Welcome to the Summer 2018 CSA! We’re very excited to embark on our twelfth CSA season with you all. For all those of you who have been members before, we’re so glad to have you back! The seasonal rhythm will be familiar to you, but please check in with us about any questions that pop up. To all the new members… WELCOME! We know that there can be a pretty steep learning curve as a new CSA member, and we’re here to help! While we hear from some members that it feels like Christmas every time they get their weekly share, from others we hear ‘help!! what do I do with this vegetable I’ve never seen before’! We hope you have fun with it, utilize the recipes in the newsletter and on our website, enjoy cooking with the freshest vegetables ever, and remember that part of the excitement of the CSA is all the surprises along the way! Early on in the season you’ll have lots of greens in your share, and smaller quantities as our fields slowly gain steam. By the time we reach fall, you may be crying ‘uncle’ and learning how to put by the (hopeful) flood of veggies. Every single year is different, depending on the weather, pests, and the timing (ill- or good-) of different crops. Last year our winter squash had a complete crop failure (as in zero, zilch), which was crushing. But on the other hand, we had beautiful, abundant spring broccoli. This year the spring kale is struggling, but the hoophouses are currently filled with beautiful summer squash and cucumber plants in order to try and get them on your plate a whole month earlier than usual. We’re trying new crops (Shishito peppers are the hippest new crop around, and we’re growing them for you!) and new growing techniques (incorporating methods discussed in this great New York Times article Can Dirt Save the Earth). Thanks for being part of the highs and the lows, the delicious and the experimental, the sunny and the cold, right alongside us. 

If you have specific questions about your pick-up, the FAQ email I sent out a few days ago should have most answers. But you are always welcome to reach out to me via text, email or phone at 712-7382. You’ll also meet our 2018 apprentices at the pick-ups this week: Aleena, Cedar, Jed and Marya. They’re working so hard and learning a ton, and I can’t wait for them to meet the folks who eat the veggies they dedicate their summer to growing. Click here to see them (overseen by Maple) on our first Summer CSA harvest of the year.

Remember that at the bottom of this email is a list of the veggies you will likely receive this week, and a list of this week’s add-on shares and recipes. Again, please get in touch with any questions, and we’ll see you soon! 

Happy eating! 

Reba, Bill and the HCF crew

p.s. To our Sunday members, just a head’s up that I might miss some of you at tomorrow’s pick-up, as I will be inside the church part of the time to watch our son Eli’s ‘Coming of Age’ presentation. But Jed, Aleena and our wonderful Sunday helper, Jen, will be there to get you started on the right track!

Summer CSA Week One Veggies: Salad Mix, Spinach or Arugula, Pac Choi or Gailon Broccoli, Kale or Chard

Week One Add-ons: Milk, Yogurt, Ferments, Bread, Tofu, Cheese, Eggs, Mushrooms, Oil & Vinegar

Cheese Week One, Oil & Vinegar Week One

This week’s recipes: Stir-Fry Chicken and Bok Choy, Lemon-Arugula-Parmesan Salad