csa share – week 6 – pitchfork & crow

Welcome to the 6th week of the 2014 Pitchfork & Crow Summer CSA!

Here’s what’s in the share:

Overwintered Onions
Green Garlic – We planted our sprouting garlic this past spring to extend the green garlic availability. Add this to anything and everything for a mild garlic taste.
Garlic Scapes
Radishes
Cabbage
Turnips
Sugar Snap Peas or Broccoli
Salad Mix
Summer Squash
Cucumbers – Just a taste this week with more to come!

garlic

This weekend we began the annual garlic harvest. With the passing of the rain from last week we decided it was time to get it in storage. After pulling the heads in the field, we tie them into bundles and then hang them to dry down and cure in the barn. We’ll be giving out young spring-planted green garlic this week, and then we’ll be enjoying fresh uncured garlic until the cured papery garlic we’re all familiar with makes an appearance again later in the season.

tomatoes

We spent another week with our field work tractor out of commission. Luckily it was raining enough that we didn’t have a hankering to do too much tillage. Instead we busied ourselves with various other projects on the to-do list including weeding, trellising tomatoes, and weeding some more. We’re endeavoring to keep up with the weeds, and not completely failing. This week at various moments we could have been found weeding in the squash and cucumbers, or the corn, or the eggplant, or the carrots, or the beets, or the beans. Though I have no photos from these weeding sessions, I did snap one of the tomato house, post-trellising. Our dog Ira was quite the trellising helper too.

cucumber and chicory

Every year around the summer solstice I look up to realize that the farm has burst to life while I’ve been focusing on spring details. Winter is a faint memory and we’re on the cusp of summer greatness. This year has been no different. We harvested the first of the season’s cucumbers this week, the summer squash are in full-swing, and our early spring greens including spinach, arugula, bok choy, and chicory are all past being harvestable and indeed are well on their way to producing seed. And my favorite, the sunflowers we planted early in the year, are in full bloom. As we begin the month of July, you’ll find us wrangling the chaos of crops and weeds, but also enjoying the humming of the season as we head deeper into summer.

hike

Finally, to clarify any misconceptions that we never take a day off, here are a couple of photos from a hike we took last week. It’s wildflower season up in the Cascades and when the rain arrived last Thursday, we hit the trail. Getting out in the woods is always a welcomed dichotomy to the order we attempt to maintain on the farm. In the woods plants do not grow in straight lines, there is no weeding to be done, and the rain is the only irrigation around. A day off doesn’t get much better than that.

Enjoy the vegetables and we’ll see you next week!

Your farmers,
Jeff Bramlett and Carri Heisler

Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Sugar Snap Pea, Radish, and Cucumber Salad

1/2 lb sugar snap peas, trimmed and, if large, halved diagonally
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and seeded
1 bunch radishes (1 lb)
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Cook peas in a saucepan of boiling salted water just until they turn a brighter shade of green, about 30 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water to stop cooking.

Cut halved cucumber and radishes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Toss peas, cucumber, radishes, and sesame seeds with vinegars and season with salt and pepper.

Cooks’ note: If you don’t have seasoned rice vinegar in your cupboard, you can substitute unseasoned and add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar.

From Epicurious via Gourmet, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sugar-Snap-Pea-Radish-and-Cucumber-Salad-105126

Farfalle with Green Garlic, Peas, and Herbed Ricotta

1¼ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 oz. fine-grated Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup)
½ cup fine-chopped mixed fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, thyme, marjoram)
~ Kosher salt
~ Ground black pepper
~ Lemon juice
12 oz. farfalle pasta
1 cup fresh or frozen peas, or sugar-snap peas, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large bunch green garlic, root end and tough top greens trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced thinly on the bias

Combine ricotta, Parmesan, and herbs in bowl and mix until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and add lemon juice to taste; set aside.
Bring large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Season water liberally with salt and cook pasta according to directions on package. Three minutes before the pasta is to be done, stir in peas; drain.
While pasta cooks, combine butter and oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Once butter has melted, add garlic and large pinch salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is wilted and soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat.
Toss pasta with sautéed garlic and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide equally among warmed bowls, top with large dollop of ricotta mixture, and serve immediately.

From Culinate by Matthew Card, http://www.culinate.com/recipes/collections/Contributors/Matthew+Card/farfalle_with_green_garlic_peas_and_herbed_ricotta

Risotto with Turnips and Bacon

3 bacon slices
1 small onion
2 medium turnips (preferably with greens; about 1/2 pound total)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup Arborio rice

Garnish: freshly grated Parmesan

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and golden and transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon fat in pan. Chop onion. Peel turnips and cut into 1/4-inch dice (if using greens, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices and chop stems). In a saucepan bring broth to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer.

Heat reserved fat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté onion, stirring, until just beginning to soften. Stir in turnips (and greens if using) and rice and sauté, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in 1 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly and keeping at a strong simmer, until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still al dente, about 18 minutes total.

Crumble bacon. Serve risotto sprinkled with bacon and garnished with Parmesan.

From Epicurious via Gourmet, http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Risotto-with-Turnips-and-Bacon-15760