Things are Heating Up!

It looks like we will be having a break from all the wet weather and enjoy some heat and sunshine. We also look forward to seeing some of the benefits of the sunshine for plant growth. There are some great grilling options this week for the hot weather. Most of these veggies will be great in a foil packet for some easy summer meals.

This week in your share:

New Red Potatoes
Carrots
Big Red Radish
Cilantro
Butterhead Lettuce
Onions

Whole shares will also have Scarlet Queen turnips, Garlic Scapes and Swiss Chard this week.

Have a great week!

days are too short

Hi,

We brought chickens to B and B Poultry Processing this morning, fortunately it was not raining! It has rained a lot, and it seems to rain when I need to put chickens in crates to take to Hospers. This morning Jessica and Madeline helped. I will be picking up the frozen birds tomorrow afternoon.

In the subscription shares this week we had;

white turnips
garlic scapes
onion
dill
parsley
kale
arugula

whole shares also had leaf lettuce and spinach

This morning we notice that the summer crisp head lettuce is looking good for next week. The herbs are also coming along nicely. We will be very busy as the sun warms up the next week or so. The weeds have done well with the recent wet spell.

We look forward to putting next weeks delivery together.

John

Last Wednesday Sioux Falls Argus Leader

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110615/LIFE/106150311/Color-me-happy-Achieve-great-amount-nutrients-by-adding-unusually-colored-veggies-your-diet

Another rainy day...

Hi. Madeline here. Mom isn't here to write this week so I'm taking over for now.
After seeing so many tops go to the compost, I tried something yesterday and it turned out pretty good! I'm not sure what to call it but many dishes don't have names so it will just have to be called Beet Tops. Look forward to the next experiment: Carrot Tops! :)
Beet Tops
4-6 beets with tops
1 bunch green onions or 1 small onion
1 green garlic (opt.)
sauce:
1 cup chicken/vegetable broth
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp tamari
Boil beets in a small pot on the side or save in the fridge for later.
Heat large pan w/ olive oil, add chopped garlic and onion and soften. chop beet tops (and stems if desired), add and cover to wilt. adding a little water helps the wilting process.
mix sauce and pour over wilted greens, let simmer until tender and ready to eat.
serve immediately. approx. 4 servings

This week in the whole share:
salad mix
carrots
leaf lettuce
arugula
radishes
onions
beets
peas

The half share includes:
salad mix
leaf lettuce
arugula
radishes
onions
beets

Remember! We have chickens for sale tomorrow in Sioux Center! call or email to place an order.

Ribollita Recipe

Here is the link to the Ribollita Recipe

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/ribollita-reboiled-italian-cabbage-soup/Detail.aspx

Green fields

Suddenly this week, everywhere I look is a lush green. The brown spaces in the fields are giving way to the canopy of crop cover. It is amazing to see the huge variety of color from light lime green of the ditch grasses to the deep blue green of leek and garlic. The potatoes have gone from being "down in the trench" to being up on the ridge of the hill. All of this green is accented with the light pink and white of blossoms unfolding. John went through all the rows this week with the hiller to pile up dirt around the plants to keep the tubers covered and out of the sun so they don't turn green as they develop.

This week in your share....

Lettuce - Green Romaine this week

Red Radishes

Scallions/Green Onions

Green Kohlrabi - just like the purple, only green instead :)

Turnips -

Kale - try the recipe for the Ribollita from the link listed below

Beets - the first of the season

Full share will also receive Rhubarb this week - if you don't want to use it now, just wash, chop and freeze for later. Make some rhubarb sauce, or add it to your favorite fruit and make some jam.

Rhubarb Cake (from my mom)

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar (part white/part brown)

1 egg

1 c. sour milk or buttermilk

2 c. flour

1 tsp soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. rhubarb- diced

cream the sugar and butter, mix in the egg, mix dry ingredients together and add alternately with the milk. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour batter into 9x13 pan and top with 1/2 c. sugar and some cinnamon. Bake @ 325 for 35-40 minutes.

Ribollita - keep this in the fridge to serve with salad for a satisfying meal.

Tip: the ribollita recipe calls for cabbage and swiss chard - feel free to use the kohlrabi and beet leaves as substitutes. Also, use your shallots for the onion.

Have a great week!

Greetings everyone!

It looks like we are jumping right into summer with temps in the 90's this week. It is quite a change, but the drying weather has allowed us to get some major weeding done and continue some planting that was put on hold during the rains last week. This week was also the start of two markets for us - Sioux Center market and the Wednesday market at Sioux City. We have been watching the news closely regarding flooding in the Sioux City area and hope that everything will go well for our customers and friends who may be suffering from flood damage.

This week in your share.....

New Carrots - always a marvel to pull those first tender slim carrots - eat them raw - or give your dinner plate a gourmet look by trimming the top to 1" and lightly steaming.

Green Butterhead Lettuce

Red Butterhead Lettuce

Purple Kohlrabi - these are just beautiful this year. Peel the "bulb" and snack on it raw, lightly sprinkled with salt or dipped in your favorite dressing. The leaves may be cooked, chopped into salads etc. Use them like you would cabbage leaves.

Hakurei Turnips - best eaten raw, and the tops are great cooked or raw in salads

Swiss Chard - great on a sandwich, steamed, chopped and tossed with pasta, fabulous in a "green smoothie" boost your veggie intake.

This week Full shares will also receive....

Shallots - a.k.a. green onions - great fresh or added to your favorite cooked dish - stir the green part into some sour cream or cream cheese for a flavorful dip addition.

Spinach - this will be the last picking of this round of spinach while we wait for the next bed to size up and mature. Spinach lasagna anyone?

Have a great week!