CSA Week 1, 2011

Hi CSA friends! It's here- CSA season, and for those of you who've been at market this spring, this comes as no surprise, but we are rich in greens! So as CSA members, you are, too. I am so honored to grow food for you all, and so grateful to be part of this super supportive community- thanks for joining the farm and/or shopping from BPF at market.

This week's share includes a bounty of fresh greens and alliums:
1. Mesclun/Baby Salad mix- mainly mixed baby lettuces with a smattering of mizuna and/or baby kale this week. Mesclun changes every week with the season- see how many baby greens you can identify in each week's mix.
2. Rhubarb- just in time for strawberry-rhubarb pie! We'll be taking orders next week for Ware Farm's organic strawberries, or you can buy them at market from Sandee and Bernie Ware themselves. Rhubarb is also excellent in Rhubarbade- put rhubarb through a juicer or blend and strain, add to sparkling water with or without sweetener. Enjoy.
3. Swiss Chard or Kale- we'll include kale or chard every week, at least until you cry Uncle on these greens. If you're new to kale (or chard) I recommend the Asparagus to Zucchini cookbook (available to CSA members for $14, to everyone else for $20). My favorite preparation is a quick saute with a few onions/garlic in olive oil, then douse with lemon juice or balsamic vinegar. Toasted walnuts, dried cherries, and crumbled goat cheese on top all optional. OR you can always juice or smoothie them!
4. Chives with edible flowers- chop the leaves into almost anything you're preparing, and sprinkle flowers on top!
5. Green garlic with scapes- this garlic is technically past "green garlic," as it has started to form individual cloves and is growing scapes, but the papery wrappers around the cloves are still soft, and you can still use the leaves, as well as the scapes- treat the entire thing as fresh garlic. No vampires allowed.
6. Lettuces- either bodacious red leaf or creamy red butterhead- these are the last of the spring hoophouse lettuces; the next planting will come from the field in a few weeks.
7. Spinach (Tues the 14th) or an equally awesome alternate surprise (Saturday shares)(and no I'm not just saying that- it's a pretty cool surprise; it's just not spinach).

Announcements:
1. Asparagus to Zucchini cookbooks are in! If you ordered one, please bring $14 if you're a CSA member; $20 if you're not. There are a few extras, so just ask if you need more.
2. The Hot Crop Planting Party was excellent- in addition to Jason, Julie, and myself, five CSA members, one neighbor, and three farm friends came out to plant over 400 eggplants, over 400 peppers, and 200 tomatoes- and we planted 300 more tomatoes after the party. So plan on some serious ratatouille this summer. Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who braved the dire weather predictions and pitched in.
3. The first film of our Films for Farms series is slated for Saturday June 25- all ages, everyone welcome. Bring your own lawn/camping chair and whatever you need to be comfortable on the floor of the barn. Sat. evening, potluck (7-ish?) followed by a film: TBA, all ages, and not necessarily farm-related, but it'll be good, I swear.

Check the farm web site (www.csafarms.org/birchpointfarm.asp) and facebook (Birch Point Farm) for some new farm photos soon!