This morning as I dumped another inch of rain from the rain gauge I felt so thankful for last weekend’s brief weather reprieve. This has been one of the wettest springs on record, and at the farm we have been making the most of every dry day we get. Because planting in wet fields compacts the soil, weeding on wet days doesn’t kill the weeds, and haying in the rain just isn’t an option, we’ve been delayed in many of our projects and holding our breath for just such a weather window. Last Thursday, as the previous 1.5 inches of rain dissipated, we raced around the fields mowing hay. Friday and Saturday were filled with tending the hay, interspersed with snatches of other dry-weather carpentry and planting projects. By Sunday afternoon we had our first 900 bales of sweet-smelling first cut hay making their way to the barn, thanks to a crew of farmers and volunteers. The final leg of the race filled Monday, as we scrambled to weed as much of the farm as possible while the sun held out. The weather is always a wild card in farming, and our hearts go out to all the farms whose fields are even wetter than ours. We are so grateful to our CSA members, who support us through thick and thin. Thanks for making local food a priority!
Cheers, Norah and the Sweetland Crew
Week 4 Harvest, Brimming Basket
- Mei Qing Bok Choi, 3 heads
- Spinach or Hearty Mesclun Mix, 0.3 pounds
- Radishes or Hakurei Salad Turnips, large bunch
- Rhubarb Tuesday/Asparagus Friday (opposite last week!), 1 bunch
Week 4 Harvest, Half Pint
- Mei Qing Bok Choi, 2 heads
- Spinach or Hearty Mesclun Mix, 0.25 pounds
- Radishes or Hakurei Salad Turnips, small bunch
- Rhubarb Tuesday/Asparagus Friday (opposite last week!), 1 bunch
Recipes of the Week
- Bok Choi is such a succulent spring green, it’s hard to mess up! Try roasting it in the oven for a bit of caramelization, or stir fry it with soy sauce, garlic & ginger.
- Rhubarb Coffee Cake has long been a tradition in my family. I like to add chopped nuts to the topping.
- I was never really a radish fan until I started to sautee them! The same can be done with Hakurei turnips. Chop the greens and add them to the pan at the end!
- Spinach and our Hearty Mesclun Mix (loaded with baby kale, mizuna and red leaf cabbage) make great additions to your smoothies, not to mention amazing salads!