Today’s heavy rains were much needed on the farm, with recent heat wicking up even the slightest residual moisture in our soils. As we break into the month of May we want to remind our members of all the amazing produce coming your way in late spring and early summer: we’re already picking peaches, plums and nectarines on our trees on the farm and we expect an influx of melons, blueberries, sweet corn, and peppers soon!
For those members interested in receiving weekly distributions of flowers like sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons and bachelor buttons, the “Cut Flower Bouquet” is available as a subscription add-on item through your Farmigo account. The distribution window is very short, so if you’re interested, sign up now or email/call us for more info!
PICKLE PACK WEEK! Try pickling our green beans, cucumbers or watermelon radishes with our dill/dill flower mix! Try this Quick Pickle Recipe here.
In your share this week will be:
Green Beans: Try a zesty lemon sautee with these tender beans: Sauté beans, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in olive oil or butter (preferably clarified!) in a large skillet until beans are hot and cooked tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Squeeze lemon half over beans, and serve immediately.
Cucumbers: Our first crop of cukes for have come in for the season! I couldn’t be more thrilled to have my salad/raw snack staple back in my kitchen. Beyond the cool, tender-crisp flavor, cucumbers contain a high density of phytonutrients that play a key role in providing key antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits as well!
Mixed Summer Squash: Your squash medley may include any combination of cousa, zucchini, crookneck, or patty pan squash. These fruits are very tender and carry a relatively high water content which makes for easy cooking, whether thats baked, sauteed or grilled!
Curly Kale: Don’t listen to anybody that says healthy snacking can’t also be rich and satisfying: I’ve found the light. If you’ve never make kale “chips” before, you’re welcome in advance. Please do yourself a favor and try this very accessible, delicious recipe for parmesan-pepper kale chips. Follow the link HERE.
Red Romaine Lettuce: We’re picking from a new block that affords us to still pick small, young and tender heads. The red romaine has an amazing flavor profile that will spoil you for lettuces forever.
Red Onions: Red onions are most often used in salads, salsas, and other raw preparations for their color and relatively mild flavor. One of my personal favorite uses for red onions, perhaps other than lightly grilling them, would be a pickle! Follow the link to Simply Recipes here for an ingredient list and method breakdown. Remember to use your dill and dill flowers!
Watermelon Radishes: Watermelon Radishes pair well with fennel, apple, cheeses such as feta and chèvre, butter, creamy based dressings, vinaigrettes, bacon, white fish, cucumbers, mild salad greens, cooked eggs, and stir-fry noodles. Thinly slice them over a salad bed for an colorful plate that won’t fail to impress your friends! You can also pickle these guys with our red onions!
Dill/Dill Flowers (pickling mix): This annual herb belongs to the celery family Apiaceae. Chopped dill is an eclectic garnish for soups, a driving ingredient in dressings, enhances a sour cream baked potato, a cut of salmon and of course, a necessity in pickling! The flowers too bring a lot to the table in terms of flavor and aesthetic, these can be used as garnish for a salad or slaw and also in your pickling batch!