Week 1 Newsletter 2016

Welcome to the 2016 season of the Peak Season CSA!

The first delivery of the season is here!  It is also the time of planting, weeding and more planting. Then it is time to take a step back to see what is ready to put into the Week 1 bins. It is just the beginning of the season and the early boxes are a gradual build-up to the bountiful bins that come together in deep summer and the hefty crops that arrive in the fall.

Eating with the seasons, as well as eating locally, may be new to some of you. It can be frustrating, intimidating and overwhelming when you are just starting out with bins of fresh produce.
Hopefully, the weekly newsletter will provide you with information to make it easier and to inspire you to try some new things that will work for you and fit into your lifestyle.

We welcome your ideas and recipes so that we can share them with other members of the CSA.


It is important to us that you get to know our farm and get to know us as your farmers. This is partly what the CSA connection is all about. Of course, the other part is about great locally grown fresh produce! If your our headed out our way for any reason, please give me a call and stop by to visit our farm.

There are many ways to connect with our farm: the weekly newsletter, stop by, or visit with Adele or Leticia at the Sarah Hardy Farm Market on Saturday.

Green garlic (also called spring garlic) is one of the first seasonal items to pop up in farmer’s markets. The immature garlic bulbs and edible green stalks have an amazing nutty-oniony flavor that is great fresh or cooked. Substitute green garlic in recipes for onions, scallions or leeks. The young, tender cloves don’t need to be peeled before chopping. Slice and use in potato salad or mince and stir into salad dressings. Toss some in a stir-fry, on a pizza, or in soups. The light garlicky flavor enhances dishes without overpowering. One stalk and bulb of spring garlic is equivalent to a small onion, or a leek an one clove of mature garlic.

Here are the items to expect to find in the Week 1 bin:

Standard Share:

Strawberries
Rhubarb
Radishes
Deer Tongue Lettuce
White Turnips
Green Garlic/Spring Onion
Mixed Greens
Twin Maple Farm Syrup

Small Share:

Deer Tongue Lettuce
Strawberries
Rhubarb
White Turnips
Radishes

Here are a couple of recipe ideas for the items you will find in your bin this week.

Rhubarb Crisp 

MARK BITTMAN  YIELD 6 to 8 servings  TIME 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for greasing pan
2 ½ to 3 pounds rhubarb, trimmed, tough strings removed, and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces (about 5 to 6 cups)
¼ cup white sugar
1 tablespoon orange or lemon juice
1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
 Pinch salt
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup pecans

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking or gratin dish with a little butter. Toss rhubarb with white sugar, orange or lemon juice and zest, and spread in baking dish.
Put the 6 tablespoons butter in a food processor along with brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, and pulse for about 20 or 30 seconds, until it looks like small peas and just begins to clump together. Add oats and pecans and pulse just a few times to combine.
Crumble the topping over rhubarb and bake until golden and beginning to brown, 45 to 50 minutes.

Green Garlic Toast 

MELISSA CLARK  YIELD 8 servings  TIME 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

 Slices of crusty bread
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 ½ tablespoons chopped young green garlic stalks, white and green parts
1 tablespoon minced chives
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, more to taste
 Large pinch red chile flakes
1 regular (not green) garlic clove, halved

PREPARATION

Heat the broiler. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and broil them, flipping them halfway through cooking time, until golden on both sides. Keep warm.
In a bowl, stir together the butter, cheese, green garlic, chives, pepper, salt and chile.
Rub the toast with the cut side of the regular garlic clove, then spread with the green garlic butter. Broil toast again for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, until the tops lightly brown and the butter melts. Serve hot or warm.