My apologies – I thought I’d posted this yesterday, but it didn’t show up when I checked later – must be disturbance in the Force. Or, more likely, operator error. Sigh.
We’re happy with this week’s boxes; there’s lots of new goodies this week! Your herb bundle includes a garlic scape. That’s the top of the garlic plant, which we cut off so the plant won’t flower (that saps energy from the developing bulb). Use it like garlic, every bit of it, but sparingly until you taste it, because scapes are intensely garlicky.
Cool Bean Diane Wiest grows shiitake mushrooms, and we’ve included a tiny sample in this week’s delivery. Diane inoculates oak logs with the shiitake starter, and the logs produce over several seasons. There’s no danger of them producing any other kind of mushroom. She sells the inoculated logs at festivals and other events.
If you’re a Thursday Bean, you received one or two (depending on your share size) whole wheat soft pretzels that Judi baked at 12:30 yesterday afternoon. We get quite a lineup for these pretzels at market every week!
This week’s lettuces included a green romaine, more Bronze Arrowhead (you had some earlier this season) and a lovely, frilly red called Mascara.
The mini-cabbages are very tender, and will pair nicely with your new potatoes. We like the potatoes tossed with olive oil and kosher salt and roasted, but sometimes it’s just too hot to heat up the kitchen, so they go on the grill instead.
Someone asked why they’re called ‘new’ potatoes. These potatoes haven’t reached their full size, and were harvested the day of delivery. They have a rich, buttery, tender taste, a little less starchy than they will be later. New potatoes are something of a luxury, since we’re sacrificing a larger harvest later. But they’re worth it!
You have Rainbow Chard this week, and we have preparation advice from our friend Sandy, who raises goats and vegetables at Painted Hand Farm in Newburg. Chop the chard (stems and leaves) and set aside; sweat 3 chopped garlic cloves in 2 Tbsp olive oil, add the chard and cook for 5-8 minutes, salt and pepper to taste. Sandy’s a great friend, and we’re lucky to have a stand next to hers at the market.
Katie used the chard for an awesome pizza: our own pizza shells made with Judi’s wheat, a thick layer of chevre courtesy of Maeve the Goat, the sauteed chard, sliced shiitake mushrooms, and a layer of shredded Spring Cheese from Keswick Creamery (available at the Farmers on the Square Market in Carlisle, Wed 3-7 pm)
Boil the red beets until the skins slip off, slice or serve whole.