This week was planting-palooza! We started early in the week planting lettuce, romaine, escarole, and bok choy.
Mid-week, we transitioned to tomatillos (pictured), watermelons, cantaloupe, and peppers.
And we ended the week with broccoli and kohlrabi.
This coming week, we'll be planting leeks and shallots, which is a tedious undertaking. I always joke that I'm going to be out sick the day of leek planting. The sheer number and size of leeks makes it tedious, but when the dirt is dry, it makes it even harder to secure them in the ground. We also transplant them out of 512 cell trays, which makes it feel like it takes forever to work through a whole tray. Suddenly, I don't feel so well... just kidding!
Here's a bit of good news - Randy thinks we'll be harvesting some black raspberries this year!
Typically these berries take 3 years to reach their full harvest potential, but this particular variety is thriving. Here you can see buds on the bushes. They're supposed to fruit in early July, so fingers crossed that things stay on track. Berries won't be in shares since this is a vegetable susbcription program, but they'll be in the store if we harvest enough.
If you're a summer lover like me, you might want to scroll past this next update. This week, Randy will be plowing for pumpkins and winter squash. It'll take a couple of weeks to harrow, fertilize, make beds, and then seed them. The deadline is usually June 15th.
Meanwhile, we'll start to see a slow transition as the season shifts. In 2 weeks, our Main Season friends will join in, and shortly after we'll see the snap peas, garlic scapes, kohlrabi, and romaine. Still so much to love before we talk about fall!
Lettuce (front), beans (middle), peas (back)
This plowed field is where we planted the lettuce, escarole, and romaine. Later in the season it'll be squash, zucchini, and cucumbers.
This week you're all receiving cress - the first time we've ever harvested it on the farm! Visit the Library of Resources to learn all about what it is and how to use it. I stumbled across this website when looking for recipes this week and it's like the jackpot of cress recipes. It makes my Library of Resources look like child's play! We hope you find lots of inspiration there this week.
We're having a little contest in honor of our first time harvesting cress. Share a photo of what you made with it by Saturday, June 11th. You can either email us, share it in the Facebook group, or tag us @laurelglenfarmllc. We'll choose a submission at random to win a prize! We love to show off on our social media all the ways you make our veggies look good.
In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1/2 lb. of arugula
2 bunches of spinach
1 bunch of cress
1 head of bok choy
1 bunch of mustard greens
1 bunch of kale
1 bunch of mint
Small:
1/4 lb. of arugula
1 bunch of spinach
1 bunch of cress
1 head of bok choy
1 bunch of mustard greens
1 bunch of mint
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources
Store spinach, cress, kale, bok choy, mustard greens in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Wash when ready to use.
Wrap in a paper towel and store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Store arugula in a plastic bag in the fridge. When ready to use, wash in cold water and spin out in a salad spinner. Use within the week.
The LGF Cooking Club
30 Minutes or Less:
Large Share Additional Ingredients: