Summer CSA Week 4
WHATS IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK AND HOW TO USE IT
CARROTS- If your carrots have the tops on, take them off right away to avoid limp carrots. The tops like to suck the moisture from the root (carrot) which makes for lifeless carrots. Store carrots in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or container. They can store for several weeks and sometimes even months. $5
SPRING ONIONS - Store in the refrigerator crisper drawer for up to one week. You can peel off layers that become dry or slimy if used after one week. $3.00
HERBS - Rosemary $2.50
Rosemary - You have a couple of options to store Rosemary. First, place the rosemary sprigs in a large mason jar or glass of water, just like you would with a bouquet of flowers. You can set this on the counter, and it will last a few days this way. Second, you can take a slightly damp paper towel and wring out any excess water (should be damp but not soaking wet). Wrap the damp paper towels around the rosemary sprigs. Put the paper towel wrapped rosemary sprigs into the ziplock baggie and seal it, ensuring there is no air inside. Store the bag in the refrigerator and it can last for up to two weeks!
SWEET TURNIPS OR KALE -
Turnips cut off tops immediately. Store the roots in a bag in your refrigerator. Before use wash your beets., you can peel them with a knife or peeler if you choose. You can roast them in foil or boil them, and the peels will come right off. Turnips do not require you to peel them, but you should use prior to use. $5
Kale loves the crisper drawer. Does well in a loose bag in your refrigerator. Wash prior to use. Stores normally for UP to two weeks. $5
LETTUCE MIX - Store in a plastic bag loosely in your refrigerator. The ideal temperature for storing lettuce is at or near 32 degrees. Wash prior to use. Lettuce stores normally for up to 7-10 days in the crisper drawer. $5
SPINACH - Maintain loosely in a bag in your crisper drawer. Wash well prior to use. Stores normally for 7-10 days in the crisper drawer. $5
RADISH - Remove the greens from the root. If you choose to keep the greens, wash them and then store wrapped in a damp paper towel in a bag. Place in the crisper of the refrigerator. The root can store up to two weeks in the fridge in a plastic bag. Wash before use. $5
VEGGIE OF THE WEEK
CARROTS
What I did not give enough credit to prior to becoming market farmers is local carrots. Honestly, I don’t think most people do. Carrots are not something I would consistently see at farmers markets and if I did, they were small and stubby, which is one of the reasons I never bought them. Once we grew our first good crop of carrots I was hooked, the taste was so much sweeter than store bought. (A little farmer tip…. carrots are at peak sweetness in the spring and fall) Our kids will eat carrots right out of the field, but we have a couple great recipes that your family is sure to love too!
I found this recipe on Instagram over the winter. We had 20lbs of leftover carrots after the Thanksgiving holiday and this has easily become my go-to recipe.
I have included this recipe below in case you don’t have Instagram.
Ingredients:
2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut to 1.5” in length and 1/2” thickness
3 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425
In a small jar, whisk together your honey, olive oil, spices, garlic salt and pepper
Add your carrots to a bowl and toss with your honey mixture
Add your carrots to a parchment-lined sheet pan, pouring any remaining honey mixture over top, and roast in the oven for 25 minutes, tossing once halfway through
Remove from oven, toss again, then service and enjoy!
Photo Credit: The Endless Meal
Carrot Top Pesto - uses carrot tops and spinach!
Pesto can be enjoyed with eggs, spread on sandwiches, or mixed into pasta dishes.
My Favorite Carrot Cake Recipe - Sally's Baking Addiction (sallysbakingaddiction.com)
For my sweet tooth lovers, carrot cake. YUM
Parmesan Roasted Carrots Recipe - Cafe Delite
WEEK 4
This week, we took a trip to Richmond to acquire a barrel washer. A barrel washer features a rotating barrel and a system for delivering fresh water, allowing us to rinse and clean various root vegetables effectively. We specifically intend to use it for washing our potatoes and the carrots that are harvested without their tops. Labor can often be a bottleneck on the farm, so any piece of equipment that helps reduce labor hours is a significant advantage, especially when it’s in excellent condition at a used price!
Photo Credit: Grindstone Farm
We’re already a quarter of the way into the season, and time seems to be flying by. This year’s season is starting off much cooler than last year, causing our heat-loving crops to lag about ten days behind schedule. Fortunately, the forecast suggests that temperatures will rise towards the end of this week, which should provide a much-needed boost for those summer crops. Our outdoor plants are currently soaking up the rainfall and thriving, which is essential for their survival during the intense heat we all know is on the horizon. I took the pictures below last week, the summer crops you’re all patiently waiting on are coming, we promise!
IF ALL ELSE FAILS
If your week has been crazy and you haven’t had time to do a thing with items in your bag, focus on these tasks:
Make sure the greens are removed from the root vegetables. Your roots will store for a good while, your greens from your root vegetables need to be used or lose them.
You can freeze green onions including the leafy green tops, the white bulb end, and the stem in between. After freezing, the texture changes somewhat. Stem and bulb portions become soft, while the green parts sometimes become tough
Rosemary can freeze. Wash sprigs thoroughly and dry them well. Leave the leaves on the stem and arrange the sprigs on a baking tray so that the individual stems do not touch − this prevents the stems from freezing together and makes it easier to remove individual sprigs later. Place the baking tray in the freezer for a few hours to freeze the rosemary sprigs. Once frozen, transfer the rosemary sprigs to a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. Frozen rosemary can be stored for a year or more. Frozen rosemary sprigs do not need to be defrosted before cooking
Lettuce, spinach, kale will store for at least 7 days. We rinse and spin dry your greens one time. You should rinse and dry again before consumption. The best way is with a hand crank salad spinner. Keep in mind moisture leads to spoilage. You can wait to wash your greens until you plan to consumer them. Place greens in an airtight container such as a bag or Tupperware. Greens will hold for 9-14 days.
With any herb you can also make a compound butter and freeze. Try this link for recipes: Herb Compound Butter Recipe - Love and Lemons or this one: Herb Compound Butter - Downshiftology
Greens such as carrot tops or other veggie scraps can be saved and used for homemade vegetable broth. Try this recipe: How to Make Vegetable Broth Using Saved Kitchen Scraps ~ Homestead and Chill
NEXT WEEK’S POSSIBILITY’S
Your bag next week will include 6-7 of the following depending on availability and if it’s ready to harvest.
Carrots
Green Onions
Beets
Kale
Turnips
Herbs (Parsley, Dill, Oregano, Sage, Basil or Rosemary)
Lettuce (head or mixed)
Spinach
Radish
Garlic Scapes
Wishing you a fantastic week ahead, see you next week!