2nd CSA pick-up

We had a great rain last night, almost an inch. I could almost see the veggies growing thanks to all the moisture. This weeks share is still pretty green but the carrots are just starting to bulk up so hopefully next week's shares will have bright orange treats. I forgot to take a picture of the share but I have some individual ones from this morning.

This weeks large box contains lettuce mix, spinach, chinese cabbage, mixed turnips, kohlrabi, daikon radish, beet greens, green onions, lettuce head and garlic scapes. I made a really yummy fritatta last weekend with spinach, eggs, cheese and bacon. I just sautéed the spinach, fried the bacon, mixed up 10 eggs, poured the beaten eggs into the frying pan, put in the sautéed spinach and fried bacon and covered in cheese. I let it cook slowly on top of the stove and finished under the broiler, talk about yummy. It would work well with kale or swiss chard as well.

The beet greens will need to be washed extra well as they were bunched in the field and washed in the tubs but lots of dirt will still be hiding in there.


Chinese Cabbage - The following recipe was popular last season so I added it again

Crunchy Asian Chicken Salad
3 packages (3 oz each) chicken- flavour noodle soup mixture
8 cups shredded Chinese (Napa) cabbage (1 medium head)
4 cups cut-up cooked chicken
1 cup shredded carrots
1⁄2 cup chopped red onion
1 cup sesame-ginger dressing (purchased or use recipe below)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup wasabi peas (optional- available at Bulk Barn)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted (to toast, sprinkle in ungreased skillet. Cook over
medium low heat 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until browning begins, then stirring
constantly until golden brown.)

In 2 quart saucepan, heat 1 1⁄2 cups water to boiling over high heat. Break apart noodles before opening soup packages. Stir 2 of the seasoning packets and all of the noodles into boiling water. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until noodles are tender. Do not drain.

In large bowl, toss noodles, cabbage, chicken, carrots and onion. In small bowl, stir together 1 cup of dressing, sugar, and remaining seasoning packet. Toss dressing with salad.

Cover and refrigerate. Stir in wasabi peas and sesame seed just before serving.

Ginger-Sesame Dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Process until smooth.


Garlic scapes. We remove these scapes so that the garlic plant will put its energy into the bulb and not into these scapes. Just chop and use as you would garlic, so yummy!!


Swiss chard - awesome steamed lightly or sautéed with a bit of butter


Daikon Radish - a nice spicy white radish, try grating it over a salad or on top of spaghetti


Beautiful mixture of lettuce heads, all washed and ready for the cooler


Turnips, Hakurei and purple top. Many like the purple top raw just like the hakurei but I find it a bit stronger and like it better cooked. Also a few tiny carrots for the kids.


Kohlrabi - remove the leaves, peel the outer lawyer and eat the inside raw. It's amazing


Kale getting spun in the lettuce spinner

The start of today's harvest was very very muddy but thankfully the weather improved mid morning so we did not have to sloop around in the mud. We have washed all the greens but you might want to give them all an extra wash to make sure all the dirt is gone, especially with the beet greens


Muddy veggies


Some of our harvest knives


Lettuce getting a "bath"


Wash station, now under the tent

In other news, Ben & Jake will be turning two tomorrow. Wow, can it be true? Two years ago today I was picking potatoes and wondering what all the "baby" fuss was about. That seems like a very long time ago!!! A CSA member and I were chatting today about the dreaded terrible twos and I wonder if were headed for the terrible twos times two!!! Time will tell but they sure are awesome to have around. Not much work gets done but we sure do have fun going on our daily farm adventures.


Ben & Jake checking out their weekend baby sitting bunny rabbit. They had fun feeding her and trying to make her nibble on their fingers.