Notes on the box.
Fennel might be the biggest curve ball for many this week. It's got a nice fresh anise flavor. Our cooler got a little too cold and some of the fennel and cucumbers had to be discarded due to damage, so we ran out near the end of packing. Apologies to those who didn't get it. We have more planted for later in the season.
Beets! Again? yes. This year seems to be the year of the beets. It wasn't originally in the plan to have quite so many, but we lost crops of radishes and salad turnips to a terrible little bug called the root maggot. But the beets keep on keeping on. And these green top beets are so good. The greens are great sautéed with a little garlic and olive oil for a quick side. And the beets themselves? No need to peel the fresh green top ones. You can quarter and roast them, pickle them, shred them and add them to a chocolate cake recipe, or steam them and blend them into your favorite hummus recipe for a spread that will make kids who love the color pink super happy.
Garlic Scapes! If these are new to you, enjoy them! They are the stem of the flower that the garlic bulb puts out. We pull this off of the plant in order to help the bulb size up, and they have the added bonus of being so delicious! You can use them in place of garlic in recipes. They are a bit milder, though and so are good raw. You can think of them as you would green onions.
Basil should be stored dry. You can put it in the fridge, but in a warmer area and make sure the leaves are dry when you put it in. Or you can do what we do and gather it into a bunch and treat it like a bouquet of flowers. Put the stems in a small cup of water on the counter. Basil, Garlic Scapes, and Baby Kale would make a nice pesto for a pizza (especially with some of the Ricotta on that pizza if you have a cheese share!)
Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.
Herdsman is the first of the aged cheeses from this season. This cheese was made back in March when the cows were still eating hay. It's got some nice flavors of hay and a bit lemony, also. The rind is edible tasty.
I've also included our whole milk ricotta which is always a big hit! It's so rich and milky. It's wonderful for breakfast with a little honey and some toasted nuts. Or it's nice on crostini with good olive oil and some freshly cracked pepper.
Recipes.
Fennel and Smoked Salmon Salad from Martha Stewart
Brown Rice Cakes with Sautéed Fennel, Broccoli Rabe, and Ricotta (use beet greens and/or broccoli florets in place of broccoli rabe)
Broccoli and White Bean, Ricotta Meatballs with Herbed Tahini Yogurt
Josh's Eat to the Beet Salad
Remove green tops from beets. Wash and then chop them up and wilt them briefly in a pan with a little olive oil (you can add chard here too if you want to make a lager amount of this salad.) Shred beets (and a zucchini - optional). Toss warm green and shredded raw beets together. Add toasted slivered almonds (or sunflower seeds or nuts of your choice) Dress with a balsamic vinaigrette or sesame dressing.
On the Farm.
ATTENTION EAT LIKE A FARMER SHARE MEMBERS!! We are planning on the second Thursday of July for the first meat delivery! Make some room in your freezer! More info will be coming soon to your email in-box.
Next week in 4th of July. We will plan on regular deliveries. We can't stop this summer squash. If you won't be in town, we suggest having a friend or neighbor pick up your box. Or if you would like us to donate it, just let us know ahead of time and we will do that instead of having it delivered to your drop site.
This past week we had the privilege to spend time with Rama's grandpa, whom we call Paw Paw, visiting from Texas. He's 89 and he had his first plane ride of his life to come visit us. He grew up in a family of sharecroppers and told us some great stories about the three acres of cabbages they grew and how they would load them into a boxcar almost to the ceiling and then put big ice blocks on the top before the train took them away. He said they had a transplanter that worked just like ours, but it was pulled by mules, not a tractor. His first words when he got to our place were, "It looks like you've got the farm going your way." It means a lot to us to have had him here. He mowed the lawn, and took a nap outside on the mower. He liked the weather we had. 79, not 97 like back in Texas!
