Hello!
Welcome to Week 15 if you are a 50-week member, or Week 1 if you have just joined us as a 36-week member!
The farm is a busy place these days, with summer, weeds, and post-Arthur cleanup. We have been without power since Saturday at our production site in Canard-- to the right is where your shares and share contents are being stored while we have no cooler facilities. Luckily the farm at Church Street still has power, and that's where I am sending this newsletter from.
Josh has written an update for you this week post-Arthur, as I am already getting lots of questions about how we (and the veggies!) pulled through the storm, so check that out below.
On Friday with the storm on the way, we decided to leave tunnels up, and on Saturday morning it was obvious that they were not going to make it. So, we took 'em down in high winds-- Scary! The tunnels at Church Street seem to be okay except the cuke tunnel. The plastic ripped off and then we cut the strings holding the cucumbers up so they would not get as damaged (which they didn't!). But, the tunnel itself was damaged.
The rest of the tunnels at Church Street did not come down until 6:30 pm on Saturday. This was CRAZY!!! The wind was 100 km/hr gusts. We were successful, but were 30 minutes too late as all of them have some damaged parts.
Field crops here were windblown bad. The early corn is flat, squash plants rolled up in a ball, pepper leaves stripped, apple and cherry trees lost some limbs.
At Canard we have no power, which means:
All of the plants look beat up, but they hopefully will be fine. Time will tell if other problems will arise from their injured leaves and stems.
Photo: The last tunnel being taken down, photo from Patricia
Meet Justine | Meet Brodie | Meet Louise | Meet Richard | Meet Calvin
Lots more faces to meet on our blog, and new ones added each week, so check back often!
Arthur put an end to the idea of raspberries in this week's share, however, we are hopeful for next week!
Cherries are about 2 weeks away.
Plums, Peaches, and Early Apples will be ready near the beginning to mid-August.
<--Photo: I checked the TapRoot Blueberry patch. They are still a ways off!
GARLIC AND GARLIC SCAPES
Garlic scapes form out of the top of the garlic plant in early June. If left on the plant they form small purple bulbils at the tips. Garlic bulbs are harvested in the middle of July and can be stored for use all winter.
Storage Tips
Store garlic scapes in a bag in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.
Garlic bulbs should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place for quite a few months.
Do not store bulbs in the refrigerator.
Culinary Tips
Garlic scapes can be chopped up and used just like bulb garlic in any recipe
Use garlic scapes instead of garlic in Basil Pesto
One medium clove of garlic is equal to 1 teaspoon of minced garlic.
Roasting garlic produces a mellower flavor. Cut of tops of garlic bulbs to expose the cloves, brush with olive oil and bake for 1 hour at 350°. Squeeze garlic out of the skins and spread on a good bread.
For garlic butter use ½ cup of softened butter mashed with four minced cloves of garlic
Sauté garlic only until translucent as it will burn quickly and produce a bitter flavor.
ROMAINE LETTUCE
Not only is our romaine lettuce large: personally, I think it is the crunchiest, juiciest, most delicious lettuce around!
Storage Tips
Place the lettuce in a bath of cold water and swish it around and then spin dry before storing.
Store the lettuce in a plastic bag in the fridge. Storing the lettuce with a paper towel will often keep the lettuce from becoming soggy.
SUGAR SNAP & SNOW PEAS
Eat these peas in the pods. They are best just after they are harvested before the sugars turn into starch. They are a good source of vitamins A, C, K, and the B’s, along with being high in vegetable protein, carbohydrates, and fiber.
Storage Tips
Use as soon as possible. Refrigerate in a plastic bag for 3-4 days. Storing peas will cause them to lose some of their sweetness and crispness.
Culinary Tips
Snap peas need stringing. Snap of the stem tip and pull downward to remove the string
Cook quickly, no more than 2 minutes. Add butter or serve plain.
Add to stir fries or chilled marinated vinaigrette style salads.
SPRING (BABY) TURNIPS
Turnips are in the brassica (cabbage) family. They are one of the most ancient and globally used vegetables. The baby turnips in the spring are sweet and their greens are tender and delicious. Both the root and the greens are good sources of vitamins and minerals.
Storage Tips
Store turnips in plastic bag in the fridge for 1-2 weeks
Store the greens separately in a damp cloth or a plastic bag. Use as soon as possible
Culinary Tips
Scrub turnips with a vegetable brush. No need to peel
Grate raw into salads and slaws
Steam 1-inch slices for 12-15 minutes
Bake turnips for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees F basted with butter
Roast along with roasting meats
Saute garlic in olive oil, then add thin slices or turnips, when the turnips are almost done, add the turnip greens. Saute until greens are bright green but not mushy. Serve with tamari.
Dice turnips and add to soups or stews or stir-fry
Mash turnips like potatoes
Use turnip greens as you would other cooking greens
CHARD
Chard is harvested as a green, leafy vegetable. Chard is in the spinach family but contains no oxalic acid which makes it easier for us to absorb the nutrients from the chard. These greens are high in vitamins A, E, & C and the minerals iron & calcium.
Storage Tips
Place chard in a plastic bag in the hydrator drawer of the refridgerator.
Chard is best if eaten within 5 days.
Cooking Tips
If leaves are large & mature, remove the stem to cook separately.
If the greens are young, cook whole.
Use in place of spinach in most recipes.
Saute the leaves in garlic butter or olive oil & garlic.
Steam large stem pieces for 8-10 min. & leaves for 4-6 min.
Raw baby leaves are great in green salads.
Toss steamed leaves with olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper. OR with seasame oil, rice vinegar or soy sauce.
CUCUMBERS
Cucumbers are mainly water and once they are harvested they tend to shrivel very fast (for this reason, most commercial cucumbers are sold waxed). Cucumbers help replenish the fluids & minerals we lose during the hot summer months. Cucumbers can be an effective skin conditioner because they are high in vitamin E. Try rubbing an end slice or a peeling to your face for a refreshing experience.
Storage Tips
Store cucumbers in the hydrator drawer of your fridge for up to 1 week.
Sliced cucumbers deteriorate very quickly.
Culinary Tips
Add cucumber slices to a sandwich.
Use grated cucumbers in raita dressing.
Toss sliced cucumbers with plain yogurt or mayo, fresh dill or dried & salt & pepper.
Toss sliced cucumbers with your favorite vinaigrette dressing.
KOHLRABI
Kohlrabi is in the cabbage family and tastes like a mild turnip or slightly like broccoli. The white flesh is reached by peeling the outer skin, which is quite thick and requires a knife (not a vegetable peeler).
Storage Tips
Kohlrabi bulbs will keep in your refrigerator’s veggie drawer for several weeks. Note that the bulbs tend to become woodier the longer you store them. Remove the leaves before storing. If your kohlrabi have the leaves attached when you buy them, wrap the leaves in damp paper towels and store no longer than 2-3 days, as they lack the staying power of the bulb.
Culinary Tips
Egg Share 2014
- Farm Fresh Eggs - 1/2 dozen (1/2 Dozen Eggs); 1 dozen (Dozen Eggs)
TapRoot Farms - Certified OrganicStaple Share - 25 bi-weekly deliveries - 2014
- Carrots - 1 bunch (Staple Share)
Elmridge Farm - Non Organic- Potatoes, new - 3 lbs (Staple Share)
Elmridge Farm - Non Organic- Onions - 1 lb (Staple Share)
Nova Agri - Non Organic- Apples - 3 lbs (Staple Share)
Noggins Corner Farm - Non OrganicStaple Share - 18 bi-weekly deliveries - 2014
- Carrots - 1 bunch (Staple Share)
Elmridge Farm - Non Organic- Potatoes, new - 3 lbs (Staple Share)
Elmridge Farm - Non Organic- Onions - 1 lb (Staple Share)
Nova Agri - Non Organic- Apples - 3 lbs (Staple Share)
Noggins Corner Farm - Non Organic20 Week Flower Share 2014
- Farm Fresh Flowers - 1 (Flower Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic16 Week Flower Share 2014
- Farm Fresh Flowers - 1 (Flower Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic50 Week Fruit Share 2014
- Strawberries - 1 (Appetizer Share); 1 (Entree Share)
Vital Berry Farm or Noggins Corner Farm - Non Organic- Sweet Apple Cider - 1 (Entree Share)
Noggins Corner Farm - Non Organic- Grape Tomatoes - 1 pint (Appetizer Share); 1 pint (Entree Share)
Den Haan Greenhouses - Non Organic- Jonagold Apples - 5 apples (Appetizer Share); 1/2 peck (Entree Share)
Noggins Corner Farm - Non Organic36 Week Fruit Share 2014
- Strawberries - 1 quart (Appetizer Share); 1 quart (Entree Share)
Vital Berry Farms or Noggins Corner Farm - Non Organic- Sweet Apple Cider 2L - 1 (Entree Share)
Noggins Corner Farm - Non Organic- Jonagold Apples - 5 apples (Appetizer Share); 1/2 peck (Entree Share)
Noggins Corner Farm - Non Organic- Grape Tomatoes - 1 pint (Appetizer Share); 1 pint (Entree Share)
Den Haan Greenhouses - Non Organic50 Week Veggie Share 2014
- Peas - pod, snap, or snow - 1 pint (Appetizer Share); 1 quart (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Spray Free- Hakurei Turnips (white spring turnips) - small bunch (Appetizer Share); large bunch (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Spray Free- Spinach - small bag (Appetizer Share); large bag (Entree Share) OR Chard - small bunch (Appetizer Share); large bunch (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Spray Free- Mini cucumbers - 2 (Appetizer Share); 4 (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic- Romaine Lettuce - 1 (Appetizer Share); 1 (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic- Kohlrabi - 1 (Appetizer Share); 1 (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic- Garlic Scapes - small handful (Appetizer Share); large handful (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Transition to Organic- Broccoli - 1 - 2 small heads (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic36 Week Veggie Share 2014
- Peas - pod, snap, or snow - 1 pint (Appetizer Share); 1 quart (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Spray Free- Hakurei Turnips (white spring turnips) - small bunch (Appetizer Share); large bunch (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Spray Free- Spinach - small bag (Appetizer Share); large bag (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Spray Free- Mini cucumbers - 2 (Appetizer Share); 4 (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic- Romaine Lettuce - 1 (Appetizer Share); 1 (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic- Kohlrabi - 1 (Appetizer Share); 1 (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic- Garlic Scapes - small handful (Appetizer Share); large handful (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Transition to Organic- Broccoli - 1 - 2 small heads (Entree Share)
TapRoot Farms - Certified Organic
Have a great week!