Welcome to the 5th share of the Pitchfork & Crow Summer CSA!  Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Green Cabbage – Our favorite early green cabbage, an heirloomy pointy headed variety called Early Jersey Wakefield.
• New Potatoes – These are German Butterballs put in the ground early in a greenhouse. They’re freshly dug and and the skins haven’t toughened so they’re a bit more delicate. You’ll want to use them up sooner than later as they won’t want to store long.
• Shallots and Yellow Onions – The very last of last season’s alliums this week. Shallots are drier than most onions but can be readily substituted in recipes. Given that these have been in storage since last fall, you may see some green growth in the centers, which is edible as well. Again, use them up sooner than later.
• Green & Red One-Cut Lettuce
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Shelling Peas – One last taste of this season’s peas! Though they are the same sugar snap varieties in past shares, you’ll likely enjoy them most by popping the pods open and eating the peas inside rather than the whole husk.
• Celery – We usually like to give the celery a good long season to soak up a lot of water and nutrients and size up for big long tasty stalks. Unfortunately a pesky gopher has another idea and has been taking these heads out one by one. We decided it would be better to share some smaller celery than no celery. Hopefully more to come in the future if we can manage to keep it from the gopher.
• Summer Squash – Choose from yellow straightneck and zucchini.
• Cucumbers
• Leek Flowers – Last season’s leeks have bolted and formed these beautiful flower heads. Both a fun novelty and a tasty and unique garnish for salads, or anything really. Just tear of the flowers and sprinkle away.
• Cherry Tomatoes! Is this the first year we’ve shared tomatoes by the 4ith of July? Maybe so! Enjoy!

Hello July! Summer is in full swing now that we’ve hit July, right? Well, the farm feels like it’s on the cusp of summer greatness anyhow. The melons and winter squash are vining and spreading further each day. The first round of corn is beginning to tassel. It’s already time to mow the first round of crops to make space for the next successions.

As we slide into the dog days ahead, and vacations get planned, and schedules get filled, it may be a good time to review the CSA member resources page.

• Check out the Member Handbook for options for what to do when you need to miss a share (hint: send a friend to pick-up or arrange ahead of time to pick-up at the farm later).
• Re-visit the Vegetable Exit Strategies on the P&C CSA Member app site for suggestions on how to use up extra vegetables before the next share arrives.
• Take note of the important dates including the upcoming CSA farm day on July 20th and the second payment due date on July 31st for those who chose the two payment option.

Just like the farm, the CSA is also on the cusp of summer greatness! The summer squash and cucumbers are coming in strong and the tomatoes are just beginning to turn red (or yellow or orange…). Many other summery crops are right around the corner including peppers, eggplant, green beans, tomatillos! Hopefully you’re enjoying the vegetables and are looking forward to a lot more!

Thanks to a friend having a birthday last week, we were convinced to take a day trip off the farm and over to the coast for a hike and a little beach time. The weather was fantastic, the company was unbeatable, and it was fun to visit an area north of our usual coastal haunts. The only downside was the lack of wind for kite flying. I guess we’ll have to go back and try again soon.

Enjoy the vegetables!

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler and Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Creamy Coleslaw with Chives and Shallots

• 1 cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
• 3 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 2-pound head green cabbage, thinly sliced (about 14 cups)

Blend first 9 ingredients in blender. Place cabbage in large bowl. Pour dressing over cabbage and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to 8 hours, tossing occasionally.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/creamy-coleslaw-with-chives-and-shallots-15569

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Roseanne Cash’s Potato Salad

• 3 pounds medium red-skinned potatoes, unpeeled, scrubbed
• 8 dill pickle spears, coarsely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 celery stalks, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium red onion, chopped (about 1 cup) (or try shallots)
• 5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled, chopped
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Cook potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain; cool. Cut potatoes into 1-inch pieces and transfer to large bowl. Stir in pickles, celery, onion, eggs, mayonnaise, and mustard. Season potato salad to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/rosanne-cashs-potato-salad-109605

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Indian Potatoes, Peas, and Cauliflower

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 4 cups cauliflower florets, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed (or fresh peas!)

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes and ginger; sauté until potatoes are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Mix in cauliflower, then salt, turmeric, chili powder and paprika; sauté 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add peas and simmer 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

From Epicurious.com via Bon Appétit by Prem K. Singh, https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/indian-potatoes-peas-and-cauliflower-102405

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