It was 3 am on Friday night when Bill awakened from a deep sleep and sat bolt upright in bed. His spidey cow-sense told him that something was amiss. An unusual sound must have filtered through his dreams, or perhaps it was just his paternal connection to the bovines in the barn, but he jumped up and ran outside to find the cows milling about the farm in the bright moonlit fog. The cows had bumbled through the beets and had moved onto the sweet corn, but luckily Bill was able to direct them back into the barn before too much damage was done. If only he had the same connection to deer; I have been watching the squash and zucchini mature and was excited to have a bountiful first harvest on Saturday morning. Whether it was the nearly full moon or just the lure of tender new squash, when I headed out to the field this morning the deer had clearly moved through the field in the night, taking bites out of dozens and dozens of lovely zephyr and zucchini squash. As I harvested the few remaining fruit I flung a few choice words towards the treeline, and I kept seeing the imaginary deer crew in my mind: the delicate ones tiptoeing through the plants, taking just a small nibble from every fruit they passed; the klutzy ones, tripping and knocking the fruit off altogether. And the worst image of all: the moment they all get spooked, freeze mid-step, and then spring off through the field as a group, breaking the tops off of plants with the landing of each bound. 

Needless to say, the selection in this week’s share will vary a bit between the deliveries. All members will eventually receive the same items, but sometimes they will arrive in a different order. Remember that you can see the “definite” items in the ‘Week 5 veggies’ list at the bottom of this email, with the “potential” items listed within brackets. And everyone will receive our most favorite item this week: Garlic Scapes! They’re beautiful, delicious, and just so cool! Other than the pointy tip (past the white bulb), every part of them is edible. Chop them up and use them in any recipe as you would a garlic clove, or cut them into inch long-sticks and saute them in oil with salt and pepper until wrinkly and tender. They’re the flower spike of the garlic plant, and they’re awesome! 

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to best store your veggies, and the simplest answer is: cold and damp! Your refrigerator will suck the moisture out of the even the wettest and crispest bunch of chard or head of cabbage, reducing it to a limp pile of unappetizing greens before you can say ‘sesame slaw.’ Nearly every CSA item should be refrigerated in a plastic bag or a container as soon as you get home. If you want to get really thorough, wrap the item in a damp paper towel before putting it inside plastic. Dehydration, warmth and bruising are the kiss of death for vegetables. So the more gentle you are and the less you expose your veggies to the open air, the longer they’ll last. And since these are the freshest vegetables possible, if you treat them well they will last a very long time. 

For those of you who are honey CSA members, this week is your first delivery! And if you are a chicken CSA member who missed your chicken delivery last week, just remind me and I’ll bring your bird along to this week’s delivery. 

Have a great week, and please be in touch with any questions or concerns!

Reba and the HCF crew

Summer CSA Week 5 of 16: Garlic Scapes, Spinach or Lettuce Mix, Kale, [two of the following: Zucchini/Zephyr Squash, Beets w/Greens, Broccoli/Gailon, Baby Carrots w/Greens, Scallions, Basil]  

Summer Week Five Add-ons: Honey, Yogurt, Eggs, Milk, Bread, Tofu, Cheese, Mushrooms, Oil & Vinegar  

This week’s recipes: Kale Chips, Garlic Scape Pesto

Cheese Week Five, Fiore Week Five