Notes from the Farm

Welcome to the 2014 Yourganic Farm CSA! If this is your first year as a farm supporter, I invite you to explore the website, which contains general information, storage and usage notes, and recipes for most of the vegetables and herbs that will be making an appearance in your CSA shares this season. Whenever you see a newsletter item highlighted in orange (like in the sentence below) you can click on a link to get more information.

This Week’s CSA

This week’s share features the great green bounty of spring! In this week’s box, you’ll find

spinach                                      arugula                                 lettuce

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

yellow dock                             tatsoi                                        radishes

 

 

 

 

 

Please remember to bring your empty box back next week so that we can swap them out throughout the summer. Thank you!

Storage Notes

The lettuce and arugula will keep best if stored in a plastic bag in the vegetable crisper. Yellow dock, spinach, and tatsoi can also be stored in a dry plastic bag in the refrigerator; excess condensation will cause leaves to disintegrate so they are best used within a few days.  Well-kept greens should keep for 7 to 10 days.

Radishes store best if the tops are removed. Store radish greens and radishes separately in plastic bags in the refrigerator.

Usage Notes

The most obvious thing to do with all of these greens is to make a big spring salad! A homemade salad dressing recipe is offered below. The spinach, dock, tatsoi and radish greens can also be sauteed or used in stir-fries.

Tatsoi leaves are dark green and spoon-shaped with a mild cabbage flavor.  A member of the Chinese cabbage family, tatsoi greens can be added to a salad mix or tossed with sesame oil and rice vinegar for a side salad.  The leaves can also be added to a wonton filling, or soup.

Recipes

Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

adapted from The Food Network

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional*

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with lettuce, arugula, or mixed greens, top with blue cheese and serve immediately.

If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

*If using a good quality balsamic vinegar you should not need the sugar, but if using a lesser quality you might want the sugar to round out the dressing.

Tatsoi with Avocado and Egg

(serves 1 )

From The Sweet Beet

This is classic comfort food — with a healthy twist. Use any bread you wish and toss on any green you might have one hand…

A handful of tatsoi (or any green – spinach, kale, mustard green)

One fried egg

Bread (I prefer a heavy rye bread for this combo)

Avocado

Salt and Pepper

Hot sauce (optional)

Lightly sautee the greens with olive oil, cook the egg, toast the bread. Assemble.