Spring CSA Newsletter

Harvest List

Choose 9

- Spinach or stir fry mix

- Lettuce heads

- Dill

- Cilantro

- Kale

- Popcorn

- Microgreens

- Green garlic

- Dandelion greens

- Bok choi

- Napa cabbage

- Kohlrabi

+ Bonus seedlings and PYO herbs

Field Notes from Farm Manager Hannah

Hello members!

 

Last week we had an awesome start to our CSA and Farmer's Market season with lots of fresh produce, friendly faces old and new, and a thunderstorm to boot on Thursday morning in the middle of harvest! The next 6 weeks surrounding the solstice are vital to the success of the season and plant health. Long days coupled with warm temperatures lead to rapid growth in both crops and weeds so the team is working diligently on cultivation and weed management with tractors, tools, and by hand.

 

Peas are right around the corner (probably next week we will begin pick-your-own for CSA members!) and the first successions of cherry tomatoes and green beans are in the ground as well. Each white flower on the pea plant will eventually turn into a whole pod! As a CSA member I encourage you (if you are able) to take advantage of the PYO bonus option available most weeks. It's a great way to get even more connected to your food, learn more about sustainable agriculture, and add value to your CSA share. Thank you for your support this season and we are excited to meet "even" CSA members this week! 

 

Best,

Hannah

1. Peas ripening on the trellis

2. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly

3. Popcorn germinating 

Recipe of the week:

Kohlrabi Phyllo Triangles 

You can wrap just about anything in phyllo, making a delightful treat.  These kohlrabi triangles are reminiscent of spanakopita, but use kohlrabi instead.  Trust me, this is SO good.  But, if you want to use up your spinach instead, feel free to substitute spinach for kohlrabi; just be sure to really squeeze the liquid out of it. Some people are a little intimidated by phyllo--yes, it is thin and yes, it breaks easily, but melted butter fixes all!

 

Don't want to play around with phyllo triangles?  This filling makes a delicious side dish all by itself.  Want some pastry?  Make it into a pie by layering phyllo and butter for a bottom and top crust and baking for more like 50 minutes.

 

Kohlrabi-peeled and grated.  You want about 2 cups.

1-2 TB extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

¼-⅓ cup dill, run your knife through it

2 TB fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 TB dried)

1 egg, beaten

½ cup crumbled feta

2 TB parmesan

2 TB butter, melted

about 10-12 sheets of phyllo (available in the freezer section of the grocery)

 

Heat 1 TB EVOO in a skillet.  Add onion, cook until tender about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant.

Stir in kohlrabi.  At this point, you may want to add another TB of EVOO.  Cook until tender and starting to color.  If there's a lot of water in your pan, boil it off.  Add pepper to taste.  Stir in dill and parsley.

Remove from heat. (If you want, you can freeze the filling at this point.)

Add egg, feta and parmesan.

Put down one sheet of phyllo on the counter.  Lightly brush with melted butter.  Repeat this 3 times (so you’ll have a little stack of 4 sheets of phyllo, each one brushed with butter.  Cut this into 6 strips (landscape orientation, so you’re cutting from the wide part).  Put a spoonful of kohlrabi mixture on the top and then fold into a right triangle, like a flag--keep flipping it.  When you’ve used up the strip, brush with melted butter to glue it closed.  Put on cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil.  Repeat until you've used up all of the kohlrabi filling.  You will probably get about 20 little triangles.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Storage Tips: Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is a cruciferous vegetable, just like cabbage, broccoli and kale. It can be purple or green and looks kind of like an alien, round, with a bunch of stems sticking out of it.  Kohlrabi has a thick outer layer that needs to be removed before you can eat it; you may find that you need a sharp knife as the outer layer can be quite tough.  Kohlrabi is packed with fiber, vitamin C, potassium and even some protein.

 

Basically, you can cook kohlrabi just like you cook potatoes--boiled, steamed, fried, roasted, and mashed.  You can also eat kohlrabi raw; just shred it into salads or make a nice slaw.  Kohlrabi pairs well with apples.

 

Kohlrabi should be stored in the refrigerator where it will last a couple of weeks.  You can also freeze kohlrabi; water blanch it first-- boil 3 minutes for a whole kohlrabi or one minute for kohlrabi cut into cubes and then plunge into cold water.  Frozen kohlrabi can be mashed or tossed into stews and soups.

Now Available: Mushroom Shares

We're thrilled to introduce our new Mushroom CSA shares from Fat Moon Mushrooms! These high-quality gourmet mushrooms are a perfect way to diversify your plate! Mushrooms are sourced from Fat Moon Mushrooms and are certified organic by Baystate Organics. Growing fresh mushrooms involves a lot of variability. Each week, there may be a variety of mushroom types—we cannot guarantee a certain type of mushroom! You must pick up your mushroom share on the pick-up day you choose upon purchase. If you miss your pick-up date, you are allowed to pick up your share within seven days of your missed pick-up. Otherwise, it will be donated!

 

PLEASE NOTE: We do not have Saturday mushroom shares! This is a pilot program for our first year. Thank you for understanding!