The beet harvest is just getting started!
This Week’s Share:
Napa Cabbage
Mixed Lettuce Heads
Scallions
Beets or French Breakfast Radishes
Salad Greens
Cucumbers or Summer Squash
Kale or Collards or Chard or Bok Choi
Garlic Scapes
Try these out for a dinner option that’s filling and highly customizable. I know scallion pancakes were last week’s recipe, but these Okonomiyaki are actually something to write home about. The topping options are endless, starting with scallions and pickled ginger and going into spicy mayo, tahini, and date sauce. In my house we top these with a drizzle of barbecue sauce and crispy fried onions. Other ideas for your giant Napa cabbages this week are of course kimchi, and cole slaw with those shredded beets and scallions!
Farm Notes:
Another productive week on the farm is flying by! This is a strange time between seasons, where we are really starting to hit the fun spring crops like beets and cabbages, but most of our work is now focused ahead on caring for the summer crops. We are starting to mulch the many fields of tomatoes, tomatillos, and peppers that will be picked for months through the summer and fall. Getting the mulching done is a sweaty itchy job, and sets the stage for post pounding and then twining the tomatoes. Twining tomatoes keeps them up off the ground, where the plant will have fewer issues with moldy leaves, and will ultimately live longer and produce more fruit. The mulch is there to smother down any weeds, retain moisture in the soil on those hot summer days, and add organic matter back into the field at the end of the season. It also has the added benefit of preventing Colorado potato beetles from effectively crawling onto the host tomato plants from the soil where they hatch. Using straw mulch instead of plastic beds for these crops is a time and labor intensive process, but the benefits for our soil and plant health are numerous. One quarter acre of mulch down, one more full acre in total to go!