What a gorgeous day to kick off the second week of the CSA!  We had a great harvest this morning, topped off by the discovery of the newest calf on the farm!  Cookie, our sweet Dexter cow, must have had her calf early in the morning (almost two weeks ahead of schedule) and secreted him away in the bushes.  By the time we found him he was frolicking around and pretending to eat grass like the big kids.  We’re naming him Solstice, naturally.

This week certainly has had enough excitement.  Eli (our eight-year-old) broke his arm playing baseball, the new calf was born, and we were lucky to have visits from two former apprentices (Les from 2011 came for a day, and Patrick from 2013 arrives on Sunday for a week!).  Sugar snap peas are ready for the picking, and the broccoli is coming on.  There are fields to weed and transplants to get in the ground.  And so many new CSA members to meet!  We’re all so happy to have the CSA underway.

This week you might receive traditional broccoli and/or “Chinese” broccoli.    You’ll know it’s the Chinese broccoli if it’s packed in a bag and it looks like long thin broccoli shoots.  If you don’t receive it this week, you’ll receive it in the next week or two.  It’s our new favorite vegetable!  CJ sings a song about how she thinks it’s the best food in the world.  It’s very similar to broccoli and can be used interchangeably with broccoli in any recipe, but it’s  sweeter and even more delicious.  The stem is the prized part of it, so make sure to enjoy every last bit!

Speaking of CSA, if you have your own garden, we’d love to introduce you to a new seed CSA in the area!  Our friend Genna Chericello works with the Heirloom Seed Project at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro.  For over twenty-three years the Project has been preserving more than 800 varieties of heirloom vegetables, fruits, and grains. This year, the Heirloom Seed Project is offering a three month pilot program CSA that will connect gardeners with packages of seasonally appropriate seeds in the months of July, August, and September. Each package will include approximately three seed packets, histories and growing information for each seed, and tips about how to save seed from it. The total cost is $45.  The Heirloom Seed Project is a great organization, doing important work and run by dedicated teachers, kids, and volunteers.   We encourage everyone with their own garden to give it a try!  Visit http://heirloomseedprojectcsa.wordpress.com for more details or to sign up.

We hope you have a great week full of wonderful meals!

~ Reba and the HCF crew

Week Two Vegetables – Broccoli (Traditional and/or Chinese Broccoli), Lettuce Head, Pea Shoots, Sugar Snap Peas, Mesclun Mix, Lacinato Kale  

This week’s recipes: Kale Salad with Pecorino and Walnuts, Our Favorite Balsamic Vinagrette, Roasted Broccoli with Garlic and Red Peppers

Cheese CSA Week Two – Click here for notes

Apprentice Katie Moeller harvesting the first of the lettuce heads.