The start of the 2016 Season is HERE and as ever what a weather roller coaster ride it has been for the start of the season!
Our sprinklers had been running every evening for the last seven weeks watering in crops. We went from a long cold March and April had two days of Spring and jumped straight into 40 degree summer heat! It has meant that some crops have been slow to germinate, to grow or have even bolted before they have reached maturity due to the heat.
To add insult to injury with all the watering we did in the evenings the hot high winds did the most amazing job of drying it out all the next day! But we have continued with the watering and took to transplanting late into the evenings on many a day over the last few months. We did choose to put lots of floating row covers on crops again this year which does increase the heat but it also helps to hold the moisture in the soil as well as keeping flea beetles away!
Finally over the last week we received a much needed inch and three quarters of rain! It was not only a huge relief for two farmers, lots of animals and a huge market garden but I think the whole community also sighed when a week ago Sunday the skies finally opened and the gentle rain started to fall! Fingers crossed we get regular rain for the rest of the growing season.
We already need to say a huge thank you to several of our CSA members who have already been out to help weed some of the crops and field and also to help deal with some quack grass and thistle that had crept into the fields.
For those picking up at the farm we have not started to raise leprechauns! We had to ear tattoo the goats at the weekend and of course they rub all over one another and they all turn a lovely green!!
It is going to be rather quiet at the farm this season as we have had a huge demand for delivery this year.
So with the quick update here's hoping for a season of warm weather and regular evenings
filled with rain, but a few days without rain would be lovely so hay
making and weeding can start!
Over the next twenty weeks we will include lots of recipes in the
newsletters but do remember to read through some of last years recipes
or if you find a recipe you love then please e-mail it in with a photo
or you can post it directly to our Facebook page. We have also been adding recipes to our Pinterest
page as well. Our aim is to get the newsletter up and ready by Monday
but please do not hold us to this! Between the two of us we do rather a
lot at the farm, and some evenings all we want to do is crawl into our
beds, but we will do our best to have the newsletter up a few days
before the first pick up of the week.
Here are some great resources (books and websites) that we love using
for finding different recipes from! If you have a favorite book or
website please let us know and we will add it into the newsletters.
This is also a great read on how to not get behind on your CSA vegetables.
Websites:Riverford Farms
Abel and Cole
Jamie Oliver
River Cottage
Books:
"River Cottage Veg everyday" by Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall
"Jamie at Home" by Jamie Oliver
Nom Nom Paleo
This weeks basket:
Collards - We have not grown these before so we are excited to see what you all think of them! We had them in scrambled eggs this morning and they are sweet and tender!
This recipe is a game changer for those who are not big lovers of greens! You can also use your radish and turnips leaves in this recipe as well. Sauteed Greens with pine nuts and raisins.
Chard - Chard gratin
Lettuce - This weeks lettuce is a nice crunchy romaine, it is great for wraps.
Spinach - Please remember we do not wash the spinach. Rinse as needed and it will keep longer.
Spring Turnips - You have a mixture of Scarlet Queen and Hakurei this week. Both can be eaten raw in salads or cut into chunks and dipped into a good homemade mayonnaise!
Pac Choy - Prize choy is going out into the boxes this week! These are great roasted, stir fried or eaten raw.
Asian Greens - Green Wave has a little bite to it but can be made into Pesto, added to the sauteed greens or shredded into salad. Stir-fried greens with tahini
Radish
Arugula Arugula with prosciutto
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