CSA Week Three

News from the field:

Strawberries!! The big news from the field has nothing to do with our field. Instead, the strawberries have arrived at our neighbor’s farm, Too Little Farm, in West Barnet. Too Little Farm is a diversified, certified organic farm, run by Elizabeth and Peter Everts, literally about a half a mile from our farm as the crow flies. They were kind enough to let us buy in some of their organic strawberries to distribute to our CSAers. Enjoy!! And check out their pick your own strawberries while they last - 7:30 to 12 noon (or whenever they are picked out).

In the Basket:

Broccoli – The first broccoli of the season! This early variety is light on the stalk with a slightly looser head, so these are almost like broccoli crowns. More flavor, more crunch, better texture, less bitterness. In this hot weather, I am thinking broccoli salad . . .

Zucchini - These early zucchini are harvested small to baby size so they are nice and tender. There will be plenty of time for huge zucchini later in the season, but for now try slicing these in half and steaming them lightly, or simply eating them raw in your salad like a cucumber. More recipe ideas on the back.

Peas!! - Everyone’s peas were late this year because we had snow on the ground so late into April. But now they are coming on. There is a string to take out, but after that you eat the whole thing, pod and all.

Salad fixins – Romaine lettuce, cucumbers.

Scallions - This is the first year we’ve done scallions, let us know what you think.

Scapes - I’ve decided the secret to scapes is char. A customer at Waitsfield market was raving about grilling scapes – brush with olive oil, try not to let them fall through, and let them get the tiniest bit black and enjoy. We don’t have a grill, but I’ve been cutting them into 1 inch length, and sauteing them in butter just till they turn the tiniest bit black. So good. I ate three bunches in one sitting!! Another customer said they’re great frozen whole, as is, then used as you would garlic throughout the year.

Strawberries – Eat today or tomorrow. They won’t keep. It won’t be hard to eat them quickly.