory or shiso in a glass of water in the fridge, like a bouquet. Or, wrap it in a damp paper towel and put it in a plastic bag in the fridge and use within the week.
Store beans in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and blot dry when ready to use.
Remove any greens from the beets and store them in separate plastic bags in the fridge. Use greens within the week; beets can last up to a month. Wash when ready to use.
Shake out excess water and then store Tokyo bekana, Swiss chard, and radicchio in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Wash when ready to use and spin out the radicchio.
Store your cucumbers in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator.
LGF Cooking Club (The Library of Resources is filled with TONS of ideas about all of these veggies, including the herbs summer savory and shiso!)
Green Bean and Radicchio Salad with Roasted Beets and Balsamic Red Onions https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/green-bean-and-radicchio-salad-with-roasted-beets-and-balsamic-red-onions
Cucumber and Onion Salad https://addapinch.com/cucumber-onion-salad-recipe/
Beet Salad with Feta, Cucumbers, and Dill https://www.bowlofdelicious.com/beet-salad/
Grilled Radicchio Salad (hello, grilling contest!) https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grilled_radicchio_salad/
Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans (toss in the Tokyo bekana!) https://www.recipetineats.com/stir-fried-green-beans-with-pork/
Caramelized Onion Hummus https://www.sweetandsavourypursuits.com/caramelized-onion-hummus/
Grilled Beets https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-grill-beets-4156720
Quiche Lorraine with Summer Savory; hint: toss in the beet greens, which are great in eggs. https://www.localharvest.org/blog/48630/entry/everything_you_wanted_to_know3
Remember garlic scape butter? This recipe is for Skirt Steak with Shiso-Shallot Butter https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/skirt-steak-shiso-shallot-butter
Biweekly Catch-Up:
Hi all,
It's hard to believe it's the last week of June & first week of July already! We hope your summer has been enjoyable, relaxing, and fun so far.
Mild temperatures last week prevented our beautiful broccoli rabe from bolting, thank goodness! We started harvesting last week for markets and crossed our fingers that it would hold on for you all this week.
Stani now makes 4 new flavors! We should have ample supply for this coming week if you'd like to try: key lime, coconut, cherry, and raspberry. Stani 4-packs are always 4 for $7.
Please don't forget to bring your reusable bags to pickup. The CT Bag Tax came back last summer, and unfortunately we need to start charging $0.10 per plastic bag used.
Our afternoon crew planted 7,000 leeks last week! This is definitely the most tedious early season task because each one is pulled out of a tray with 512 tiny cells and planted by hand. A few years ago we started planting our leeks on reflective plastic to help with moisture retention, weed control, and deterring pests (they think they're looking at the sky and fly away!) In the past, when we've planted into dry raised beds, it's been impossible to get the leeks to stand up. Our goal is to finish about 10,000 leeks, which will be used for harvest this fall and in the spring of 2022.
Last week, we sent out a tour of Booth Hill, and this week here are some pretty shots of Waverly.
Do you follow us on Facebook and Instagram? You'll find more daily content: videos, photos, quizzes, stories, polls, and more. We're @laurelglenfarmllc.
This week you're all receiving hakurei salad turnips in your share. These are very similar to radishes, but sweeter! You can eat them raw as you would a radish, but when you cook them (roasted, sautéed, air fried, or even grilled), they become even sweeter. One very important tip: Don't toss the greens! You can chop them up and throw them in with any other greens you're eating in a salad or cooking. Definitely make sure you remove the greens before you store them. Root and bulbs can be stored in Ziploc bags, and removing the greens keeps the bulbs firm (this tip goes for all root crops with greens!)
Surprise! 10 lucky winners on each pickup/delivery day will find a bonus bunch of mint in their shares. Mint is an incredible addition to salads and water to give it a boost of flavor. Will it be you?!
If you liked the garlic scapes last week, we recommend snatching them up before they're gone. We have a little bit left, but anticipate selling the majority of what's left over the course of the week.
On Tuesday, we'll be sending out an email to our mailing list with information about our Bulk Boxes, but we wanted to tell you all first! Cucumber bulk boxes will be ready in mid-July, and tomato and pepper bulk boxes will be ready in mid-August. If you'd like to get on the list to receive one so you can pickle, can, and preserve this summer, you can order yours by following this link: 2021 Bulk Box Waiting List
The following bulk boxes will be available this season:
Cucumbers: 25 lb. boxes for $25 (Makes 12-13 quarts)
Plum tomatoes: 25 lb. boxes for $30 (Makes 8-9 quarts)
Imperfect Peppers for Freezing (some blemishes to cut around, in assorted colors): 25 lb. boxes for $30 (Makes 8-9 quart bags)
Cherry Peppers: 10 lbs. for $30 (Makes about 10 pints)
On Wednesday night, I sent out an email about the "Week of Choice" we are planning for August 1st through the 7th to change it up and have a little extra fun. If you're reading this on Sunday night, here's the text of the email about how you can vote for how you'd like us to structure the week:
Last year, we polled all of our members and an overwhelming majority said that you were interested in having a week with more choice to pick out your veggies. We are scheduling this week of choice to be August 1st through the 7th, once the summer crops really start rolling in. It is a biweekly pickup week. We'd like to ask for your input about how we should structure this.
Some farms that don't have traditional subscription programs structure their farm membership programs to be complete free choice; you get a "voucher" worth the price of your share. Some farms structure their programs to be a build your own box with a "this or that" component (for example, you choose from a table: hakurei salad turnips or radishes, squash or zucchini, etc.) Which idea do you prefer?
To make response collection easiest for Randy and I, please cast your vote in our 2021 Subscription Members Facebook group where I have posted a poll. Please only respond to this email with your input if you do not have Facebook.
By Monday 6/28, we'll make a decision about how to best structure the Week of Choice and let you know our next steps.
(P.S. If you are NOT interested in a week of choice, I'm going to send out an email in the coming weeks where you can let me know in advance and we'll pack you a box as usual. Weekly delivery shareholders will have the option to switch to pickup that week if interested. Many more details to come...)