Welcome to the 5th share of the Pitchfork & Crow 2023 Summer CSA! Here’s what’s in the share this week:

• Lettuce Heads – One head of Mayan Jaguar romaine lettuce and one head of Brentwood red leaf lettuce.
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Dill
• Bunching Onions
• Carrots
• Hakurei Salad Turnips – A mild turnip, great raw or roasted. For reals.
• Snap Peas – This is likely the last of the snap peas. Enjoy!
• Mixed Romano Beans – Flat podded mixed green and purple striped snap beans, great for any snap bean/green bean recipe.
• Cucumbers!
• Zucchini

Welcome to week 5 of the Summer CSA season! The past week was a bit of a farming blur as we’ve settled into the summer routine of the farm. Weeding/cultivating, propagation, groundwork and bed prep, transplanting, harvesting, and always irrigating. This portion of the growing season is fueled by lots of coffee as we attempt to keep pace with the growing plants, vegetables and weeds alike.

In the midst of the long days and epic mental lists of things that need doing it’s probably a good idea to take a moment to reflect and find some gratitude too. At the moment I’m thankful for the mostly mild weather June has brought our way ahead of the heat and drought that’s sure to come in the summer months. I’m thankful for Jeff and his stamina for always harvesting more bunches of whatever than me and for sticking with the irrigation schedule, even when it means changing irrigation lines in the middle of the night. I’m thankful for early bean success, and generally a steady supply of vegetables to harvest as we ease into this season. And of course I’m thankful for all of our supportive CSA members, willing to join up for this vegetable adventure each season.

In the week ahead we’ll be turning our attention to fall/winter crops as we work to also maintain the summer crops. It’s time to transplant the fall kale and collards, harvest the garlic, and start the fall/winter cabbages, rutabaga, and kohlrabi. There’s plenty more to transplant and sow as well. And more weeding and irrigating and soon enough we’ll be harvesting for next week’s share. Cheers to summertime!

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

Your farmers,
Carri Heisler & Jeff Bramlett

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Here are a few recipes to get you inspired:

Long Cooked Romano Beans with Pancetta

• 1 pound Romano beans, not overly mature
• 3 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Place a three quart enameled Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add a glug or two of oil and the pancetta while the pan is still cold. Render the fat from the pancetta and cook it till crispy but not overly so.

Add the Romano beans and stir them around to coat with the fat, season them with a good amount of salt, fresh ground pepper, and red pepper flakes if you choose. Cover the beans, reduce the heat to low and cook them for one hour occasionally removing the lid and giving them a stir.

The idea is to let the beans cook in their own juices, become tender but not mush. If you think they need a little water then add a tablespoon or two to the pan.

Serve the beans.

From Food52.com by Thirschfeld, https://food52.com/recipes/19183-long-cooked-romano-beans-with-pancetta

Desperation Minestrone

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cups finely chopped “pantry” vegetables (carrots, fennel, leeks, potatoes, cauliflower, cabbage, winter squash, etc.)
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• one 15-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹/₄ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• one 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup green vegetables (zucchini, green beans, peas, leafy greens, broccoli, etc.), finely chopped
• ¹/₂ cup gluten-free elbows, orzo, or orecchiette (optional)
• ¹/₂ cup herbs (basil, chives, parsley, tarragon, or a combination), roughly chopped or torn
• Shaved Parmesan or Pecorino, for serving (optional)

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot. Sauté the onions and pantry vegetables over medium-high heat until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute. Pour in the tomatoes and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the tomato chunks have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the stock, salt, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the beans, green vegetables, and pasta (if using), then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through. Off the heat, stir in herbs and taste for seasoning. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and shaved Parmesan or Pecorino for a salty bite.

From Food52.com by PhoebeLapine, https://food52.com/recipes/73204-desperation-minestrone-soup

Spicy Thai Carrot Noodles

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ¹/₂ teaspoon crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
• 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
• 1 small head of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 1 ¹/₂ cups chicken broth
• ¹/₄ cup peanut butter (or almond butter)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 pound carrots (about 8 medium carrots)
• 2 tablespoons sliced scallions (optional)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• 3 tablespoons chopped roasted, salted peanuts (optional)

In a large skillet over medium-heat, heat the sesame oil.

Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and cook just until fragrant, stirring constantly.

Add the sliced mushrooms and green pepper and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the broccoli, chicken broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and lime juice. Increase the heat to high and stir constantly until the peanut butter melts into the sauce.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the broccoli is cooked but retains some crunch.

Meanwhile, using a spiralizer or a vegetable peeler, shave the carrots into thin ribbons. (A peeler works fine here! The ribbons will just be flatter than they would be if made with a spiralizer)

Add the carrot ribbons to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

Serve warm, with the optional garnishes of scallions, toasted sesame seeds, or peanuts.

From Food52.com by Posie (Harwood) Brien, https://food52.com/recipes/60898-spicy-thai-carrot-noodles