June 25, 2015

What’s in this week’s box??

*Room for dogs, goats and kids to run, jump and chase sticks.

Radishes Broccoli Summer squash/zucchini

Green Lettuce peas Bok Choi Arugula

Strawberries beets

Hi!

Strawberries and peas in this box… nothing says summer like those flavors! We are grateful for Demulling farms and their hard work in growing the strawberries! They did the growing, we did the picking. If you are interested in getting more strawberries, please contact Jen Demulling at 715-417-1791 to see when you can go and pick on their beautiful farm. You can also order pre- picked berries for

If you would like to have us deliver them with your box next week, please let us know how many pounds you would like and send a check to us, made out to Demulling Farms. We’ll make sure it gets to them.

The rains we have been getting have been plentiful. We’ve also had a nice balance of sunny, humid days. This is the best growing weather! Our plants are growing very well. On the down side, so are the weeds. I can honestly say that we’ve never been this far behind on weeding at this time of the year. The weeds are thriving and the wet has made it more difficult to get in the fields and weed efficiently. We’re hoping to catch up some this weekend.

The summer squash and zucchini are just starting. We should have a plentiful crop and you’ll see them in your box for many weeks. Because they are just starting, we are hoping that each of you will get at least one or the other this week. I write the newsletter the evening before we do the final picking of produce, so I’m not sure. But a quick walk through tonight makes me think there might be enough.

If you are a half share, you have likely noticed that you are receiving the newsletters each week. We want to make sure that you don’t miss out on any farm news, tips or recipes on your “off” weeks. The top of the newsletters will state if it’s an A or B week.

In your box:

** There are so many more benefits to being a member of our farm than just what you see and taste from your box. You are supporting our family and us as farmers. We are choosing land management techniques that are supporting the landscape and nature. We’re also committed to making sure your food is as nutrient dense as possible through our healthy soils. Each week I’ll try and highlight a benefit to belonging to our farm- one that might not be benefitting your directly, but still so important to the big picture of what we are doing.

Healthy Pollinator habitat: You should see and hear how busy those bees are! They are pollinating the clover, roses and zucchini! (And everything in between!) We’re seeing a host of other insects doing the same. A variety of bugs is a good thing!

Garlic Scapes- Scapes are the early treat the garlic plants give us each summer. Cut them into tiny pieces and sauté or cook as you would garlic cloves. Great fresh garlic flavor! You can freeze scapes too. I dice them up and put them in a recycled cottage cheese type container. Label and freeze. You can grab a pinch or two of scapes out of the freezer any time you want to sauté garlic.

Spinach- Store as you would any salad green. Eat raw or cooked.

Lettuce- Salad Spinner and then store in covered container.

Swiss Chard- Great for salads or sautéing. Salad spin and then store in a covered container.

Kale- Tear off the stems and add to your salads or sauté torn pieces in with your eggs for a great meal or snack. Salad spin and then store in a covered container.

Radishes: Separate the greens from the roots. The greens can be stored like any green. Chop them up and add to your salads. They have lots of nutritional benefits- more than the roots! Store the roots in a dish with a little water in your refrigerator.

Bok Choi: Store whole in your crisper drawer for a day or two. For longer storage, place in a plastic bag in your crisper drawer. Add a paper towel and open the bag to promote air ciriculation.

Please remember to bring bags, boxes or containers when picking up your produce. We’d like to keep costs down by making sure we don’t lose any of our delivery boxes. It also helps to ensure that no boxes are used for things other than produce.

Recipes

Spring Romaine Boats

2/3 cups red quinoa, rinsed

1 tsp. olive oil

½ lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips

3 T. onion, minced

Juice of ½ lemon

1 tsp. dried dill

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 cups frozen peas, thawed

12 large lettuce leaves

4 radishes, halved and sliced thin

3 oz. herbed goat cheese, crumbled

Prepare quinoa according to directions

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil on medium. Add chicken. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Add onions, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper, and sauté, stirring often. Break chicken up into smaller pieces. Cook about 3 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

Stir in peas and heat through. Remove from heat. Stir in quinoa. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and top with radishes and cheese.

Stir Fried Bok Choi with Cashew sauce

** Bok Choi is great in any stir fry recipe. Chop up the stems and leaves and toss it in!

Here’s a recipe you may like to try-

½ cup raw cashews

¼ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

1 T. minced ginger

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 ½ pounds of bok choi

¼ cup peanut oil

Toast cashews in a dry skillet, tossing frequently until lightly brown and fragrant. Combine cashews, vinegar, sugar, spices and 2 T water in a blender and blend. Set aside.

Wash Bok choi well, separating stalks. Remove leaves from stalks. Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces and roughly chop leaves. Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add bok choi stems and cook, stirring often until crisp-tender, 2-3 minutes. Add the leaves and cook until they wilt and turn bright green, another minute or so. Remove to a platter and cover with cashew sauce or serve on the side.

Spinach Burritos

½ cup chopped onion

1 T. chopped garlic scapes

2 tsp. butter

1 bunch spinach, torn

1/8 tsp. pepper

6 flour tortillas

¾ cup salsa, divided

2 cups shredded cheese

Saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add the spinach and pepper, cook for 4-5 minutes until wilted and heated through. Place about 3 T. on each tortilla. Top with 1 Tablespoon salsa and 2 tablespoons of cheese. Place seam side down in 9X13 pan lined with parchment paper or greased well. Top with remaining salsa and cheese. Bake at 350 uncovered for 20-25 minutes until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

Have a great week and happy eating!!

Jody, Mike, Claudia, Malcolm and Jonas