2023 Main Season Week 1BP

Hello members! I'm going to keep the farm updates light this week and instead talk more specifically about this subscription program itself right now.

I'm Victoria, and I always write the emails and newsletters and am behind the social media (@laurelglenfarmllc) on the farm. My husband Randy and I, along with our kids Peter and Janina, run Laurel Glen Farm. Randy is the owner and farmer. You can feel comfortable addressing all emails to me, Victoria, and it is our primary method of communication. We do check phone calls, which go to Randy's phone, but I check and respond to emails all day except on my day off, which is Thursday. Here we are! Our daughter was born in February and Peter is 4.

Every week, you'll receive this newsletter, which contains farm updates at the top. After the farm updates, you'll find a list of box contents followed by storage tips for those items, and recipes that correspond to the contents. You can also always visit our Vegetable Library of Resources, which can be found at the "Vegetable Resources" tab at the top of our website. This will give you information about all of the items in your box as well as short and long-term storage tips and a TON of general recipe ideas for using each item.

If you're ever not receiving the emails with the newsletter, let me know. They can also always be found on the "blog" tab on our website and are posted every Sunday.

If you are a biweekly member, this is your week to pick up. Note that the title of this newsletter is called "Week 1BP." The BP stands for biweekly pickup, so if you see that in the title of the newsletter, it will be your week to pick up. You can also remember it because they'll be the odd numbered weeks. This program runs for 20 weeks.

The best habit you can get into is reading the newsletter beforehand each week and keeping up with our emails. This is the best way to enjoy the program and stay on top of meal planning, especially with many of the unique veggies you'll recieve.

Every week when you pick up your veggies, we also offer a veggie swap table, where you can swap out one item of your choice from your share if you'd like. We always encourage you to try everything once. That's the beauty of this program!

Items that are left at the end of the day and shares that are not picked up after 24 hours (through Monday for members who pick up on Saturday - we are closed on Sundays) are donated to an organization called Real Food CT which rescues and grows food specifically for donation to those in need in our area!

Henry or Felicia will assist you in the store during the week. Be sure to chat with them about what you're cooking - they can give you lots of ideas for what to make.

And if you haven't joined our Facebook group, you can request access here. Our community shares what they're cooking and gives each other tips and advice. This was Carrie's post this week. I love the advice about how to use up all of the veggies in your fridge, which can definitely happen this season.

The produce you receive in your box will change as the season unfolds. We are still in the midst of greens season in Connecticut. You won't find summer crops yet, but you absolutely will eventually. The snap peas are coming in this week, though there aren't a ton, but we're giving you all a taste. If you join our Facebook group, I also post polls every couple of weeks to ask for your input about what you'd like to receive in your boxes. You'll notice that we try not to repeat items on back to back weeks unless it's something super popular like tomatoes. Another good piece of advice we can give you is to try cooking an item in a new way and it's kind of impossible to get sick of it.

Napa cabbage and kohlrabi will also be in your box this week, and if those items are new to you, definitely check out the Library of Resources and the recipes below. Kohlrabi is German for "cabbage turnip" and Napa cabbage is a tender cabbage that can be eaten raw or cooked. Randy's mother Dawn has been sharing this Napa cabbage slaw recipe for years and our subscription community goes wild for it. Definitely give it a shot! She always adds snap peas, radishes, and scallions to it too.

Finally, I'm going to leave the bottom portion of this newsletter every week, which will tell you how to change your share pickup if you're away. I think it'll be useful to be able to reference those directions throughout the season and to know that that policy is always there for you so that you can plan ahead. In addition to those options, you can always send a guest in your place to pick up for you. Be sure to read those directions below.

And now for a couple of quick farm updates... Most notably, you're probably wondering how we made out with the smoke and the rain this week. Visitors in our store were few and far between most likely due to the air quality, so we're hoping to get into a better routine this week, and so excited to welcome you all!

Our crew forged ahead and continued planting and harvesting in the unpleasant conditions. The smoke didn't directly affect crops, but did making working outside harder.

We love how many messages we receive that you all are thinking of us when it rains. We got a quick shower on Friday but it wasn't enough to wet the ground so we'll continue to irrigate and hope for some rain this week. Randy talked to someone from the Department of Agriculture who said they're already prepping for drought relief funding for farms. This isn't something we would need or benefit from, but it goes to show how dire the weather has been this year already. Look how dry the ground is.

I certainly don't want to leave you with these less than picturesque photos, so I'll leave you with some pretty photos to wrap up the farm updates.

One more thing - we are again in need of very large boxes for a special project that we're beginning this week! Please bring them our way if you have any (large sizes like this only). We have a contract to provide fresh produce to the City of Bridgeport specifically for distribution to residents in need. We are so excited to be a part of this project because it will allow the recipients to have access to healthy options and have choice around their food. They'll get to pick out the items they'd like to receive each week from the offerings we provide. You can help us get the produce to them every week by bringing us your BIG boxes!

Also, say hello to Audrey, who is working at our wash station during the week and in our store on Saturdays!

And now, onto your box contents and recipes of the week... The permanent part of this newsletter. You'll notice that it's still greens season in Connecticut. Squash, zucchini, and cucumbers are a few weeks out, and tomatoes come in late July or early August along with peppers and eggplant. We're still enjoying early season veggies for now! We recommend buying a grill pan to grill your greens. Toss any sort of chopped greens in olive oil, salt, pepper, and even crushed red pepper, and grill them. This goes for sauteing, too!

See you all soon... and be sure to post what you're cooking in our Facebook group!

In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)

Large:

• 1 bunch of arugula

• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe

• 1 pint of sugar snap peas

• 1 head of lettuce

• 2 kohlrabi

• 1 head of Napa cabbage

Small:

• 1 bunch of arugula

• 1 bunch of broccoli rabe

• 1/2 pint of sugar snap peas

• 1 kohlrabi

• 1 head of Napa cabbage

Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).

• Store arugula and broccoli rabe in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Or, trim the ends and store it in a glass of water, like a bouquet. Wash when ready to use (within the week).

• Shake out any excess water in the head of lettuce, then store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and spin out when ready to use.

• Store snap peas in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Remove stems and wash when ready to eat, within the week.

• Remove the greens from the kohlrabi bulb and store in separate plastic bags in the fridge. Use the greens within a week; the bulbs can last a couple of weeks if stored properly.

The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)

• Sesame Chicken and Napa Cabbage Stir Fry

• Napa Cabbage Sticky Rice Rolls

• Grilled Steak with Baby Arugula and Parmesan Salad

• Vegetarian Arugula and Black Bean Tacos

• Crispy Raw Kohlrabi Sticks with Dijon Dilly Dip

• Peppery Kohlrabi Slaw (Reduce quantities)

• Italian Pork Sandwich with Broccoli Rabe and Sharp Provolone

• Sheet Pan Salmon and Broccoli Rabe

• Sauteed Strawberry Salad with Sugar Snap Peas

• Parmesan Snap Pea Pasta (replace some of the snap peas with greens)

Large Share Additional Items:

• Big Mac Salad

Please note that Victoria does not work on Thursdays this season. Emails received on Wednesday night through Thursday will be answered on Fridays.

How to Change Your Pickup Day

• If you need to skip your share for the week, or change your pickup day, you must provide us with 48 hours notice since we pack shares the day before pickup. Once your share has been harvested and packed, we can not cancel your pickup.

• For Tuesday pickups being changed, we need to know by Sunday. Wednesday pickups, we need to know by Monday. Saturday pickups, we need to know by Thursday. You have the option to choose another of those pickup days: Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. Or, you can skip a pickup and double the following week.

• If you miss your pickup, we will hold your share for 24 hours after your pickup day (Monday for Saturday members), and then it will be donated to a local food pantry. With more members than ever before, we don't have the cooler space to hold onto shares longer than this. This is a great option if you accidentally miss your pickup - just come the next day.