Biologically Managed-Sustainably Grown
After sitting without growing for a nail-biting amount of time, our zucchini is finally ready! You may notice that you received some in your basket for the first time this season. Check out Barbara Kingsolver’s recipe for zucchini chocolate chip cookies on the recipe section of our website.
In other news, we are looking forward to eggplant and are just beginning to put a few in the baskets right now. We will be dusting off our recipes for eggplant and sending them on to you in the coming week.
Those bouquets in your basket aren’t just for looks. Check out what is in our bouquets lately:
Calendula/Marigold
One of the most versatile herbs, calendula is popular as a cheerful cottage garden flower; for its use in cosmetic and culinary recipes; as a dye plant and for its many healing properties. It is an excellent skin healer and is used in lotions for cracked lips. It was used during the American Civil War to treat open wounds. The petals are edible and add a light tangy flavor and bright color to salads. Add one teaspoon to venison or fish. Also good to give a saffron color to soups, rices, soft cheeses, cakes, and much more.
Chocolate Mint
Mints have uses spanning from decorative to medicinal. Recently we have been drying our mint outdoors in the sun to make tea. Brew directly for a delicious mint herbal tea before bed or add to black or green tea in the morning. It also makes a refreshing iced tea whether or not it is sweetened.
Oregano
That little purple flower is not just pretty- it’s oregano! Use the leaf as you would normally use oregano. Remember that if you do not dry it the flavor will be more delicate than what you may be used to.
Summer has apparently arrived and the spring veggies are fading but they have rewarded us with a last surge from the wonderful cool weather last week! I want to remind everyone that your turnips, beets and radishes, in fact, all root crops, will keep much better if you cut the greens off before storing in the refrigerator. If the greens wilt they can be refreshed in a sink of cold water. Even wilted, they cook up fine. Turnips and beets that are a bit softer from greens that are left attached still cook up fine.
The celery loved our cool weather. Celery is such a special crop for us since it is known as one of the most chemically ridden crops on the market. This is because it is such a heavy feeder and soaks up large amounts of nutrients from it’s environment. We are especially proud of our celery since it’s roots have access only to our unadulterated soil and rain. It wilts very easily, but again can be revived in a sink of cold water. I sometimes use it in dishes wilted as long as I can cut it. The flavor always remains. The celery adds a lot of flavor to salads. Potato and tuna fish are my favorites. Last week I added the radishes and celery to my potato salad and our family gathering polished off over 5 pounds of potato salad in one sitting!
We hope you are enjoying the spring veggies. We have been so grateful for the wonderful rain we have had so far. Daniel and Rebecca, as well as our visiting daughters Beth and Mary Alice have been awesome helpers and have been zealously planting the upcoming vegetables for you.
Check out all of our newly posted recipes for this week’s vegetables by clicking the “recipes” link. Don’t forget to comment to tell us what you did with our vegetables. We want to know what you think and share your recipes with others!
Cricket always says that you should eat food from a farm you enjoy visiting.
Not all of you are always able to visit but with this website we thought you might all be able to pay us a virtual visit once in a while.
As spring gives way to summer we have been busy harvesting the last of our spinach. We are about to dig our first garlic. Carol says “we hope our customers ‘dig garlic’ too”. We continue to plant our summer vegetables, flowers and herbs. Today we planted more eggplant, peppers, zinnias and chamomille (the baby chamomille is in the photo of the day!).
Here, at last, to help are our two interns!
Daniel and Rebecca are rising sophomores at Swarthmore College. Daniel arrived from Mississippi last night and went straight to weeding beets and hauling compost this morning. Rebecca hails from upstate New York and brought her cold weather with her. Hopefully that will keep our spring veggies happy for a beautiful delivery tomorrow!
Oh yeah, and before we forget…. Please comment, post recipes, photos of your delicious dishes, and whatever else you like on our website. We would love to hear your veggie news too!
