The Springdell Show and Tell – Summer CSA Pickup #3 1

 in Springdell Show and Tell  tagged Show / Tell by (updated 1638 days ago)

Hello everyone, Jess here to chat about the 3rd week of the Springdell Summer CSA. Along with the rest of this year, the recent weather has been so strange! Many thunderclouds have been sailing by, but only very few dropping a little bit of rain here and there. Last night’s rain in the farm fields was most welcome by the fields and the beloved farmers who tend them. Heres hoping for more in the coming days!

Despite the limited rainfall, the veggies are looking good!
  • English Peas– Non-edible pods here. Shell them when ready to use, and enjoy!
  • Summer Cabbage– Slaw, Kraut, Kimchi, Galuska, Okonomiyaki… This is my favorite cabbage of the year.
  • Broccoli– Remember the raw stalks are great for slaws and sprinklings.
  • Salad Cukes– Pop ’em in the fridge until ready for use.
  • Slicing Cucumber– Ditto, cool as a cucumber! With basil in season, sour cream cukes are a fun and fresh dish.
  • Zucchini Squash- Grill, sauté, bake, boat… Enjoy!
  • Lettuce* – Click to learn how to store your lettuce when you get home.
  • Tuscan Kale*- Grab a box of brownie mix and try some simple kale brownies! You can certainly make them from scratch if you prefer. It’s true that some of the nutrients get cooked off, but only some! It’s worth adding this superfood to your baked goods where you can.

Small shares received summer squash, peas, cukes, zucchini, lettuce and kale. Single shares received peas, cukes, lettuce and kale. Super Shares received the same as full share items plus field tomatoes and early blueberries.

*Lots of delicious leafy greens in this week’s share! Remember that the greens at the farm are not sprayed with “smart fresh” or anything, so be sure to take the time to prep your greens when you get home so that they won’t wilt on you! Click on the name of your leafy green above for specific storage tips.

  • Raspberries– These are already gone in our house… One of my boys is now feeling guilty that the rest of us didn’t get any “I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stop”. No worries, son, nothing a trip to the farm stand can’t fix!
  • Salad Mix from Johnny Putt Farm (Littleton, MA)- I’m really enjoying these bags of salad mix from Gerry. They are far more than just lettuce! This week’s bag had baby kales and chards, snap peas, some microgreens and even an edible nasturtium! It’s a fun grab bag for sure.
  • Rainbow Chard– See the little tip above for storing chard, and see my little tip below for grilling! Save those stems!
  • Eggs– Steam these up, slice them up, and toss them in your salads!
Found a lucky clover in the Springdell grass today, this has to be a good omen, right?
A few of our items disappeared within an hour at Meatless Monday dinner. The peas and the broccoli wound up in our cheese sauce with some simple pantry pasta.
This was a fave of the week- use the tougher ends of the garlic scapes (leeks, green onions, etc) as a platform on which to grill your salmon, skin side up. When ready to flip, pick off the greens and grill skin side down. It’s flavorful and it helps to keep your salmon from drying out on the open grill!
Got chard? Remove the ribs (save them for this recipe) and make little bundles of fish (I used cod pieces here), garlic, scallion, scapes, etc, and a pat of butter. Brush with butter/oil and grill for 5 minutes/side on indirect medium heat. Tastier than grilling in foil! This works with farm stand Mozzarella too, make these your own!
The heatwave this past week has had us on a grilling kick. Grilled radishes and kale are great! Toss them with a bit of olive oil, season with salt, garlic, or whatever works, and grill on direct heat for a few minutes, checking frequently. The burnt edges are my son’s favorite part of this kale.
Grilled greens, scapes, zukes and Hot Italian Sausage!
Fellow Springdellian Helen J. shared her tip for CSA sauce. She’ll sauté whatever veggies are needing love (here was onion, garlic, peppers, chard and even rhubarb. She then added tomato sauce, a bit of sugar, salt and pepper, and heated it before whizzing in her blender. This sauce worked with her lasagna as well as with meatballs and pasta. Thanks for sharing, Helen!
From the looks of the Springdell CSA Facebook Page, no one is having any trouble finding delicious destinations for the strawberries and rhubarb! I’m seeing BBQ sauces, crisps, cocktails, butters, scones, cakes, compotes… You got this!

For those of you stumped, or short on certain ingredients to make something, drop me a line, I can hopefully help, and I’d love to hear from you!

About Jess

Jess Anderson is the creator of CSA|365 and is passionate about the local food movement. A long time member of Springdell and a busy mother of two, Jess loves keeping her family fed by honest local food.

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