CSA Week 2

Hi everyone,
Welcome to week two. We're a little sick of the rain at the moment- I mean, of course it's good to have plenty of water as things are growing, but it's a bit tricky to get out into the fields to do what needs doing when it's so soggy! But there's not controlling the weather, so we'll just have to wait it out. Sometimes I feel like I'm always complaining about the weather (in relation to gardening and farming, that is). If it's not raining too much, then it's terribly dry, or it's unseasonably hot, or it's unnaturally cold... you get the idea. You might think I'm just impossible to please, but what I've come to realize is what a delicate balance of weather is needed to grow food. We need just enough water, but not too much. We need sun and warmth, but not too soon. And a late cold spell can be disastrous. It's kind of amazing we ever get a successful crop! On the other hand, many plants are surprisingly resilient: tomatoes that are seemingly drowning in puddles of water will somehow make it through and recover. Peppers that were sunburned and scorched can rebound with some water and shade. Somehow things usually work out OK, but it can be very stressful when the weather is so completely out of our control and seems to be more and more erratic every year.

Anyway, enough rainy day blues! You have a lovely collection of greens this week. Lots of tender young greens to cure what ails ya!
Here's the list:
Salad Mix
Baby Spinach
Asian Greens (spicy- think stir-fry!)
Garlic Chives (can be used like normal chives, but adds a garlic flavor, too)
Radishes- some ruby red beauties for your salads
Pea Shoots (taste like new peas- great on your salad, eaten fresh out of the bag, or on top of a stir-fry)

 

(Asian greens- mustard, mizuna, tatsoi, collards, etc)

It's salad season, and I always look forward to those first salads after a winter of dried, canned or frozen produce (we put up a lot of our own food and don't often buy much in the produce section of the grocery store). After a bland, cold, grey winter, a fresh, colorful bowl of salad greens is just the ticket. I often forget to buy things like salad dressing, so I make my own. It's very simple, and I learned it while staying with some farming folks in Southern Germany.

Maple Vinaigrette
Olive Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Maple Syrup

I start with a dollop of olive oil, add about an equal dollop of vinegar and then a smaller dollop of maple syrup. I usually mix these up in a jam jar and then taste them to see what needs a bit more added. If it tastes too oily, I add more vinegar, and then usually a tad more maple syrup to sweeten it up. You can also use honey or sugar, but I like the maple flavor.

If you're looking for recipes for Garlic Chives, they are very common in Chinese cuisine. Here's a link to some more information about them and some recipes: http://chinesefood.about.com/od/vegetablesrecipes/a/garlicchives.htm