Full: 

3 items from Group A & 3 items from Group B

Partial:

2 items from Group A & 3 items from Group B

With the choice system this year, you are welcome to double up on an item & that would count as 2 item choices from that particular group. For example, this week, a full pick-up could include 2 pints strawberries, 1 pound tomatoes and 3 bunches of kale, if you'd like. 

Field Notes:

One practice we use at Heron Pond Farm for weed control is flame weeding. The above picture shows Andre, just after he has finished flaming a row. The flame kills off the weeds that have germinated, giving the crop that we are about to plant a stronger advantage, without having to out compete the weeds for light and nutrients. We do this for our salad greens, peas, carrots and other roots. 

Additionally, we always wash all of our greens. Our salad greens are also spun dry. Almost all of our other products are washed in our wash station as well. A few exceptions include: tomatoes, berries, peas, and green beans.

Vegetable of the Week: Lettuce

Black Bean and Quinoa Lettuce Wraps/Boats

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 2 cups cooked black beans, can substitute chicken, tofu or other protein
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• Optional: your choice of topping: cilantro, shredded cheese, avocado, hot sauce
• 1 head lettuce, 2 heads baby romaine, or 1 bunch kale

Procedure

1. Heat a oil skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant.
2. Add quinoa, black beans (or other protein), taco seasoning, and shredded carrots. Cook until heated through and seasoning is evenly distributed.
3. Turn heat to low. Stir-in diced tomatoes and scallions.
4. Scoop filling into leaves of your choice and top with any of your favorite toppings. With the butter and leafy lettuce, and kale, you can tuck in the ends and roll the leaves up into mini-burritos. With the romaine and baby romaine lettuces, you will have a lettuce boat.
5. Note: The baby romaine leaves would make a great appetizer or hors d'oeuvres option.

Health Benefits of Lettuce:

Provided by our friends at White Birch Natural Medicine & Wellness opening this Summer in Downtown Portsmouth

Learn more at: whitebirchnaturalmedicine.com and societeapothecary.com

Lettuce, scientifically known as Lactuca sativa, was first cultivated by the Egyptians thousands of years ago. Lettuce contains moisture, energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, and sugars. The minerals and vitamins found in lettuce include calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc along with vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin B6, C, A, E, and vitamin K. For thousands of years, this leaf has been cultivated as more than a vegetable. It was also thought to possess medicinal properties by ancient people.

A Message from Short Creek Farm:

Enjoy your share!

Kelsey and the Heron Pond Farm team 

Bonus - one tomato

Full - 2 items from Group A, 2 items from Group B ,+ 1 tomato

Partial - 2 items from Group A, 1 item from Group B, + 1 tomato

Field Notes:

As you may have seen in an earlier message, we were excited to pick our first berries of the year, this past Tuesday. As with many items we harvest, the first and last pickings are of smaller sizes and don't always make it in the CSA the first week. We will have a limited amount of berries at our retail sites this week, and plan to include them for all members in the CSA share next week, as a part of pickup #3. Thank you for all your excitement and understanding!

The field crew was busy planting sweet potatoes this week. They will be a sweet treat as a share option in October at the end of the Summer CSA season and into the Winter CSA season. Below, Ally and Sydney are holding boxes of sweet potato slips before heading out to the field. We transplant the small sweet potato plants, rather than from seed, onto a biodegradeable black plastic for weed control and soil warmth. 

Recipes to Try Featuring Kale:

Kale Chips:

1 bunch kale, ribs and stems removed, leaves cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or smoked paprika

-Preheat oven to 350F

-Make sure kale leaves are thoroughly dry. *Heron Pond Farm washes all of your greens, but if you choose to rewash at home, pat down leaves with a towel.

-In a large bowl, toss the kale with the oil, salt and spices until evenly coated.  Use your hands for this.

-Spread the kale in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet, such as a cookie sheet, trying not to overlap leaves. You may have to make a few batches.

-Bake until the leaves are crisped and the edges are slightly darkened, about 10 minutes.

-Promptly, remove kale from the oven and transfer to a serving dish, to prevent carryover cooking.

-As ovens vary widely, start checking your kale at the 8 minute mark and every 2 minutes thereafter to ensure the delicate leaves don't burn. Enjoy! 

Kale Stem Pesto:

1 cup chopped kale stems

1/2 cup packed fresh parsley with stems

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

3 garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil

-Add all ingredients except the oil to a food processor & pulse until crumbly, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

-Continue pulsing and add the oil in a slow, steady stream until well blended, or a texture of your liking.

-For a thick paste that you can spread onto sandwiches and pizzas, use only 1/4 cup oil. For a thin sauce that you can stir into pastas and soups, use a 1/2 cup oil.

*Notes from Kelsey:

-If you are an arugula fan, you can swap out arugula instead of the parsley to add more of a peppery flavor. Feel free to use your creative license for any additional spices, such as extra garlic, or skipping the red pepper flakes.

-Also, you can keep this recipe on hand for your broccoli and romanesco stems too.

source: The CSA Cookbook by Linda Ly

A Message From Anna at Bell & Goose Cheese Co.

BONUS - one tomato for all full and partial shares.

Full: 2 items from Group 1 and 3 items from Group 2

Partial: 1 item from Group 1 and 2 items from Group 2

Our share size is smaller this week, but our crew has been busy seeding, prepping fields, transplanting, weeding and more for the larger selections to come!

We are launching the new CSA grouping system. This system will a learning curve for all of us. We have moved away from the lists that you may have seen in the past to allow for more choice and to allow you to customize each pickup. As always, we will be available for questions at all pickup sites.

Our first tomatoes have been coming from our greenhouses, which we transplanted in early March. As the season progresses, we will be harvesting from additional greenhouses, our Haygrove and the field.

 Although there may be a more limited selection of veggies we have now, there is no limit on flavor possibilities. 

I have loved playing with all the potential carrots have! Some of my favorites include pickles, carrot noodles with a peanut sauce, roasted with a favorite oil and herb blend, and just chopped as a snack with hummus. 

Our Crew Manager Terry raves about his cookout invention:

A CARROT HOT DOG

1. Cut carrots to the length of your hot dog buns.
2. Boil for about 10-15 minutes depending of diameter, until tender.
3. Marinade carrot dogs in your favorite dressing or marinade mix for at least a few hours if possible.
4. Grill on open grill and rotate until you have blacken marks on each side.
5. Top with your favorite toppings!

To incorporate both your carrots and bok choy, I have featured:

Stir Fried Bok Choy with Carrots and Ginger this week!

Ingredients:

Procedure:

1. In a large wok, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant and tender.
3. Add the bok choy and carrots and stir for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the green parts of the bok choy have wilted and the white parts are crisp-tender.
4. Season to taste with salt.

Hope you enjoy!

Kelsey and the Heron Pond Farm team

Defrost the Pesto if adding Pine Nuts return Pesto to Blender add Pine nuts and 1/4 cup oil, blend until pine nuts are ground up.

Put Pesto in a bowl large enough to add the cooked pasta, stir in the grated cheeses and the softened butter, add a few tablespoons of the water the pasta cooked in.  Mix together and add the pasta and toss.

*You could also use this pesto as a dip or a spread for sandwiches. And instead of pine nuts, try Walnuts. Interested in an alternative to pasta try Spiraled Beets or Butternut Squash gnocchi! YUM!