“EVERY SINGLE DAY, DO SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOUR HEART SING.” ~Marcia Wieder
Crop list:
- Garlic scapes – all
- Strawberries – all
- Swiss chard – all
- Green kale – all
- Radishes – all
- Collard greens – all
- Spinach – all
- Napa cabbage – all
- Asparagus – full/single
- Chives – full/single
- Scallions – full
Farmer notes:
- WELCOME to our 2017 summer CSA produce season!!
- We reuse our plastic coated boxes, ice packs, and egg cartons so please return them to us in good condition. A video showing the collapsing of the boxes is on our Facebook – do not tear the tabs or pull up on them. Rather, slide the tabs back out of their slots.
- Please use intention and care when picking up your produce from someone’s home or business, help keep a tidy pick-up spot
- Do not take eggs unless you have signed up and paid for them, these are an add-on item and not a part of the regular produce share
- Flex Shares are only on even deliveries and begin next Th., June 29th
- Strawberries, Asparagus and Garlic Scapes are ‘one and done’ so enjoy them in their season
- Garlic scapes are our “Veggie of the Week” brought to you by our very own Jillian
- Napa can be used in a cold salad, in slaw, sautéed, in stir fry or as a wrap
- Chard shows some of our hail damage from earlier in the spring
- Collards are wonderful hot with some bacon 🙂 and vinegar
- Please wash all your produce before you eat it
The Season so far …
Well, we are definitely off and running headlong into the 2017 growing season!! It all began in the dead of winter with drawings, dreams and a bit of down time. Soon to follow in late February was the planting of onions to germinate above/around my wood burning stove. Then came the chard, kale and lettuce for transplanting into the hoop house for the spring shares. By early March we began heating the greenhouse and germination chambers for the propagation of most of the crops you will be seeing in your boxes this season. Since then it has all been a blur.
I had this ongoing conversation with myself for several weeks in May as to whether to deliver our first Summer share on June 15th, as initially posted, or postpone it until the 22nd. May was particularly cool and cloudy and the crops already in the field literally sat there for weeks without any growth. Once I decided to push the start date to the 22nd, the sun shone brightly, the temperatures edged into the 90s and the crops shot up as well. I began my inner dialogue again, “dang it”, what if”, “I think I could have”, “no, this was the best decision” etc. I do think we could have made the 15th box happen, but I am glad we are beginning today and I think you will be to. We have a nice full box of spring greens and early season crops with the prospect of nothing but the same to follow!! The fields and crops are looking great, and with a stellar intern team we are poised to plant, irrigate, cover, weed, harvest, clean and deliver local healthy food to your table for the next 18 weeks.
Thank you so much, from all of us, for joining us on this adventure. We wish you an awesome summer of fun, health, and good eating in great company!!
~Norm
Vegetable of the Week: Garlic Scapes
A garlic scape is the inner stalk of the garlic plant. It leads to the production of the garlic flower which allows for seeding to occur. When growing, the stalk begins to curve in. This forms a circular shape like a curl. Scapes use energy from the plant to form the flower, so in most cases the scape gets removed. This allows energy to be re-allocated back into the garlic bulb to increase its size.
A great way to cook scapes is to grill them! Similar to asparagus, they can be cooked by sautéing them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, or with any of your favorite seasonings.
Another recipe to incorporate these scapes into is to make a pesto with them! Here is what you will need and what to do:
Garlic Scapes
½ cup Sunflower seeds
½ cup Olive Oil
1 handful of Basil leaves
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
¼ cup of parmesan cheese
Chop up the scapes and place in a food processor for 30 sec.
Add sunflower seeds and pulse for 30 sec.
Add olive oil and pulse for 15 sec.
Add in parmesan cheese and pulse until everything is combined.
Add basil and lemon juice until it is at desired consistency.
Meet the Farmer
For the next several weeks members of the hardworking crew at Earth Dance Farm will be introducing themselves so that you can learn something about the people behind each week’s box! This year’s crew comes from all over the country including Wisconsin, New Jersey, Cincinnati, New York City, and Missouri. Although we come from different backgrounds we all take great pride in growing the best possible food. Working at Earth Dance Farm is a challenging, rewarding, and meaningful experience for the members of the crew. We hope you enjoy the produce! Up this week is Jillian.
Hi all,
I’m Jillian. I grew up in northern New Jersey and will be a junior at Farleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey this fall. I am currently studying Biology with a concentration in Ecology and Environmental Science, with a minor in Chemistry. I wanted to come to Earth Dance Farm to help figure out what I might want to do after I graduate from college. I was curious what it was like to live on a farm so I thought this was a great opportunity. I have a small garden with my parents and wanted to learn how people with farms can manage many acres of land. I am excited to see how certain crops grow, such as corn and potatoes, and learn more about the ecosystem of a farm.
