June 1st, 2012

David expressed some worry about this season's produce becoming a little redundant (greens, greens, onions, greens), but he needn't worry, given what he has coming our way in June.  You'll soon be seeing: baby beets, Swiss chard, broccoli, zucchini (he has 2,000 plants, so get ready), snap peas, and red potatoes.  He also expects a massive crop of blackberries.

He just finished planting 1,500 Brussels sprouts, not to mention new rows of edamame, leeks, and spinach.

And then there are the tomatoes!   He's got what looks to be a "tremendous crop" of 7,000 plants, representing about twelve heirloom varieties, including: "Old German," "Mr. Stripey," "Boxcar Willie," and even one called "Mortgage Lifter."  But he's most proud to be growing a local heirloom given to him by an 80-year-old neighbor who got the seeds himself from an even more ancient neighbor many years ago.  It's an unnamed pink heirloom tomato and David plans to isolate those plants and begin a seed bank to perpetuate the variety.

In your boxes this week, you'll be receiving:

Spinach

Leaf lettuce

Rhubarb

Pullet eggs

Cilantro

Green Onions

and

Strawberries

(The strawberries were organically grown by David's neighbor, Chester Detweiller.  And David says this is one of the earliest strawberry crops he's ever seen in this region.)

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A quick tip for washing greens:

Our good organic greens have already had one quick rinse out on the farm, but they'll still need some good washing before use.  Fill a huge pot with very cold water and then submerge the greens, stir them with your hand, and let them sit for a few minutes.  Then gently scoop up the greens with your fingers and transfer them to a collander.  You'll see that any dirt will have sunk to the bottom of the pot.  Discard that water and repeat until the rinse water is clear.   Then spin your greens dry before dressing them.  If you need to revive slightly wilted greens, add a splash of simple vinegar to the rinse water and let the greens sit in that slightly acidulated water for five minutes.  That usually perks them up.

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Green Onion, Cilantro, and Spinach 

Salsa Verde

In case the green onions are piling up on you, here's my very easy and pungent take on a classic salsa verde.  It is excellent served upon grilled meat, smeared upon grilled bread, or tossed with perfectly al dente pasta and a bit of mozzarella.  The addition of spinach (normally you'd use a huge mound of parsley) and the best extra virgin olive oil you can find makes it a nutrition bomb.  Don't omit the anchovy, which is what really brings this together!

4 cups spinach, rinsed

6 green onions  with their greens (root end removed)

3 anchovy fillets

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon capers

Small bunch cilantro

1/3-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Bring a small pot of well-salted water to a boil.  Plunge the spinach leaves into the water for ten seconds, then drain immediately and allow to cool.  When cool, gently squeeze out some of the water from the spinach and set the spinach aside.  

In a mortar and pestle (or in a food processor), grind the anchovy, garlic, and green onions until finely minced.   Then add the wilted spinach, mustard, cilantro, capers, and lemon juice.  Grind or pulse until you have a thick green paste.  Then add a few grinds of black pepper and begin adding olive oil slowly, while stirring with the mortar (or with the food processor running on low), until the mixture appears loose. Taste for salt (the anchovies will have provided some, but it may need another pinch or two).  

This keeps well in the refrigerator in a sealed jar.  Cover it with a thin layer of olive oil to ensure that it keeps its lively green color.

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Strawberry and Rhubarb often come into season at the same time, which means they are a natural pair.  

Here's a link to a good cobbler recipe:

Strawberry & Rhubarb Cobbler