We always dread week 2 because we usually deplete our crops during the first week of the spring subscriptions and struggle to come up with new items for the second week. Not so this year. The weather has been so awful that week 1 was a struggle and week 2 is actually a little bit easier since things are finally coming in. Thank goodness we had those overwintered crops last week or we wouldn't have been able to pull it off. This week everything will come from the greenhouse, though we may go back into the fields for more kale if what we have in the greenhouse isn't enough.
Still no signs of asparagus... it's pretty frustrating, but we think this is a pretty well-rounded box. We guess that's what happens when it snows in May!
In case you missed it on our social media, we got a gigantic piece of Reemay cloth stuck in a tree (I also just realized I've been spelling Reemay wrong for years... oops!). We use this breathable, heavy cloth to simulate a greenhouse in the field. We cover the rows of seedlings so that they're insulated from the threat of frost. And... May snow?! As you know, it was so windy a couple of nights last week that the Reemay blew off (despite being weighed down by rocks!) and got stuck in a nearby tree. Our neighbor noted that it looked like a ghost, and we had to wait a few days before we could get it down since it continued to be windy. At least it made us laugh!
DFS families, I wanted to tell you how much I LOVED delivering to you last week. It was the most beautiful day for getting off the farm and cruising around. Your houses are absolutely stunning and welcoming. Seeing the cooler out front was like a little way to say hello to me... and it was pretty nice to see other signs of life. Here's hoping my GPS doesn't take me in circles again for week 2!
We hope you joined us on Saturday night for our Facebook Live announcement because we had a lot of fun with it and really enjoy seeing comments of support roll in when we host those. We announced that we launched an online store with items for parking lot pickup this Wednesday. Unfortunately we don't have enough produce to open to the public, but we know how important access to local food is right now, so we wanted to make something work. We do plan to open full-time with these products in June, but this was the safest, best option for now. If you missed it, no worries, because we will have additional pickup dates in the future. Thank you to all those who ordered! If you're interested, you can purchase a supplemental farm credit this year which will give you a 10% discount on those items in the long-run. Farm credits are available until May 31st. I also posted a blog post about our favorite kitchen tools, and we are giving one of those gadgets away every week. If you spend $40 or more, you're automatically entered to win.
I'm absolutely LOVING the sense of community in our Facebook group and hope that more of you can join us. Remember: Click on Community on our Facebook page and then scroll down until you see 2020 Subscription Members. Then request to join.
A Message from Farmer Randy:
The Unbagging:
Contents:
1 bunch of radishes
1 bunch of scallions
1 bunch of kale
1 head of boy choy
1 bunch of pea tendrils
1 small bunch of beet greens
Caring for Your Share:
Swish the kale, pea tendrils, and beet greens in a bowl of cold water to remove dirt, then wrap them in a paper towel in the refrigerator.
Store bok choy in the crisper in a Ziploc. Swish in water and pat dry when ready to use.
Store untrimmed leeks in the fridge in a Ziploc bag and cut and wash when ready to use.
Trim scallions to fit in a Ziploc bag and store in the fridge.
Store the radishes and greens in separate Ziploc bags in the fridge. Yes, you can eat the radish greens!
LGF Cooking Club Meal Plan:
Here's the blank meal planning template that I'll be using this season. I labeled it days 1-7 since we all might be starting our week on different days. I like to meal prep on Sundays, so the bulk of my cooking will take place then:
The name of the game is quick, simple, and healthy this week.
For lunch I'll be eating tuna salad sandwiches, mixing in some scallions and topping them with a handful of pea tendrils, radish greens, or beet greens. I'll wash and cut up those greens and scallions and put them in a big Pyrex container in the fridge so that I'll have them on hand to top my sandwiches every day.
Beet greens are always good in eggs, so if you choose not to top them on sandwiches you can toss a handful in with your eggs.
Thank you, Dana, for your suggestion about kale chips! The perfect side for sandwiches! If you are new to the subscription experience and haven't had kale in the past, this is a good introductory way to use it. You've probably heard kale chips talked about, and can top them with any spices of your choosing (Maybe even one of the spice options from Seasonal Catering offered in our online store! Southwestern, BBQ, Coffee Cumin...) https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/crispy-kale-chips-recipe-1923723
We'll have scallions left over, so I really want to have this light lunch this week, too. A Polish cottage cheese spread on bread with radishes and chives (substitute with scallions). https://whereismyspoon.co/polish-cottage-cheese-spread-with-chives-and-radishes/
Branching out with dinner... Tacos with chorizo and kale? Sign me up! I'll be using chorizo from Shaggy Coos, also available in our online store. https://www.centercutcook.com/chorizo-tacos-with-kale/
My sister loves this recipe because she clears out the fridge at the end of the week by topping the Korean Style Pork and Rice bowls with any veggies she has on hand. When we made it last time, we topped them with raw scallions, radishes, and cucumber. This is the perfect recipe to use up whatever you have left! And, it can be done with ground beef if you prefer. https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/korean-style-pork-rice
If bok choy is new to you, you're going to love the crunch of the stalk. Keep it simple by chopping it up and stir frying it with sesame (or olive oil!), crushed red pepper, and salt. You can throw in onion if you want, or even use it on your pork bowls. We are NOT fancy around here, and we stir fry everything with those staples... always delicious! You can eat it alongside any protein you want - don't be scared of it and feel like you have to make it into a 5-star dining experience. (Maybe that should be our farm's tagline.)
Have a beautiful week!