3rd x’s the Charm

Howdy folks, here’s the third edition of The Arrow. We hope everyone is enjoying this interactive newsletter. The farm is finally in full swing, keeping us busy from first light past dark. Our house is getting pretty quiet these days just after dinner time. We might not be getting enough sleep, but the sleep we get is well earned.

We are refining our CSA share packing technique and have arrived at super efficiency. We line the boxes up 2×2 diagonally on our gravel pad and then we each pick an item and walk clockwise around the boxes placing an item in each box. Its very gratifying to see the shares come together after a morning of harvesting and many weeks of planting, weeding and watering. Check it out.

Garden Share

Beet Greens

Peas

Kale

Zucchini

Radish

Parsley and Mint

Red and Green Lettuce

Scallions

Fruit Share

Bing Cherries

Apricots

BEET GREENS

These small succulent beet greens come from us thinning the beet patch. As we were thinning we realized that we should be harvesting these fantastic tasting beet greens with their little red radicals for eating. These would be great to eat raw or sauté them lightly in a little butter/olive oil and garlic and season with salt. Let us know what you get inspired to do with these tasty beetlings.

PARSLEY AND MINT IDEAS

Pasta with peas, cream, parsley and mint

This is a great recipe to use with several ingredients provided in the share. When working with your share be flexible by adapting recipes to serve your needs. Try chopping your snap peas into 3 or 4 pieces and then reduce the cooking time, as not to overcook the peas.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/PASTA-WITH-PEAS-CREAM-PARSLEY-AND-MINT-241610

Here is an herbalist’s homepage with some ideas for parsley and mint with a Mediterranean flair.

http://www.henriettesherbal.com/archives/best/1996/mint-recipes.html

RADISH

A different spin on radishes, these would be a great accompaniment to fish or meat or eaten over a big salad with chopped nuts and crumbly cheese and a light dressing.

GLAZED RADISHES

1 pound radish, trimmed

1 T unsalted butter

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 T minced fresh parsley

In a heavy saucepan wide enough to hold the radishes in one layer cook the radishes in the butter with the sugar and the salt over moderately low heat, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup water, simmer the radishes, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are tender, and boil them, uncovered, shaking the pan occasionally, until the liquid has been reduced to a glaze. Cook the radishes over moderate heat, swirling them, until they are coated with the glaze and sprinkle them with the parsley.

Gourmet, April 1991

MORE DELICIOUS CHERRIES

Hopefully everyone still has an appetite for more cherries. These bings come from the certified organic Black Bear Orchards in Palisade. They are yummy. Check out the post from last week for some great cherry recipes. We’ve been enjoying them in salads and pitted some to put up in the freezer.

APRICOTS

These apricots come from New Leaf Farm, in its second year transitioning to organic production. They are located in Delta. We recommend eating these fresh. Some are ripe and others need a couple days. Let them sit out of the refrigerator in the fruit bag to ripen.

More fruit available….

For those with a share in the garden only, never fear, if you have a hankering for a hunk of fruit there is more fruit available at Colorado Grown, just next door to us in the garage and at the Salida Farmers Market.

PEAS and ZUCCHINI

The peas and zucchini come to us from Mattic’s Orchard in Olathe. Mattic’s grows veggies using no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. The peas are slightly battered, maybe from hail, but still delicious. Our offical pea tester, Juniper, gave her stamp of approval, but be aware that they may not have as long a shelf life and eat them up soon.

BOXES, BOXES, BOXES

Please bring back your boxes. We will reuse them. We promise.