Week 4

Hi everyone,

It's been a crazy week of weather since I last wrote! This system of thunderstorms has been hitting the farm pretty hard. In between, there have been many lovely sunny hours, but it seems like at least once or twice a day, we're getting a thunderstorm rolling through.

The excessive rain isn't great, but unfortunately, the farm was hit with a really bad hailstorm on Sunday. Hail is really terrible, especially this time of year. It takes the tops of the plants right off, in some cases. Plants are amazingly resilient, but it definitely sets them back. Farming is all about rolling with the punches, but sometimes is can be a bit sobering when despite the best laid plans, the weather (or pests or diseases) can turn everything on its head. However, we did get another double rainbow when it was over!

But despite it all, we have a nice bag of veggies for you:

Bag O'Veggies:

Salad Mix

Asian Greens/Arugula/Kale (you'll have one of these in your bags)

Garlic Scapes - a little more garlic to flavor your dishes

Pearl Onions - early young onions

Beet Greens

Cilantro

Arugula, Kale and Asian Greens all are a bit tricky to grow, especially in early summer. They don't like hot weather, and they are all favorite targets of the same insect pest known as Flea Beetles. They aren't related to fleas, but they are small and black and jump around. In the organic world, it's considered best practice to cover the bed of greens as soon as they are planted with a thin fabric called row cover. The edges are tacked down, and ideally, it keeps the bugs away. Sometimes it works better than others...

The hot spell we had was really perfect weather for flea beetles, so you might notice some small holes on the leaves of your arugula, kale or Asian greens. This is a great example of vegetables that are cosmetically a bit unsightly, but are still totally delicious and great for using in recipes or salads. So we hope you won't mind a few holes, and will savor the greens knowing that they are grown without pesticides sprayed on them weekly to keep the flea beetles away!

1) Arugula Pesto

This is a great thing to try with some extra arugula. The spiciness is reminiscent of basil, and it pairs nicely with any kind of pasta.

2) Quinoa Risotto with Arugula & Parmesan

Looking for something super healthy? Look no further! Quinoa is an amazing protein-packed ancient grain from Peru. It provides a hearty base for this variation on a risotto.

3) Grilled Goat Cheese Pizza with Figs, Beets & Wilted Greens

Feeling fancy? If you wanna pop open the grill and try this pizza, I'm all ears to hear about it! I love figs and beets! It'll be a bit before we have beets at the farm, but we have the greens!

4) Stir-Fried Asian Greens With Ginger & Soy Sauce

Here's a basic stir-fry recipe that works with Asian Greens, but also spinach, beet greens, and more!

We hope you have a great week and weekend and a wonderful Fourth of July!

SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR DELIVERY/PICKUP NEXT WEEK

If you normally get your veggies on TUESDAY (delivered, at the farm, or at Sidehill in Manlius) we'll be doing the PICK-UP and DELIVERY on WEDNESDAY, July 5th.

Let us know if that is a problem for you. Thanks!