Summer 2024
Happy CSA eve!
Hello from your field crew! We harvested 450lbs of cabbage today for your CSA boxes! These cabbages are huge, I think the largest one is 8.5lbs… One of you lucky members will find it in your box. Most of the cabbages are about 3-4lbs, a little more manageable for your home cooking endeavors! I’m super proud of these cabbages, I’ve never grown such beautiful ones, and I’m so grateful they pulled through for us this season. All that rain and cooler summer temps are paying off.
This week on the farm was a bit of a rocky one. Pearce was fighting a mid-summer virus of some sort, and I managed to get the van stuck in the wet field while trying to pull out a dead ride-along mower. Let’s just say the past is behind us and it can only go up from here! Today’s CSA harvest went smoother than ever and honestly the I’m really proud of the veggies in the box this week. I hope you enjoy them!
This Thursday is our second CSA member volunteer afternoon! Join the crew from 2-6pm to help with some farm projects (like weeding, harvesting etc..) and enjoy some cold beverages and good field chats! No need to come for the full time, you can always come for an hour or two to help. Text me if you’ll come out and I’ll make sure you have all the info you need to succeed!
Also, just a reminder to put the CSA member party on your calendar if you haven’t yet! We will gather on Sunday, September 22nd at 3:00pm to celebrate an incredible CSA season. I’ll host a little farm tour and we’ll enjoy a potluck meal together. There’s tons of space to run around, so kiddos are very welcome! I’m sure Milo would be pumped to meet your kiddos.
Here are some positive moments from the week:
In your box….
Here are photos of what you’ll find in your box this week!
Large CSA
Small CSA
Some Inspiration…
Cabbage: As mentioned before, everyone received a large cabbage. I LOVE making saurkraut with big cabbages, and it’s actually WAY easier than you would think! I’ll link a recipe, but basically all you need to do is shred your cabbage (I do this in a food processor), massage with salt, then pack tightly into a large glass jar and submerge all the cabbage in the brine. One of these cabbages would easily make a 1/2 gallon of kraut for you to enjoy! Fermented food store in the fridge for months on end! Here is a good sauerkraut recipe:
Also, everyone received some celery this week! I am super excited about this veggie. I will say, this is “Minnesota celery” so it is not quite as large and robust as the stuff you might find in the grocery store, but it has more flavor than any other celery I’ve tasted! You can eat the whole thing, leaves and all! The leaves are really tasty in smoothies, but you can use them in soups or stir-fries too. Or you can dry them and store in an air-tight container for winter soup additions!
Also, the small CSAs received lemon balm, and the large CSAs received mint. Both of these herbs are best steeped as tea. I recommend either drying and storing in an air-tight container to use for later (and check off a square on your bingo board!), or you can steep the fresh leaves in hot water in a french press of tea kettle to drink now. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hoping you have a lovely week!
Soil and sunshine,
Eleanor