Welcome to our new members and welcome back to our returning members! We are happy to have the first box of the season out to you. This is our online newsletter. It will follow a format each week. A picture and list of the contents of the weeks box followed by notes about the veggies and storage tips. Next a few recipes focusing on veggies that you may not be familiar with or that we have in quantity. Finally, pictures of what's been going on at the farm, musings from your farmers, and news about farm events or announcements. Your CSA experience will be greatly enhanced if you look at the blog each week! It will help you feel connected to the farm and use up your veggies. So here we go... What's in the box?

red lettuce

green lettuce (full shares)

salad mix (single shares)

rainbow chard

garlic scapes

french breakfast radishes

green onions

strawberries

herb pot

Notes on the box...

Rainbow Chard may be new to some of you. Give it a good rinse and store in an open plastic bag in your crisper. The colorful stems are edible, but you should begin cooking them before the leaves because they take longer to cook. You can use the chard as you would spinach. We prefer it cooked, but it can also be eaten raw.

Garlic Scapes may also be new to you. These beauties are the stem of the flower sent up by the garlic bulb as it grows. It's a true seasonal treat that we only get to enjoy once per year! It has a mild garlic flavor and can be used fresh in place of green onion, but it will have a garlic flavor. It is also great chopped and added to stir fries. And it makes a really wonderful pesto!

Lettuce will store best in an open plastic bag in your crisper. We do our best to clean it for you, but all the rain splashes soil back onto the leaves, so another washing is suggested.

Herb pots should be placed in a sunny window and watered regularly. If you want the herbs to really thrive, you can pot them out into their own pots or into your garden if you have space. Pinch leaves as needed for cooking.

Recipes...

Garlic Scape Pesto is great to spread on a grilled cheese (or other) sandwich. It can be mixed into pasta. It can be an addition to a dip (or you can use it alone as a dip). It can be used as a condiment on eggs. It's super versatile and super tasty!

[yumprint-recipe id='30'][yumprint-recipe id='31']Garlic Scape and Brie Pizza This is another place that you could add your Chard!

Salad Dressing Tutorial

First delivery information for new members:

We are so happy to be your farmers! Thanks for signing up. A few things to remember to make your Summer of vegetables more enjoyable:

1. Don't forget to pick up your box! We send an email when your box is delivered. Picking up sooner on hot days will help keep your veggies fresh longer. Always only take veggies from the box with your name on the label. If you are unable to pick up, let your host know so that they may hold it for you until you can pick up or even better, arrange to have a friend or neighbor pick up your box. Certain dropsites (such as the co-ops) are sometimes unable to hold your share. If you have any problems or questions, please contact your host or the farm as soon as you can.

2. If you are splitting a box it is your responsibility to decide how to divide the share. Some members alternate weeks picking up. Some members get together and decide who gets what. Some members cook dinner together and then split up what wasn't used. It's up to you!

3. We wash greens and lettuce before delivering them, but we suggest another rinse just in case of lingering dirt or sand.

4. Some veggies hold for a long time, and others have a shorter shelf life. When deciding what to cook, keep this is mind to get you box used up! For certain crops such as tomatoes, we try to pack some of varied ripeness so that you have some to use earlier in the week and some to use later. Try to use up veggies from the previous week before getting your next box so that you don't get overwhelmed and veggies don't get lost.

5. Be sure to read storage tips to get the best flavor and value from your veggies. Little things, like taking the tops off of radishes and carrots or putting a head of lettuce in a plastic bag will make these veggies hold a lot better.

6. If you have any questions or issues or comments or suggestions, contact us. We will do our best to get back to you right away.

Here's a few more suggestions from Serious Eats.

On the farm...