This weekend:
Join us for a breakfast potluck on Saturday, July 15th from 9:30 to 11 a.m. (rain date TBD). Bring a breakfast dish to share.
Any dishes containing a veggie will be entered into our Breakfast Boss contest (up to you - you can cook with a veggie or not!). We'll all vote for our favorite veggie breakfast to crown a winner! Bring a blanket to picnic and the family. Invite a friend to come see the farm, too! We will provide plates, utensils, coffee, and water. (Update: Please bring your own travel mug and/or water bottle for coffee and water so we can try to be as earth-friendly as possible.)
The winner will go home with a commemorative prize. No need to RSVP. Can't wait to see you!
We had SO much fun at our inaugural pick-your-own raspberry event this weekend. We decided on a whim to open up our fields to the public, and wow, did we have a great turnout! As hot and humid as it was, kids and adults alike seemed to really enjoy the experience. Because of the breakfast potluck, we will probably not have pick-your-own raspberries again on Saturday, but we may try again this Friday evening. We'll send out an email and post on our social media if so, so keep your eyes peeled!
We'll also take your green containers back and reuse them, so please feel free to return them to the store when you come.
We will have raspberries (red and black) in the store this week, though the red are starting to be on their way out. They do come back in the fall, believe it or not.
While I was up at Booth Hill hosting the pick-your-own event, I was able to snap some really beautiful progress photos of the fields up there.
These are the sungold tomatoes with some green fruit on them. Look closely.
Randy also inspected his table grapes while we were there. Though they and the blackberries were affected by the fluke frost we had in May, he actually even discovered some grapes on the vines.
We don't anticipate having these available this year unfortunately, but we'll keep our fingers crossed for next year.
The crew harvested a lot of kohlrabi at the end of the week to get it out of the heat ASAP. They're HUGE! You'll be receiving one or two of those this week depending on your share size.
This week, we officially also said goodbye to the peas, broccoli, and cauliflower, and we'll be cutting the last of the lettuce and escarole this week. It's too hot for these crops now, though the broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, and escarole will make a comeback in the fall.
We also harvested the radicchio, since it's not tolerant of the heat. Radicchio is a bitter lettuce-like crop, and it's pronounced ruh-DEE-kee-oh. It's best mixed with other veggies because it is so bitter, and can also be off-set by fruit, like in the pineapple slaw recipe below. Another idea is to halve the head, brush it with olive oil, and grill it cut side down, then drizzle a balsamic reduction over it when ready to serve. My father-in-law likes it better with ranch. Post in the Facebook group and let us know how you decide to eat it.
We had such an awesome turnout for the Stuff-a-Bag event, too! Thanks so much for taking advantage of all of the fun events we have to offer. We would so much rather see you enjoy the crops than add them to the compost pile since they're coming in such large quantities.
We host this event whenever it's time to bulk harvest a lot of the crops, and typically we'll have the next one when we scramble to harvest the rest of the summer crops before the first frost (October or early November-ish, but do you think I just jinxed it by saying that?!) We also have one to close out the year (most likely Saturday, December 16th for those of you who are planners).
I did a field walk to end the crazy day on Saturday, and these are some of the shirt treasures that I couldn't pass up when I came across them.
Green beans are in great abundance, so you'll have them in your shares this week. Maybe a pick-your-own event will pop up for this, too! Who knows?
I came across a few beautiful eggplant, a couple of green bell peppers, and a handful of grape tomatoes. We'll harvest whatever is there on Monday and add it to the store offerings, though you should know that we don't typically have these crops available until the end of the month, or even early August. Once they come in, you'll see them in your shares quite a bit.
Cucumber bulk boxes are now available for purchase on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays on a first-come, first-served basis (no pre-orders). Right now we have SO many cucumbers that we can pretty much guarantee enough for anyone who asks this week. Boxes are 25 lbs. for $32 and you are welcome to purchase as many as you would like. Simply let us know that you would like one when you come into the store and we'll grab it from the cooler for you.
In terms of field work this week, we'll be weeding the beets, tying up and pruning more tomatoes, seeding more squash, zucchini, and cucumbers, and harvesting crops like crazy. We hope to see you for the potluck on Saturday morning! It's at the 247 Waverly Rd. location, and you'll just let us know that you've arrived when you get to the store, and they'll direct you about where to meet us in the field. See you soon!
In Your Share (Listed approximately from shortest shelf life to longest)
Large:
1 bunch of basil
1 head of radicchio
2 lbs. of cucumbers
1 bunch of hakurei salad turnips
1 lb. of green beans
2 kohlrabi
Small:
1 bunch of basil
1 head of radicchio
1 lb. of cucumbers
1 bunch of hakurei salad turnips
1/2 lb. of green beans
1 kohlrabi
Caring For Your Share (All of this information, plus long-term storage info, can also be found in our Vegetable Library of Resources).
Trim the bottoms of the basil and place the stems in a glass of cold water, like a bouquet. Keep it out of the fridge, as basil leaves can turn black when exposed to cold temperatures. Use within a few days.
Store beans in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash and blot dry when ready to use.
Store your cucumbers in the crisper drawer in the refrigerator.
Remove the greens from the kohlrabi bulbs 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.
Remove the greens from the hakurei salad turnips and store them in separate plastic bags in the fridge. The roots will last longer than the greens.
The LGF Cooking Club (Recipes to try in addition to those in the Library of Resources!)
Dilly White Bean and Cucumber Salad (use your hakurei)
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.
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