June 16 Newsletter

See ya later, winter!

Dear Veggie-Lovers,


     The moment you have all been waiting for is here! It's time for the first box of the season, and we are excited to kick-off the season with a variety of great stuff. Okay I know the suspense is killing you, so here it is, the first list of what to look for in your box:

• Strawberries
• Rhubarb
• Lettuce
• Spicy Mixed Salad Greens
• Spinach
• Radishes
• Oregano
• Chocolate MInt

Beyond the Bin:

• Rhubarb  $3.00
• Spinach   $2.50

       Can you handle the excitement? We are pretty thrilled to start the season too! It is always very rewarding to harvest after months and months of preparation and to see our little plants thrive in response to all the TLC they have received. This week on the farm, we have been attacking those pesky weeds with full force. It is really important to pull the weeds now while plants are still young and could easily be strangled by their proliferating competitors. 

       The other big excitement in the garden this week was the erection of our 12-foot tall scarecrow. While I am not sure if it is keeping the birds at bay, it has certainly tricked our neighbor's beagle pup! When he stopped by the garden for a visit, he put on quite the show in an attempt to get the scarecrow's attention.

     This week's recipe comes from one of our very own Peak Season members, Carol Danly. This will be Carol's third year as a member. Before joining Peak Season, Carol had an interest in dietetics and nutrition. As a CSA subscriber, she learned to research and experiment with a lot of new ingredients. She enjoyed the experience so much that she decided to commit to pursuing a culinary degree. She enrolled in NMC's Great Lakes Culinary Institute program. She has flourished in the classroom and in the kitchen. She volunteers with MSU Extension's Cooking Matters classes and will be working as a Banquet Cook for the Hagerty Center this summer. While we cannot take credit for all of Carol's hard work, we are very proud that Peak Season provided a spark of inspiration for one of our members!

   Here is Carol's recipe:

Rhubarb Lemonade

• 3 cups thinly sliced rhubarb, about 10 to 12 stalks, depending on thickness
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 7 pods cardamom, split open (or 2 large pinches ground)

In medium, heavy-bottomed pot, combine rhubarb, sugar, and cardamom pods. Cover and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent any sugar from burning, until rhubarb melts unto itself and into a jammy pulp, maybe 20 minutes. The thinner the slices of rhubarb, the quicker the cooking, but the faster the compote cooks, the weaker the taste of cardamom. Your choice on the best approach.
Once rhubarb is completely cooked down, pass it through a fine food mill or strain out the cardamom and puree in a blender. Set it aside in large pitcher while making lemon syrup:

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice, and any accompanying zest
• 1/2 cup sugar

Combine 1/2 of the lemon juice with zest and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat just until sugar is completely dissolved. Off heat, add remaining lemon juice and stir well. Add lemon syrup to rhubarb puree. Lastly, add:
7 cups cold water. Stir well and chill.
The consistency of this rhubarb lemonade will be more of nectar than typical “drink.” It allows you to pour in tall glasses with generous ice, but without too much dilution.
Yield: about 12 servings.

A few reminders about the logistics of bin pick-up:

•  Your bin will have your name on it. Only take the bin with your name
• Return empty bins the following week 
• If you are sharing a subscription, you are responsible for deciding how the produce will be split between yourselves
• Don't forget to pick-up on time please!

We cannot wait to see all of you/ meet newbies! It's going to be a great season!