In the share this week:
1 bunch salad turnips (pictured below)
1 head bok choy
1 bag salad mix
1 bag spinach
1 bag spicy salad mix
1 bag pea shoots
1 bunch green garlic
Thoughts from Farmer Anna:
Happy first week of the CSA season! The farm feels like it's bursting with greens this week after the nice soaking rain that we had last week. May is such a full month around here. The spring crops are coming on strong, we're planting for summer crops, and the weeds start to get going in earnest too. The last two weeks we've gotten our tomatoes planted out in the hoophouses and they are looking strong. I've learned over the years that the quality of your transplants and getting them in the ground at the right time really determine how well the crop will perform. I have high hopes for these tomatoes!
We were lucky that we didn't have much planting or bed preparation on the schedule last week, since it rained over 2 inches throughout the week. Now this week we have plenty to get ready and go in the ground and lots of dry weather and sunshine to get it done. The first warm weather crops will be planted out in the field this week - cucumbers, zucchini and tomatillos (new this year!). We also have successions of beets, carrots, lettuce, onions, and radishes to plant as well. Our new summer intern Cara started yesterday and she is getting right to work harvesting, broadforking, and weeding. We are so happy to have her with us this summer!
Spring shares always mean lots of greens and it seems like that is just what our bodies need at this time of year. You have several items that can be eaten fresh in salad and even combined if you like. The salad mix is one of our signature crops that we try to have every week of the season and includes a mix of 6-8 types of lettuce. It is so fresh and delicious, especially at this time of year. I like to mix it with our spicy salad mix (baby mustard greens of varying color and texture) for an interesting combo and flavors and textures. The spicy salad mix can also be cooked - I love using mustard greens in a frittata and the spinach would be a good add here too. The salad turnips are one of our favorites. Chop them and eat them raw in your salads or roast them or put them in a soup. They are sweet and delicious!
Pea shoots can also be eaten raw in a salad, but I prefer to cook them. You could make this fresh side dish using your green garlic and pea shoots this week:
If you've never used it before, the green garlic can be chopped up like a green onion (use every bit of it) and added to any dish that needs some garlic flavor. It's best cooked a bit since the leaves are thicker than green onions. The bok choy is another veggie that can be eaten raw or cooked. I love bok choy in any soup that needs some greens and crunchy ribs (oh and use some turnips in that soup too!), but it is also great in a salad with sesame dressing like the one below:
We hope you enjoy your fresh veggies this week! Comment and let us know what you are making!