In your share this week:
- Arugula Microgreens - unwashed
- Salad Mix - first cut off our 3rd planting
- Japanese Turnips - a large, beautiful bunch. Fortunately, this crop is still looking very good and "mostly" free of bugs.
- Chamomile - a large bag for several batches of tea. If you aren't planning on using it all soon, chamomile dries very well, in a dehydrator or even on a tray in the sun.
- Radishes - last of the season, the row still had several weeks worth of picking, but they all bolted in the last week and it was quite a chore to even find a small bunch of good ones for this week's share. See below - some plants are not happy with this crazy weather.
Shain: "I hope the CSA members like carrots! Because I just planted another row in greenhouse 2."
Tawny (Workshare): "Are you kidding? We LOVE your carrots!"
And so the project list continues. We weed and clear a row of old crops and Shain goes out and plants more food. Another row for our second planting of beans is happening next. And we will repeat again for something else.
Two nights of freezing temperatures earlier in the week took up some of our time. Row covers were pulled out of storage and put on the potato plants that had barely pushed up through the soil. Double row covers on sensitive crops. And regular row covers on EVERYTHING else. Good news is we didn't lose any plants. I only saw a little freezer burn to the tips of the red oak salad leaves, which we sort out as we harvest, wash, and package. It's possible some plants are stunted or delayed a little as they "rebel" against growing in this sporadic hot/cold weather. It's also possible some plants will "freak out" and bolt on us before they are fully ready to harvest. (**Edited to add that the radishes did just this. One week, still good. The next week, bolted. Boo!) We will be watching this very closely and try to harvest baby plants instead of seeing them go to waste. A lot to keep track of and tricky too.
We had a small amount of dried pea seed leftover after planting this year, just enough for me to plant another round of pea shoots. The first step is to soak them overnight. Then I "plant" them according to a method I've developed over the last several months based on watching YouTube videos, asking questions, and a lot of trial and error. This warmer weather is a new factor to consider in my quest to figure out how to grow great microgreens, but it seems I have plenty of people agreeable to eating whatever I grow.
I made this jar of tea with a handful of fresh chamomile. So easy and SO delicious. I have been enjoying a nice cold glass after coming in from working in the heat.
Hope you are making yummy things with your share of EverGreen Farm foods. If you have pictures or a recipe to share, please send them to me.
Have a great week and ENJOY your veggies!
Tara
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