Week #3

Full share:

Strawberries - 2 pint - $6.00
Lettuce - 2 heads - $5.00
Garlic - 2 - $2.00
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Turnips - 1 bunch - $2.00
Onions - 1 bunch - $2.00
Broccoli - 2pounds - $5.50



Half Share:

Strawberries - 1 pint - $3.00
Lettuce - 1 head - $2.50
Turnips - 1 bunch - $2.00
Kale - 1 bunch - $2.50
Bok Choy- 1 bunch - $2.50
Garlic - 1 - $1.00
Cilantro - 1 bunch - $1.50

Whats in your box?

Strawberries, finally. Lots of rain this week (3" in 24 hours!!) so the flavor may not be as intense. Still tasty though.

Full shares are getting a little broccoli. The first planting was troubled by fluctuating temperatures and ended up making heads too soon, therefore the heads ended up really small. I have another planting of broccoli (along with cauliflower and cabbages) that should be ready in a few weeks, so we should have better luck and a larger harvest.

"Why are my strawberries dirty??"

This is partly my fault, because I didn't mulch them well enough last fall. Also, all the hard rains splashed our sandy soil onto the berries. Since strawberries are so fragile, I can't wash them off before packing them, they must be completely dry to survive transport in the pint containers. Just give 'em a rinse before eating...

What to look forward to...

More strawberries and lettuce, hopefully some spinach too. Beets are most likely 2 weeks away, and carrots just after.

Recipes

This was my lunch today:

I threw 2 heads of smallish baby bok choy (one larger would be enough), 3 turnips, and a couple handfuls of leftover spicy mix (kale or the turnip greens would work great here instead) into the steamer, brought the water to a boil, and steamed for about 4-5 minutes (keep checking though - you don't want to over-steam!) everything came out still a little crunchy, which is perfect, and I topped the greens with some soy sauce and vinegar (any kind works). Its simple and quick - you could easily embellish with more seasoning or even some sort of a sauce, but its not necessary.

Heres another idea for the Bok Choy:

Black Bean Bok Choy Salad

Ingredients:

2 small or 1 large bok choy heads chopped

2 15oz cans black beans, drained

1 bunch spring onions chopped

I green garlic chopped

3 tbsp cider vinegar

½ cup olive oil

2 tbsp dijon mustard

salt & pepper to taste

You can add or subtract the mustard & vinegar rations to your own personal taste.

Use the whole bok choy except the very base, and chop crosswise from the stems to the leaves. Chop the green garlic like you would an onion or a leek. Chop the onions. Mix all together. Drain the beans, mix them in, then mix in the vinegar, oil, mustard, and add salt & pepper if you want. It tastes good right away but it’s better if you refrigerate it for an hour, or even better overnight.