Happy first day of summer!
June and early July are a whirlwind on the farm. We are seeding and transplanting every week, harvest is in full swing, and the weeds seem to grow faster than some of our crops! We welcome the shift from lengthening to shortening of the days. This hot June has been great for heat loving crops, but means less ideal growing conditions for those cool weather preferring spring crops, like broccoli and cabbage. We're seeing slow maturation of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, while summer crops like tomatoes and zucchini are thriving.
Strawberry harvest is just beginning - we hope to have enough strawberries for everyone in week 5. Garlic scapes are here! These are the flowering part of the garlic plant. We harvest them so that the plants put energy into making bulbs instead of flowering. Scapes are tender, delicious, and versatile. This article shares 7 ways to use your scapes.
Fennel and frisee are in this week's offerings. Both are a favorite in our house. Fennel's mild licorice/anise flavor mellows when braised, sautéed, roasted, or grilled. We like to make a caramelized fennel and sausage pasta or add it to pizza. Frisee is related to endive and radicchio. It is slightly bitter. Dress leaves with a warm vinaigrette of roast-chicken pan drippings and sherry wine vinegar, toss in browned bits of thick-cut pancetta, or top with a poached or fried egg. Salade Lyonnaise is the prefect frisee recipe.
Have a beautiful Fathers' Day weekend.
Your farmers,
Craig and Lauren
