CSA Notes, Week 1

Each week, I will post the Farm Notes given out with the shares.

Welcome to CSA week 1! We have had an exciting spring so far on the farm; with the warm weather back in April we were able to get out nice and early to work the soil and plant…then the cool weather in May slowed our progress by not letting the plants do much growing! We also had to battle with flea beetles, who were dining in style on the brassicas that we had in early; you will see evidence of them on your radish tops and maybe a bit on the mustard greens. We had to till our first planting of mustards back in and start them over; the flea beetle damage was too much for them to get past and they simply were not getting any size. We used a row cover to get the batch you will be eating started – it is a white cloth that allows sun and moisture to permeate but keeps out those pesky bugs. We were hoping to not have to use covers and plastic, as we want our carbon footprint to be as small as possible, but we are learning that sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot back!

This week’s share includes Devil’s Ear Lettuce heads, a mix of Chinese greens (good as salad or sautéed with a little garlic and lemon!), Olympia Spinach or Radishes, Mint, and Oregano.

Lemon-Mint Vinaigrette

1/3 C Fresh Lemon Juice

1 TB Dijon Mustard

1tsp Sugar

1 Clove Garlic, Minced

1/3 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 C Chopped Fresh Mint

Salt & Pepper to Taste

Whisk Lemon, Mustard, Sugar and Garlic until blended. Drizzle in oil, whisking until blended, stir in Mint, Salt and Pepper

Lebanese Potato Salad

2 lbs Russet Potatoes (about 3 medium)

¼ C Lemon Juice

3 TB Olive Oil

½ tsp Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1/3 C Snipped Chives

¼ C Chopped Fresh Mint

1. Boil Potatoes in Lightly salted water until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool for 20 min, then cut the cooled potatoes into ½ inch pieces.
2. Wisk lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes and toss to coat.
3. Just before serving, add chives and mint and toss gently.