Well, now. THAT was a week! The lowest point was after a very long harvest day on Monday, two of our hardworking apprentices returned to find their cabins ransacked and burglarized. The police have no leads (though if you know anyone missing a yellow paddle boat, let us know! It appeared in front of one of the cabins and was clearly stolen from elsewhere.) In addition to that, in no specific order, a brand new barn cat ran away as soon as she arrived at the farm, the new walk-in broke down, the milk fridge got mistakenly unplugged and all the milk had to be tossed, and Reba got hit by a version of the same bug that got Bill last week. Oy vey! Not a typical week on the farm! On the flip side of these minor crises the cows continued to produce fresh and delicious milk, the two remaining new barn cats (named Toothless and Peanut Mustachio Storm by the apprentices) are adjusting well, and due to the miracle of modern medicine Bill and Reba are well on the road to health. And, as always, the volunteers and friends and family (and meal providers!) who supported us through this crazy week were lifesavers.

Now back to what we’re all here for: the vegetables! If you’ve never cooked with pea shoots before, toss them in at the very end of a stir-fry, use in sushi-making, snip them as a garnish into salads, or just munch them up on the way home from your CSA pick-up! You’ll never feel more bovine-like (in a wonderful way) than when you have a pea tendril sticking out of the corner of your mouth.   And don’t be scared off by the tropical frond-appearance of collard greens leaves. Use them, marinated, in place of a tortilla (a popular raw food alternative when making wraps) or simmer them for a long time in stock, as described in the simple attached recipe. They’re delicious.

If you signed up for a chicken share, remember this week is the first pick-up. Have a great week and enjoy the flavors of early summer!

Reba, Bill and the HCF crew

Vegetables Week 2 of 16:  Bok Choi, Spinach, Lettuce Mix,  Pea Shoots, Collard Greens, Hakurei Turnips  

Summer Week Two Add-ons: Chicken, Mushrooms, Cheese, Milk, Fiore, Bread, Tofu

This week’s recipes: Shannon’s Simple and Delicious Collard Greens, Spinach and Chickpeas, Double Sesame Bok Choi

Cheese CSA Notes and Recipe Week Two
Fiore Notes and Recipe Week Two