Good evening everyone!
We survived the heat, and we hope you did as well. I am hearing of fires close to some of our homes. Lets hope they remain under control so no one has to evacuate. I want to let you know that our broccoli has shown some sign of heat stress. It is called brown bead. A portion of the head, usually the center, does not open and is brown. It is not rot, or a pest, it is a response to heat stress, or stress of being grown in too wet of conditions. In this case, the heat is surely the issue. If you received a head with some brown beading, I am sorry. It is edible. You can cut it out, or eat it with the rest of the broccoli. We are doing the best we can with the heads, and don't want to waste a large head of broccoli over a brown portion.
A few people have asked how to fix floppy greens. If your greens have gone floppy, you can cold shock them. Cut off the end of the stem to open a fresh cut end. Place the entire stems in a bowl of cold water, very cold. The bowl can sit in your fridge overnight, and in the am, your greens should be crisp again. Greens like to be stored in plastic, cloth, or net bags. We try to limit how many bags we are giving you because we are trying to limit the use of excessive plastic. When you receive the greens in your share, you can place them in a plastic, fabric, or net bag and store them in your crisper. Some people add a damp paper towel to help keep the greens crisp. If they have gone floppy by the time you get them home, try the cold shock. All veggies are harvested within 48 hours of you receiving them. Some the same day. They should last at least a week for you in your fridge.
In this week's shares, we are adding a sample of radish seed pods for everyone to try. I plan on placing them in everyone's shares, so if you are allergic, please let me know. I find them to taste bean-like, with a hint of radish. I love them on my salads!
We will have a few shares receive cherry tomatoes this week! I have been not so patiently waiting for the tomatoes to come ripe. We have two hoop houses full of tomatoes, just waiting for them to ripen! Coming to you as soon as they are ready!
Summer squash is really picking up. You may get zucchini, patty pan, straight neck yellow, or yellow crook neck squash. All are delicious, another veggie I have been anxiously awaiting! I love the patty's scooped out and loaded with meatballs, then baked with a little marinara on top. It is definitely on this week's menu!
Blackberries are coming in early, and very sweet! If they don't show up in this week's share offerings, they will be in next week's for you. With moving away from re-usable boxes for shares with COVID-19 protocols, it is difficult to pack berries in the pulp baskets and have them survive the pack and looking good for you when you get home. This year we are trying some paper soup cups. Compostable cups and lids. We will pack the berries the day of your pick up. When you get them home, you should at least take the lid off of the berries. Berries need air around them or they will mold and or go mushy. This seems to be the best solution for the packaging options this year.
We hope you all have a wonderful week. The heat is supposed to break tomorrow, and a chance of rain on Monday. Enjoy!
Claudia, Jim, Madeline, Emily, Stephanie and Evan
