Full Share: Spinach, salad mix, spring onions, radishes, baby bok choy, and kale
Half share: Everything in smaller quantities minus the baby bok choy
Hello CSA members!
Thank goodness the Whitefish Farmers Market is starting this week, because it is dry as a bone out there and we could really use some rain! Irrigating is similar to treading water….you don’t get anywhere, but you stay alive. The crops on the farm look great, but it has required a lot of moving irrigation pipe for the past month. The rest of the farm, which is supposed to be growing cover crops and grass, which is not within reach of the irrigation, is definitely wanting for a change in weather.
We hope you enjoyed week #1 of the CSA. There were a few kinks that needed to get worked out, but I think everyone is on board now. If you happen to miss your CSA pickup at any point in the future, we would like to request that you call us within 24 hours of your pickup time to let us know if you want the share. We will then leave it for you in the front room of our processing barn at the farm. Calling us 5 days after you’ve missed pickup is a bit late, as the share has often been re-purposed at that point to prevent it from going to waste. And if you can’t make it to a pickup, send a friend who might enjoy the opportunity to try a CSA share.
This week, the share should look very similar to last weeks, with the addition of kale. For those of you looking for cooking ideas, here a few good ones. First, if you don’t like radishes raw (flavor or spice is too much) slice them and sauté them in a bit of oil and they will mellow out. You can throw the radish tops in as well, and let them wilt down. Sauteed greens are delicious, nutritious and a rite of spring. Another create use of the radish tops is to make pesto out of them….we had some last week and it was delicious. The baby bok choy goes well in stir fry, but it is also excellent on the grill. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle some salt on it, and let it cook off to the side of the grill. Same goes for the green onions…grilling them brings out some great flavors, just don’t over do it and char them. Kale is an extremely nutritious green. It can be eaten raw, but I think it tastes better when lightly steamed or sautéed. Preparing greens with garlic and soy sauce is also a great side to many meat dishes. Or put it in your scrambled eggs in the morning. One thing I will say about the internet is that it is an excellent place to find delicious recipes for virtually any vegetable. Do a search based on the vegetable and the style of cooking you like, and you’ll be amazed how many ideas pop up.
CSA pickup this week will be the same as last week, except on Tuesday the Whitefish Market will be taking place, so you can come get your share at our market stand. And congrats to the Columbia Falls Community Market for pulling off such a great opening market last Thursday night. It was a lot of fun, and the town estimated close to 2,000 people attended! We look forward to seeing everyone this week!
– Team Two Bear Farm
