FALL SHARE - WEEK 6 (October 22nd)
Spinach
Romaine Lettuce
Chinese Cabbage
Butternut Squash
Endive
Baby Turnips
Cilantro
Savoy or Caraflex Cabbage
Microgreens
We are really living up to our Weekly Greens name for this final box of the 2020 season. There's lots of green and lots of love packed into this week.
Thank you all for being with us this season! We can truly say we have never had a season quite like this one before. Thank you to each and every one of you for being on this ride with us this year. We had more than three times as many shares as we had last year, planted and harvested more than we ever have, and feel like we blinked and the season passed. Thank you to all of you who we have known for years and thank you to all of you who we had the pleasure of growing for for the first time this year. We are ready to take a step back, figure out what we did well, and think about what we could do better next year. We will be in touch when 2021 shares become available and will make sure you all have that information before it becomes available to the general public. We hope you all stay safe and healthy. Thank you so much from our families, our farms, and our hearts.
Spinach
Romaine Lettuce
Chinese Cabbage
Butternut Squash
Endive
Baby Turnips
Cilantro
Savoy or Caraflex Cabbage
Microgreens
We are really living up to our Weekly Greens name for this final box of the 2020 season. There's lots of green and lots of love packed into this week.
Thank you all for being with us this season! We can truly say we have never had a season quite like this one before. Thank you to each and every one of you for being on this ride with us this year. We had more than three times as many shares as we had last year, planted and harvested more than we ever have, and feel like we blinked and the season passed. Thank you to all of you who we have known for years and thank you to all of you who we had the pleasure of growing for for the first time this year. We are ready to take a step back, figure out what we did well, and think about what we could do better next year. We will be in touch when 2021 shares become available and will make sure you all have that information before it becomes available to the general public. We hope you all stay safe and healthy. Thank you so much from our families, our farms, and our hearts.
FALL SHARE - WEEK 5 (October 15th)
Romaine Lettuce
Winter Squash
Salad Mix
Pea Shoots
Green Pepper
Yellow Onions
Heirloom Tomato
Beefsteak Tomato
Hot Pepper Blend
As we enter the second to last week of this year's CSA we are starting to reflect on the 2020 season. It's safe to say that this year was unlike any we have ever had and hopefully unlike any we will have in the future. While all of us face daily challenges related to Covid-19 we also feel very fortunate to have had an amazing amount of interest and excitement from those of you that have been with us for multiple years and also from many new faces and families this season. We are in the home stretch right now, our bodies and brains are tired, our farms have produced for another year, and we are starting to think about the lessons learned, the good and the bad, and the passing of another season. There's a beauty that comes with farming in a temperate climate that allows us to rest, but even as we wind down production we are already starting 2021 crop planning, waiting for the new seed catalogs to arrive in the mail, thinking about December mornings filled with crop spreadsheets, yield projections, cost of production conversations, and thoughts of possible crops we've never grown before.
This week we have the last of the summer crops. So long to those hot-sun, warm-season loving, fruiting crops. We may have a few stragglers but for the most part they are gone. We'll look forward to seeing them again next summer. Tomatoes and peppers, we always love to grow, harvest, and share all you produce and always wish your season was longer, but we think that your short season makes you all the better. We are excited to have romaine lettuce heads, with their versatility as a salad, sandwich topping, or wrap back this week. We are definitely enjoying the salad mix as a lunch-time treat or a dinner first course. We're roasting squash with butter and brown sugar as the temperatures dip this weekend and we need something that warms us from the inside. We are chomping on those sweet as can be pea shoots either whole or as a topping anywhere we would use microgreens.
FALL SHARE - WEEK 4 (October 8)
Butternut Squash
Daikon Radish
Cherry Tomatoes
Poblano Peppers
Green Tomatoes
Hakurei Turnips
Lunchbox Peppers
Heirloom Tomato
Mizuna
Beefsteak Tomato
Bullhorn Pepper
Jalapeños
We are coming into the home stretch of this year's CSA with just two more weeks after this week. Even though the year is wrapping up we are excited to still be including new crops and crops that we haven't had since the spring in the next few boxes. The extra sunshine and warm temperatures were a great change up from last week when we were layering up with long underwear, multiple long sleeve shirts, and even jackets on one morning. We can tell that the crops are loving this week too as we can almost see the leafy greens and other cool temperature loving crops putting on growth daily. We are happy to work all day long in this weather, linger a bit longer in the wash/pack house, and start brainstorming ideas for next year. Before we know it we will be turning on the greenhouse heater for the 2021 season and seeding the first of the spring crops. But before we get that far we have fall harvests ahead of us.
As we've said before, fall wouldn't be fall with winter squash and there are two beautiful butternuts in this week's share. The Daikon radish (purple roots) are a new crop that we have never grown. We are excited about these and have been looking in our seed catalogs at pink, white, and green ones to plant next year. If you slice them the short way they look really beautiful. We haven't given up on tomatoes just yet as some of the final cherries, heirlooms, red beefsteaks, and green ones are in the box this week. We know that we won't taste them again until next July once they are gone so we are savoring them. We are also holding onto the peppers with the final lunchbox of the year. They are joined by poblanos, a bullhorn, and a couple jalapeños which would all be great in chili. We're rounding out this week's box a bunch of Hakurei turnips and a bag of mizuna salad greens. These sweet, crunchy, white turnips are wonderful raw and great roasted while the mizuna makes a wonderful mild salad green.
FALL SHARE - WEEK 3 (October 1)
Radish Mix (Icicle and Red)
Baby Pac Choi
Cucumber
Arugula
Acorn Squash
Green Pepper
Bullhorn Pepper (Sweet)
Garlic
Beefsteak Tomato
Yellow Onion
Hot Pepper Mix
Welcome to October! If it didn't seem like it was fall before this week it sure does now. The days are feeling noticeably shorter with darker mornings and earlier evenings, the temperatures have shifted so our farm clothing has more layers to take on and off throughout the day, and the colors around our farms and along the roads are showing brilliant yellows along with pushing towards brighter oranges and reds. We still have a few of the summer crops hanging on like the beefsteak tomato, various peppers to use in chili on these cool days, and the last cucumber of the year. We couldn't resist leaving the cucumber plants in for just one more week of sunny days, but they are now officially pulled out and replaced with lettuces, cilantro, and kohlrabi. We're already looking forward to planting them again next May and tasting the first cucumbers of the year in late June of 2021. We're making salads with the different greens this time of the year and arugula is no exception to that. Another option would be to make arugula pesto. We always like that in the spring and fall for dipping crackers or having with pasta. You could use pine nuts in it like traditional pesto, but we also really like pecans or sunflower seeds when we use arugula. We've found the sunflower seeds can be strong so always use less and add more as needed. The onion and garlic are always versatile in our kitchens, but we especially like them this time of year for soups and stews. We love cool season radishes too and have both icicle (french style) and round red ones in the share this week. Feel free to crunch those as-is or to quick pickle them in some vinegar and sugar. We love stir-fry with all kinds of vegetables but really get excited when we have baby pac choi to include. If you'd rather eat them as a soup-style remember that you can cut those in half and steep them in some warm broth for some great, warming, comfort food. Nothing says fall like squash and there are two beautiful acorns ready for roasting in the oven to make your house smell delicious.
Radish Mix (Icicle and Red)
Baby Pac Choi
Cucumber
Arugula
Acorn Squash
Green Pepper
Bullhorn Pepper (Sweet)
Garlic
Beefsteak Tomato
Yellow Onion
Hot Pepper Mix
Welcome to October! If it didn't seem like it was fall before this week it sure does now. The days are feeling noticeably shorter with darker mornings and earlier evenings, the temperatures have shifted so our farm clothing has more layers to take on and off throughout the day, and the colors around our farms and along the roads are showing brilliant yellows along with pushing towards brighter oranges and reds. We still have a few of the summer crops hanging on like the beefsteak tomato, various peppers to use in chili on these cool days, and the last cucumber of the year. We couldn't resist leaving the cucumber plants in for just one more week of sunny days, but they are now officially pulled out and replaced with lettuces, cilantro, and kohlrabi. We're already looking forward to planting them again next May and tasting the first cucumbers of the year in late June of 2021. We're making salads with the different greens this time of the year and arugula is no exception to that. Another option would be to make arugula pesto. We always like that in the spring and fall for dipping crackers or having with pasta. You could use pine nuts in it like traditional pesto, but we also really like pecans or sunflower seeds when we use arugula. We've found the sunflower seeds can be strong so always use less and add more as needed. The onion and garlic are always versatile in our kitchens, but we especially like them this time of year for soups and stews. We love cool season radishes too and have both icicle (french style) and round red ones in the share this week. Feel free to crunch those as-is or to quick pickle them in some vinegar and sugar. We love stir-fry with all kinds of vegetables but really get excited when we have baby pac choi to include. If you'd rather eat them as a soup-style remember that you can cut those in half and steep them in some warm broth for some great, warming, comfort food. Nothing says fall like squash and there are two beautiful acorns ready for roasting in the oven to make your house smell delicious.
FALL SHARE - WEEK 2 (Sept. 24)
Head Lettuce
Mizuna
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Delicata Squash
Heirloom Tomatoes
Mint
Baby Eggplant
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Mizuna
Green Tomatoes
It's tomato-palooza this week! As we near the end of them for the season we always try to get as many in as possible since once they are gone we won't taste that homegrown tomato flavor again until next July. There are heirlooms for slicing and salting, beefsteaks for sandwiches (especially BLTs with that head lettuce), cherries for snacking, and green tomatoes for frying or for making chow-chow. If you haven't made chow-chow before, search for some recipes online and have fun making that southern-style green tomato relish. We are coming into squash season and the delicata are the first to make their appearance. This tasty squash is similar in color to acorn but has an edible skin. Not everyone chooses to eat the skin but those that like it love it. You can slice it longways and roast it or slice it into circles and roast it that way too. The mizuna makes a beautiful salad and you could even refrigerate the roasted squash circles and eat them on top of those greens with some simple oil and vinegar. We are planning to embrace this warm weather weekend with some grilled baby eggplant topped with some grilled cherry tomatoes. We're also planing for some sun tea with the mint as we get close to 80 degrees on Friday and Saturday. A September grilling weekend wouldn't be complete without some of the last cucumbers of the year made into quick pickles with some white vinegar and sugar.
Head Lettuce
Mizuna
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Delicata Squash
Heirloom Tomatoes
Mint
Baby Eggplant
Cucumbers
Cherry Tomatoes
Mizuna
Green Tomatoes
It's tomato-palooza this week! As we near the end of them for the season we always try to get as many in as possible since once they are gone we won't taste that homegrown tomato flavor again until next July. There are heirlooms for slicing and salting, beefsteaks for sandwiches (especially BLTs with that head lettuce), cherries for snacking, and green tomatoes for frying or for making chow-chow. If you haven't made chow-chow before, search for some recipes online and have fun making that southern-style green tomato relish. We are coming into squash season and the delicata are the first to make their appearance. This tasty squash is similar in color to acorn but has an edible skin. Not everyone chooses to eat the skin but those that like it love it. You can slice it longways and roast it or slice it into circles and roast it that way too. The mizuna makes a beautiful salad and you could even refrigerate the roasted squash circles and eat them on top of those greens with some simple oil and vinegar. We are planning to embrace this warm weather weekend with some grilled baby eggplant topped with some grilled cherry tomatoes. We're also planing for some sun tea with the mint as we get close to 80 degrees on Friday and Saturday. A September grilling weekend wouldn't be complete without some of the last cucumbers of the year made into quick pickles with some white vinegar and sugar.
FALL SHARE - WEEK 1 (Sept. 17)
Potatoes (Yea!)
Mixed Beans
Buttercrunch Head Lettuce
Cherry Tomatoes
Escamillo Pepper
Yellow Onion
Garlic
Shishito Peppers
Heirloom Tomatoes
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Jalapeños
Welcome to the first week of the fall shares! Hello to the new shareholders joining us for this session! We're glad to have you along with and glad to have our Full Summer and Full Season shares here for the next six weeks too. We have been busy as can be this week on our farms tilling, transplanting, and seeding fall crops in the field as well as pulling out summer crops from our hoophouses to make way for the fall ones. It's always a balancing act to figure out when to pull crops that are still producing in those so that we can make sure to plant crops earlier enough so we can have them into the fall. We have a great mix this week as we hold onto summer as long as we can. It's always a crap shoot if we can have beans this late but Thread Creek Farm came through with those as they did with the first potatoes of the season too. We are planning to roast the potatoes, onion, and a few cloves of garlic in the oven as a nice side dish for something on the grill. The shishito peppers (not hot, but look like they would be) are going to get sliced thin and then pickled along with the jalapeños to snack on this week. We are still eating BLTs (which we will as long as we can!) and using the heirloom tomatoes for sandwiches and the beefsteak tomatoes for chopping and topping bruschetta along with a few more cloves of garlic. We can't stop snacking on the cherry tomatoes but know they are close to being done for the year. We are taking the Escamillo pepper (the large yellow-orange one that is sweet, even though it looks like it would be hot) and sautéing it with half the onion and some of the jalapeños to top some brats over the weekend.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 12 (Sept. 10)
Beets
Baby Leeks
Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Baby Kale
Eggplant
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Shallots
Heirloom Tomatoes
Hot Pepper Mix
If we didn't know from looking at the calendar, the weather this past week has definitely let us know that we are at the end of summer and with that, the final CSA box of the 12-week summer session. The items in this week's box bridge that time between the heat-loving summer crops and the cool-loving fall crops. It is a great time of year where we start to layer clothes while working on our farms so that we are protected from the morning chill, but still get to enjoy the warmth of the sun. On most days we end up working in t-shirts by mid afternoon. The days of trying to drink enough water to stay hydrated are behind us, the last few plantings of crops are seeded, or will be in the next few weeks, and we are starting to think about repairs and maintenance that we may have put off during the controlled chaos of July and August on a vegetable farm. Beets are back this week and we are thinking about roasting them with the baby leeks and shallots to cut through this rainy weather and warm us from the inside out. The eggplant and heirloom tomatoes are looking like stew, while we are still hanging onto summer with heirloom tomato BLTs and steamed beans. The baby kale is one of our favorite cool season greens because it's so versatile. It can be used fresh as a salad, wilted with some eggs or in an omelette for breakfast, or tossed in a smoothie. The cherry tomatoes are winding down and we are pulling the plants soon to make way for other fall crops, but we are putting these ones on our counter to savor those last little bursts of summer sunshine as we drift off towards the fall.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 11 (Sept. 3)
Sweet Corn
Yellow Onion
Cucumber
French Breakfast Radish
Garlic
Green Pepper
Hot Peppers (Thai, Jalapeño, Poblano)
Baby Salad Mix
Mizuna (mild salad green)
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes (not pictured)
The first share of September brings with it the first of the fall crops. As the weather has cooled, the baby salad greens, mizuna, and radishes have started to grow well again in the cool mornings and evenings. This time of the year is our favorite as we start to see the fall crops but are still holding onto the summer tomatoes, peppers, and, of course, savoring the sweet corn. We're making salads and topping sandwiches with the greens this week while we enjoy our favorite way to eat the radishes - dragged through some room temperature butter and sprinkled with salt (trust us on that one!). Firing up the grill on Labor Day weekend wouldn't be the same without some sweet corn, so either boil it to perfection or grill it to get those little tasty bits of charred corn you can only get from a grill. These cooler evenings have us roasting garlic whole in the oven, smashing it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper then spreading that on some warm bread. We are thinking about adding the green peppers to some pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes for a quick weekday dinner and are planning to slice the beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes and combine them with some mozzarella because sometimes you just don't have to mess with a classic.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 10 (August 27)
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Cucumber
Heirloom Tomatoes
Sweet Corn (1 Dozen!)
Carmen Peppers (Sweet)
Cherry Tomatoes
Sweet Onions
Kale
Hot Pepper Mix
More of the summer's bounty of goodness is headed to your kitchens this week. We are so excited for all the delicious produce packed into this share. It's the end of August and this is just what we hope and plan for the box to look like for this time of year. There are all types of tomatoes for salads and sandwiches, colored peppers for fajitas, hot peppers and onions for salsa, cucumbers to snack on, and a dozen (!) sweet corn! We know that some of you are going to eat that dozen with your family, but if you can't eat all 12 be sure to blanch them, cut them off the cob, and freeze them to preserve the taste of sunshine far into the winter. We hope that you enjoy the final few weeks of summer, maybe get to jump in one of the big lakes one more time, look forward to the changing colors (we have seen a few maples tinting red this week), and savor the warm days and cooler nights over the next month.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 9 (August 20)
Cucumber
Eggplant
Salad Mix
Mint
Mini Purple Cabbage
Sweet Corn
Yellow Cooking Onions
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Heirloom Tomatoes
Leeks
Summer keeps rolling along while also giving us a small glimpse of fall in both the morning temperatures and the first sign of fall crops like leeks and purple cabbage. Don't worry we have plenty of more summer to go and more of the summer crops including a wide variety of peppers just about to come on before we are ready to shift to the fall. Another week of August, another week of sweet corn. We can't get enough so we are just putting our heads down and eating away. We are happy to have some salad mix back again this week after some time away. Most of the lettuces are not fans of the summer heat so we have a tasty mix of other baby greens this week while we wait for the new plantings of lettuce to grow over the next 3-4 weeks. We smoked ribs on Saturday (sorry those aren't included in the share this week!) and used the purple cabbage and onions to make coleslaw to go along with them for a classic summer barbecue. We are planning to use the mint for some summer sun tea while we sit on the porch and enjoy a sunset. We are still eating both BLTs and tomato sandwiches with mayonnaise while we savor the beefsteaks and heirlooms. We even used a couple big, thick heirloom slices instead of a bun on some burgers too. It sounded a little silly, but was really delicious! We haven't made eggplant parm all summer but are finally getting around to adding that to the menu this week after using the last one to make ratatouille. The leeks would be great in a soup stock to cut these recent chilly nights and warm you from the inside out.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 8 (August 13)
Jalapeno Pepper
Serrano Pepper
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Cherry Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Garlic
Sweet Onions
Zucchini
SWEET CORN!!!!
Heirloom Tomatoes
The sweet corn is here! The sweet corn is here! The sweet corn is here!
Thread Creek Farm is the only one of us that grows sweet corn and we are so excited when it comes in each year (can you tell?)! It is clearly a highlight of summer and we love getting Emma's weekly updates on how it's growing throughout the season. This first type has white kernals and you should expect to see sweet corn over the next few weeks. The season is even shorter than tomatoes so we plan to savor all we can with butter, salt, and Michigan summer sunshine. We have two different hot peppers for you this week in a jalapeño and a serrano. The serrano is a bit hotter than jalapeño so use each of them to your taste. The tomatoes keep flowing with more beefsteak, cherry, and heirlooms. We have staggered their ripeness so that they can last you throughout the week and you don't feel like you have to eat them all in one or two days before they get overripe. Leave them on your counter or windowsill and enjoy them along side the sweet corn. We made fried chicken sandwiches this week with chicken thighs, topped them with a thick beefsteak tomato slice, and they were delicious. The cucumbers and zucchini are growing well and we're continuing to eat them a few times a week. We've also been putting garlic in everything lately and adding slices of sweet peppers to our burgers. We've been debating on making onion rings with the sweet onions so might just have to add that to our meal planning for this week too. The touch of fall temperatures last week had us thinking that although we still have a bit more than a month of summer that those summer crops we love so much will soon give way to lettuces, spinach, and more of the fall, cool season crops we love just as much. We're not quite ready for those, so we're going to hold onto these summer ones as long as we can.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 7 (August 6)
Cherry Tomatoes
Carrots
Beefsteak Tomatoes
Arugula
Eggplant
Heirloom Tomatoes
Microgreens
Cucumber
Kohlrabi
Tomatoes have arrived! We've been watching them patiently as they started to turn one by one but now they are starting to ripen by the cluster! This week there are cherry tomatoes to snack on or use on a salad with the arugula and cucumber, beefsteak tomatoes for the perfect sandwiches (can you say BLT!), and heirloom tomatoes to thickly slice and sprinkle with salt. The season never seems to be quite long enough for these beauties but we plan to share them to enjoy throughout the summer. This week's box also includes eggplant. The first fruits of those plants are just starting to get up to size and there will be more to come from those too. We were never huge fans of eggplant until we had it in ratatouille and we were hooked. Try it that way and we'll be sure to send along some other recipe options the next time it finds it's way to the box. The micro greens would go great on top of that sliced heirloom tomato or on top of a weekend omelette. The box is rounded out with a kohlrabi which is a first for those of you who are joining us for the summer share. This member of the cabbage family translates from German as "cabbage-turnip" and that describes its taste and texture perfectly. They can be thinly sliced and included on a vegetable tray raw or we like to make creamed kohlrabi by peeling it, cubing it, boiling it, and then finishing it in a cream sauce. Enjoy this week and look for more warm season crops coming soon!
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 6 (July 30)
Zucchini
Baby Leeks
Kale
Carrots
Cucumbers
Microgreens
Banana Pepper
Cherry Tomatoes
Beefsteak Tomato
Cooking Onions
Week six of the summer marks the halfway point for those of you with 24 week "Full Season", 12 week "Days of Summer", and 12 week "Every Other Week Summer" shares. For those of you with 18 week "Full Summer" we are now one third of the way into the season. We have said it in the past, but every year it seems like we plan all winter long and spend the weeks and months waiting for the season to start, then it hits, it's a blur, then all of a sudden we're nearly to August.
We have the start of the slicer tomatoes this week to go along with the cherry tomatoes with many more to come over the next two months. One of the stars of the summer is here and we couldn't be more excited about it! Flint Ingredient Company has grown some beautiful microgreens this week to flavor up any of your meals and they also have the first of the peppers. Like the tomatoes, we grow a lot of different peppers (ranging from sweet to hot to frying) in all sorts of colors that will start making their way into your kitchens. Thread Creek Farm has some great summer carrots in this week's share. Summer carrots are a labor of love as carrots don't compete with weeds very well so they need a lot of weeding attention in the midst of all the other summer to-dos. The white part of the baby leeks can be cooked just like regular sized leeks for a mild onion flavor while the tops can be used for stock. We like to make our stock now when there are so many vegetables around and freeze it in ice cube trays to pull out for a deeply flavored soup in the depths of winter. The cucumbers and zucchini keep producing and we'll keep sharing them as long as they keep growing. There are a number of different pests and diseases we deal with in these crops but so far the plants continue to look healthy and happy. We are cooking up our kale with some thinly sliced yellow cooking onions this week and hitting them with a dash of vinegar as a side dish for grilled meats. The deep flavor goes great with the charred smokiness of the grill.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 5 (July 23)
Shallots
Cucumber
Garlic
Curly Endive
Zucchini
Beets
Basil
Cherry Tomatoes
Walla Walla Sweet Onion
The summer crops are really starting to come on, grow more and more by the day, and start to ripen on their vines. The onions and shallots have been putting on size too and are ready for harvest this week. You can think of the french shallots as a fancy cousin of the onion. They are a little more delicate and have a beautiful purple color. Our favorite way to eat them is sliced thin, then breaded and fried (think of them as a homemade version of the topping for green bean casserole!). They also can be used in place of onions for slightly different and delicious flavor. Cucumbers are one of those crops growing so fast these days we swear we can see them change from morning to evening. They are covered with blossoms and should continue to produce great cucumbers into the late summer. The garlic would be perfect to pair with the basil this week for a pesto pasta. We learned last summer that if you blanch the basil for about 10-15 seconds in boiling water before making the pesto it will keep the bright green color even when added to warm pasta. Make sure to save some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce to the right consistency too. The curly endive is in the same family as the radicchio from last week and benefits from the same addition of fat or sweetness to cut through the bitterness. Try it as a salad with bacon and a poached egg for hearty and rich meal. If you're feeling like skipping the pasta noodles you could still have pesto with zucchini zoodles if you have a spiralizer. We have been grilling beets by wrapping them in tinfoil and putting them directly in the coals of the grill for 30-40 minutes, or until they can be pierced with a fork. We love the smokey addition the grill brings to them. Pop those tomatoes like candy! We have been leaving a pint on our kitchen table and every time we pass by we take a small handful to snack on and savor summer's flavor. The Walla Walla sweet onion would be great sliced on a burger, mixed into a meatloaf, or sliced and made into onion rings. They haven't totally cured yet so store the onion and garlic in your refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
Shallots
Cucumber
Garlic
Curly Endive
Zucchini
Beets
Basil
Cherry Tomatoes
Walla Walla Sweet Onion
The summer crops are really starting to come on, grow more and more by the day, and start to ripen on their vines. The onions and shallots have been putting on size too and are ready for harvest this week. You can think of the french shallots as a fancy cousin of the onion. They are a little more delicate and have a beautiful purple color. Our favorite way to eat them is sliced thin, then breaded and fried (think of them as a homemade version of the topping for green bean casserole!). They also can be used in place of onions for slightly different and delicious flavor. Cucumbers are one of those crops growing so fast these days we swear we can see them change from morning to evening. They are covered with blossoms and should continue to produce great cucumbers into the late summer. The garlic would be perfect to pair with the basil this week for a pesto pasta. We learned last summer that if you blanch the basil for about 10-15 seconds in boiling water before making the pesto it will keep the bright green color even when added to warm pasta. Make sure to save some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce to the right consistency too. The curly endive is in the same family as the radicchio from last week and benefits from the same addition of fat or sweetness to cut through the bitterness. Try it as a salad with bacon and a poached egg for hearty and rich meal. If you're feeling like skipping the pasta noodles you could still have pesto with zucchini zoodles if you have a spiralizer. We have been grilling beets by wrapping them in tinfoil and putting them directly in the coals of the grill for 30-40 minutes, or until they can be pierced with a fork. We love the smokey addition the grill brings to them. Pop those tomatoes like candy! We have been leaving a pint on our kitchen table and every time we pass by we take a small handful to snack on and savor summer's flavor. The Walla Walla sweet onion would be great sliced on a burger, mixed into a meatloaf, or sliced and made into onion rings. They haven't totally cured yet so store the onion and garlic in your refrigerator until you are ready to use them.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 4 (July 16)
Scallions
Lacinato (Dino) Kale
Radicchio
Cherry Tomatoes!
Zucchini
Cucumber
White Onions
Yea for some rain and lower temperatures this week to make working outside all day a little cooler and refreshing, and yea for the first ripe tomatoes of the year! We've been picking and eating smaller amounts the past few weeks but the warm temperatures last week really made them start to ripen faster. Enjoy the mixed varieties, each with a different flavor. The orange 'Sungold' are definitely the sweetest and are a special treat. Since they don't ship very well, because their thin skins can easily split, it is not a variety that grocery stores carry. There's plenty more where those came from so enjoy these and watch for more of them, along with some beefsteak tomatoes coming soon. There is also mixed zucchini that we love to grill this time of year and it's close cousin, the cucumber. The radicchio is part of the chicory family and has a slightly bitter (in a good way) flavor. Often referred to as the "bitter greens" family, it really benefits from being mixed with other greens with some fat and acid being added in the dressing. Radicchio is often grilled to add another layer of flavor and texture, then torn or chopped before being added to a salad. The Lacinato kale, sometimes called "dinosaur kale" because of the appearance of the leaves, is great chopped in salads or also cooked into an omelette. We really like it in a Saturday or Sunday morning breakfast hash or skillet scramble with white onions, potatoes, carrots, and garlic. You could top that with the scallions for a great weekend breakfast. If you don't use the white onion with the hash or omelettes then remember it is the preferred onion for making fresh salsas.
Enjoy this week's eating!
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 3 (July 9)
Iceberg Lettuce
Lettuce Mix
Peas
Fresh Garlic
Swiss Chard
Green Beans
Cucumber
Fennel
Who's hot this week!?! There have been some pockets of rain over mid-Michigan the past two days and it seems like each of our three farms got at least a shower here or there. To be honest, when it rained on Wednesday we just went out and stood in it while it came down. We needed the deep cool off as much as our soils needed a deep watering. We could use more but are thankful for what we've gotten.
Given as hot as it has been it is hard to believe that this spring was so wet and cold (remember the four days of low to mid twenties the second week of May and all the flooding?). That might have been months ago but it definitely delayed the crops we would usually be harvesting around mid-June. We're happy to announce that some of those crops are now coming in! We are starting to see the first green beans and cucumbers of the season and we can't think of a better way to enjoy the first cuke (many more to come this summer as the plants are just starting to produce) than slicing it and savoring the flavor. The beans are ready to be steamed or boiled then topped with butter and salt. Is there a better way to enjoy them? The iceberg lettuce is asking to be used on a weekend burger right off the grill or in tacos to give them that perfect crunch. This is the last of the lettuce mix for awhile as it doesn't love the warm temperatures. We're just going to savor it in a salad and on a sandwich but don't worry, there's still head lettuce growing for future weeks. Enjoy the snap peas in a stir-fry or pasta with the fresh garlic. The garlic hasn't been cured yet (dried down so that it is shelf stable) so store it in your refrigerator. You'll notice that you have to peel a few more layers off the cloves to get down to them and that they are mild and have a much higher water content than you'll see in the fully cured ones coming in a few weeks. The Swiss chard is genetically identical to beets but has been bred for a number of different colored stems and no root. You can cook it like you would spinach. Our favorite way is sautéed with vinegar, onions, and red pepper flakes. The fennel is the curveball this week. It tastes like anise and is great thinly sliced or shaved and made into a slaw with green apples or into a salad with the lettuce mix. Remember that some sweetness from a honey or balsamic vinegar dressing will balance the anise flavor.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 2 (July 2)
Yellow Carrots
Lettuce Mix
Garlic Scapes
Green Buttercrunch Lettuce
Microgreens
Lacinato (Dino) Kale
Scallions
Purple Basil (not pictured)
A big welcome to our every other week summer share holders in Flint and Fenton! After this week's pick-up everyone will have received their first box. We hope you are figuring out ways to stay cool out there in this Mid-August heat. We've been making sure to stay hydrated on our farms and have been irrigating all our crops to make sure they are staying hydrated too. We swear we can see some of the crops grow between the morning and evening. We are hoping to get away, even for an afternoon, to water somewhere to take a plunge and cool things down and hope you are able to find something that cools you down too. Stay safe out there in this heat and enjoy your veggies this week!
We are excited about this box, but are especially excited about the yellow carrots. It's not something that you find at a lot of places and Flint Ingredient Company does a great job of growing them. We have been eating baby lettuce salads almost every day this week and have also been using the green butter crunch as both salad greens and as lettuce wraps. This marks the last week of garlic scapes until the middle of June 2021 (49-50 weeks!). For those of you who haven't had these yet, they are the immature flower stalk of hard neck garlic. They are tender and have a mild garlic flavor. They would go great in a pesto with the purple basil or, as some of you have been telling us lately, they are great charred on a very hot grill. We have been making breakfast hash this week with the lacinato kale, scallions, potatoes, and eggs, and topping that with the microgreens. It's a great way for us to start our mornings when we know we need a lot of energy to get out the door and get farming. We are really looking forward to the next 10 weeks of the Days of Summer shares and the next 16 weeks of the Full Summer and Full Season shares. We have a lot of different crops growing now and in the future seeding and planting plans that we can't wait to share with you.
SUMMER SHARE - WEEK 1 (June 25)
Romaine Lettuce
Baby Lettuce Mix
Collard Greens
Red Beets
Garlic Scapes
Cilantro
Dandelion Greens
Thank you to everyone that is continuing with us from the spring and welcome to everyone who is joining us for the first time this week. We are so happy to have all of you in this session and are starting it off with a great mix of root crops, cooking greens, fresh lettuces, herbs, and garlic scapes (which is maybe a new one for some of you and has only a few week season starting in mid to late June). The warmer season crops (tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, basil, eggplant, and more) are setting fruits, growing quickly, and will find their way into your boxes as we stretch out into July but we really savor these late spring/early summer crops that can handle the cold they have been growing through over the past 50-60 days.
We think you can never go wrong with a Caesar Salad but also love to grill the romaine lettuce quickly over a very hot grill to get a char and a little wilt on it before tossing with oil and vinegar. We also love baby lettuce and, while it doesn't love the heat of the summer, we are working on our ends to have it in the boxes as long as possible through the next few summer months. Feel free to cook the collard greens with pork and onions and finish with some vinegar and red pepper flakes or we've seen a few friends blanching them and stuffing them like a cabbage roll. Our favorite way to eat the beets is to roast them then peel and refrigerate them. Once they are cold, we dice them up then mix them with diced avocado, olive oil, the cilantro, and a small amount of orange juice for a cold salad. It sounded weird the first time we had it but it is delicious! Dandelion greens and garlic are a perfect match. A simple sauté of the greens with onions and the chopped garlic scapes are a great way to use both. The garlic scapes are the immature flower stalk of hardback garlic and are a reminder that fresh garlic bulbs are only about a month away. We hope you enjoy a great week of cooking and eating.
SPRING SHARE - WEEK 6 (June 18)
Lacinato (Dino) Kale
Buttercrunch Lettuce
Green Cabbage
Lettuce Mix
Microgreens
Garlic Scapes
Parsley
Red Radishes
How is it Week 6 already? When the first week of the spring season starts we always say, "It feels like we had planned forever and time took forever to get here." When the final week of the spring season comes we always say, "It seems like we just started. How did it go so fast?" We are excited for most of you to be continuing on with us into the summer session starting next week. Thank you for extending your share or signing up for the season from the get-go. For those of you who are not currently continuing with us (and for those of you who are too) we would first and foremost like to say thank you. Thank you for joining us this spring. Thank you for searching out farm-fresh, home-grown food. Thank you for supporting our business when the world was in a place (and still is in a place) that none of us had or has ever experienced. We appreciate all of you and all of your support. We are excited for what this summer holds! We would like to let those of you who have not signed up for additional weeks know that registration is open on our site until tomorrow evening around 9pm.
This week's box is a fun one as we start to see some of the crops that take a bit longer to grow to size. The lacinato (dino) kale is great for you juicers out there and also is wonderful along with white beans and chorizo. The butter crunch is a favorite for sandwiches or lettuce wraps. The personal sized green cabbage is a new one for us this year and come ready about 4-5 weeks before the larger cabbages. It may be small, but it is dense, and we fed a family of four with sautéed cabbage with onions and red wine vinegar alongside grilled pork tenderloin this week. We never get enough lettuce mix and have stories from shareholders about just standing in their kitchen eating it as-is. The micro greens have a new purple stemmed radish in them this week that we haven't grown before either. It adds a nice zing and some really brilliant color. Garlic scapes are one of our favorite spring treats and are only around for about two weeks. They are the immature flower stalk of hardneck garlic that we pick while still young and tender. You can use it just like you would regular garlic but it has a more mild (but still garlic-y) flavor. We used parsley last week to make a small batch of gremolata which the garlic scapes would be great in. There are some nice crunchy radishes to round out this week's share with some beautiful colors and send us into summer. Thank you all again for a great spring season full of some unexpected low temperatures, high temperatures, wet weeks, and dry weeks. The weather seemed to be all over the board but we are all settling into the farming groove and looking forward to the weeks ahead.
SPRING SHARE - WEEK 5 (June 11)
Cilantro
Cabbage Leaves
Collard Greens
Green Garlic
Scallions/Green Onions
Romaine Lettuce Head
Microgreens
Mint
Salad Mix
We hope everyone made it through the storms tonight safety and still has power or will have it restored soon. It's always a balance when the rains come on our farms. We want to make sure everyone is safe but we also know how much the rain water soaks our dry fields in a way that irrigation just can't. It's these types of storms, after a hot, dry week that makes us stand out in the downpour with our arms outstretched absorbing the cooling rain.
This week we have all types of weekly greens! Cilantro is back for the first time since week 1. We made cabbage rolls this week stuffed with Italian sausage and green garlic that held on for one more week. Garlic scapes will make it into next week's box so these are for real the last green garlic of 2020. The collard greens this week remind us that sometimes the best things are cooked low and slow. A chopped salad on romaine and scallions adds freshness to the week while, as you have learned, the micro greens are great to top anything for extra flavor. We've been enjoying simple mint tea lately or if you'd like to make a cocktail it's the key ingredient in mojitos. The box is rounded out with a nice baby salad mix to bring more freshness to any meal.
We are a little ways off, but we are seeing color on some of the first cherry tomatoes,
SPRING SHARE - WEEK 4 (June 4)
Peppery Microgreens
Scallions
Oregano
Iceberg Lettuce
Dandelion Greens
Green Garlic
Baby Salad Mix
We can see and feel things shifting on our farms these days. The sun is up earlier and later, the temperatures are warmer, trees and perennials are leafing out and filling in, and the sounds of summer life are all around. There are even tomatoes forming and growing daily and little zucchini starting to develop. It is the time between spring and summer where we haven't quite hit it yet, but we start to anticipate the shift from large plantings to large harvests.
It seems like we spend all winter planing for CSA boxes to start and suddenly we are already in the fourth week. We are really excited about some new for this year items and also a first time we've ever grown it item too. The microgreens have arugula mixed in with some asian cabbages this week to give them a nice peppery bite. We always enjoy the first scallions of the year as they are mild, tender, and preview the larger onions that we've been keeping busy weeding between rainstorms. We love oregano at this time of year as it goes so well mixed in with grilled meats or tossed with olive oil and grilled vegetables. We only have it fresh for a short period this time of year and it just pairs so well with the grill. Iceberg lettuce is the never have we ever grown it crop. We have grown over 30 different kinds of lettuce but have always been shy to grow this often looked down on variety. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's perfect for your Taco Tuesday when you just have to have the crunch that other lettuces just don't bring. The dandelion greens are another fun one that Flint Ingredient Company specializes in and they grow them so well. These aren't the yellow-flowered weeds growing in your yard type of dandelion greens. They are refined, nutty, and with a unique touch of bitterness. Garlic scapes are just starting to show so we are saying goodbye to green garlic for the year with this bunch. Enjoy that mild taste now as the scapes will be making their way into the boxes soon. Last but not least, you'll also find a nice spring salad mix of tender baby greens.
Peppery Microgreens
Scallions
Oregano
Iceberg Lettuce
Dandelion Greens
Green Garlic
Baby Salad Mix
We can see and feel things shifting on our farms these days. The sun is up earlier and later, the temperatures are warmer, trees and perennials are leafing out and filling in, and the sounds of summer life are all around. There are even tomatoes forming and growing daily and little zucchini starting to develop. It is the time between spring and summer where we haven't quite hit it yet, but we start to anticipate the shift from large plantings to large harvests.
It seems like we spend all winter planing for CSA boxes to start and suddenly we are already in the fourth week. We are really excited about some new for this year items and also a first time we've ever grown it item too. The microgreens have arugula mixed in with some asian cabbages this week to give them a nice peppery bite. We always enjoy the first scallions of the year as they are mild, tender, and preview the larger onions that we've been keeping busy weeding between rainstorms. We love oregano at this time of year as it goes so well mixed in with grilled meats or tossed with olive oil and grilled vegetables. We only have it fresh for a short period this time of year and it just pairs so well with the grill. Iceberg lettuce is the never have we ever grown it crop. We have grown over 30 different kinds of lettuce but have always been shy to grow this often looked down on variety. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's perfect for your Taco Tuesday when you just have to have the crunch that other lettuces just don't bring. The dandelion greens are another fun one that Flint Ingredient Company specializes in and they grow them so well. These aren't the yellow-flowered weeds growing in your yard type of dandelion greens. They are refined, nutty, and with a unique touch of bitterness. Garlic scapes are just starting to show so we are saying goodbye to green garlic for the year with this bunch. Enjoy that mild taste now as the scapes will be making their way into the boxes soon. Last but not least, you'll also find a nice spring salad mix of tender baby greens.
SPRING SHARE - WEEK 3 (MAY 28)
Parsley
Microgreens
Collard Greens
Red Buttercrunch Lettuce
Lovage
Kohlrabi
Radishes
We've had some email questions about setting up the crops or labeling them in the pictures so everyone knows what is what. From now on we will list the crops clockwise from the bottom left. We hope that helps to figure out what each item is. This week we went from wet to HOT! Working in the heat made it feel like August on our farms and made for some thirsty crops and thirsty farmers. We usually don't have to get as much irrigation in place this time of year but it feels nice to have it set up and ready to go for later in the season. This week's share brings some more new crops. Kohlrabi (the one that looks like a martian spaceship) is one of our favorite spring and fall vegetables. You can slice it thin and eat it raw but our favorite way to do it is creamed kohlrabi (check out some recipes online). It makes us think of Grandmas in the kitchen and meals with friends and relatives in Frankenmuth. Lovage is a more uncommon member of the same family as celery and has a similar bright flavor. It's best for flavoring stocks or for tearing and mixing into a salad so would go great fresh with the red buttercrunch lettuce. We love Collards so much and always look forward to the first tender ones of the year. You can cook them down until tender or use them like a cabbage roll to stuff and steam. We're looking forward to some cooler working weather this next week but will continue to see more and more growth on the warm season crops. Zucchini, cucumbers, and tomatoes are just starting to flower and we got word from the crew at Thread Creek Farm that the first of the sweet corn was seeded today which is always an exciting first planting!
SPRING SHARE - WEEK 2 (MAY 21)
Romaine Lettuce
Cilantro
Napa Cabbage
Baby Bok Choi
Microgreens
Green Garlic
Red Radishes
Well, if this week was anything, it was wet! We hope that any of you that are experiencing major flooding and evacuation or have any friends or family who are that they are able to find shelter and are doing the best that they can given the current circumstances. While it was wet, we also enjoyed the rays of sunshine late this afternoon and are looking forward to getting a lot done on our farms over the next three dry days. For this week's share we have different greens for you plus some first of the year red radishes. The baby bok choi and Napa cabbage would be great in a stir fry with the green garlic added in. If you're feeling up for it, the Napa cabbage could also make a great Kimchi! We love the mild flavor of green garlic and have been eating it all week in fresh pasta too. There's a crunchy romaine head that is both crisp and sweet this time of year. We've been making salads all week as well and love a good Caesar salad. With the pictures and descriptions of the meals some of you have been sharing with us from last week's box, we're sure there's someone out that makes a great homemade Caesar dressing! The radishes could have waited another week to be harvested but we are just loving the bright pop of color they bring to this week. Don't sleep on the radish greens either. They can be soaked to clean them and sautéed or even made into a pesto (seriously, there are recipes online!) that a little bit of sugar helps in. The micro greens this week are a mild blend of asian greens (tokyo bekana and mizuna) and a purple cabbage called 'Red Acre' that adds a nice color too. The cilantro is screaming to be used for Taco Tuesday! This is such a fun time of year for us when we add new crops each week and we can really start to see everything growing daily with early sunrises and late sunsets bookending our work days. Enjoy this week's box and we look forward to seeing what you all do with it.
Romaine Lettuce
Cilantro
Napa Cabbage
Baby Bok Choi
Microgreens
Green Garlic
Red Radishes
Well, if this week was anything, it was wet! We hope that any of you that are experiencing major flooding and evacuation or have any friends or family who are that they are able to find shelter and are doing the best that they can given the current circumstances. While it was wet, we also enjoyed the rays of sunshine late this afternoon and are looking forward to getting a lot done on our farms over the next three dry days. For this week's share we have different greens for you plus some first of the year red radishes. The baby bok choi and Napa cabbage would be great in a stir fry with the green garlic added in. If you're feeling up for it, the Napa cabbage could also make a great Kimchi! We love the mild flavor of green garlic and have been eating it all week in fresh pasta too. There's a crunchy romaine head that is both crisp and sweet this time of year. We've been making salads all week as well and love a good Caesar salad. With the pictures and descriptions of the meals some of you have been sharing with us from last week's box, we're sure there's someone out that makes a great homemade Caesar dressing! The radishes could have waited another week to be harvested but we are just loving the bright pop of color they bring to this week. Don't sleep on the radish greens either. They can be soaked to clean them and sautéed or even made into a pesto (seriously, there are recipes online!) that a little bit of sugar helps in. The micro greens this week are a mild blend of asian greens (tokyo bekana and mizuna) and a purple cabbage called 'Red Acre' that adds a nice color too. The cilantro is screaming to be used for Taco Tuesday! This is such a fun time of year for us when we add new crops each week and we can really start to see everything growing daily with early sunrises and late sunsets bookending our work days. Enjoy this week's box and we look forward to seeing what you all do with it.
SPRING SHARE - WEEK 1 (MAY 14)
Head Lettuce
Spring Salad Mix
Spinach
Microgreens
Green Garlic
RAMPS!
Welcome to the first week of the 2020 Weekly Greens CSA! We are ready to roll for the season and it looks like, after a week filled with near record low temperatures, the season is finally ready to roll too. We spent the past week on our farms running extra heaters in our hoop houses, covering tender plants inside and out in the fields, moving transplants to warmer areas, and doing our best "make-it-through-the-cold" dances before saying good night to all the wonderful things growing on our farms. We are happy to report that everything made it through and we are all ready for the 80 degree days we see in the near future.
This week we have the early greens that always mark the beginning of the season. There is the most tender of spinach and spring salad mix, beautiful first harvest of the year head lettuce, micro greens to garnish any meal from breakfast to dinner, green garlic (the first of four different harvest stages of garlic you'll see in the next three months - use the white/red stem for a mild garlic flavor and use the leaves to flavor a stock), and (drum roll please) RAMPS! We are so excited to have these in the box this week. Flint Ingredient Company foraged these somewhere (honestly ramp locations are as closely guarded as moral mushroom spots!), harvesting only the leaves so that the bulbs can rejuvenate and grow more for next year's harvest. In over 18 years of working at or owning farms that have CSA boxes we have never seen these in a share box before. They are great cooked into eggs, quick pickled, or charred on the grill. We may seem overly excited about these, but those that know know...and those that don't know are about to find out! We have so much deliciousness planted for the next five weeks of the Spring session and have already started to plant the first crops for the summer session too. Thanks again for all your support. Now let's get this season going!
Head Lettuce
Spring Salad Mix
Spinach
Microgreens
Green Garlic
RAMPS!
Welcome to the first week of the 2020 Weekly Greens CSA! We are ready to roll for the season and it looks like, after a week filled with near record low temperatures, the season is finally ready to roll too. We spent the past week on our farms running extra heaters in our hoop houses, covering tender plants inside and out in the fields, moving transplants to warmer areas, and doing our best "make-it-through-the-cold" dances before saying good night to all the wonderful things growing on our farms. We are happy to report that everything made it through and we are all ready for the 80 degree days we see in the near future.
This week we have the early greens that always mark the beginning of the season. There is the most tender of spinach and spring salad mix, beautiful first harvest of the year head lettuce, micro greens to garnish any meal from breakfast to dinner, green garlic (the first of four different harvest stages of garlic you'll see in the next three months - use the white/red stem for a mild garlic flavor and use the leaves to flavor a stock), and (drum roll please) RAMPS! We are so excited to have these in the box this week. Flint Ingredient Company foraged these somewhere (honestly ramp locations are as closely guarded as moral mushroom spots!), harvesting only the leaves so that the bulbs can rejuvenate and grow more for next year's harvest. In over 18 years of working at or owning farms that have CSA boxes we have never seen these in a share box before. They are great cooked into eggs, quick pickled, or charred on the grill. We may seem overly excited about these, but those that know know...and those that don't know are about to find out! We have so much deliciousness planted for the next five weeks of the Spring session and have already started to plant the first crops for the summer session too. Thanks again for all your support. Now let's get this season going!
