June - CSA Box #1

After months of planning and executing tasks on a never-ending list, Box #1 of our 2023 CSA is here! We were so worried about having enough stuff to surprise and delight that we wound up with more than expected of certain items and a nice array to choose from. Included in this box was an amalgamation of the below items depending on the pickup/delivery window.

• Green Garlic

  • This is fresh from the fields and was planted in October. You’ll be receiving loads of this dried and cured (like you are used to) starting in late July but the early version is spicy, juicy, and honestly just cool to see and experiment with. Let us know how you end up using it since this is a seasonal treat!

• Kale (Lacinato “Dino” Kale & Russian Red)

  • These are fantastic and will last a while in the fridge when freshly harvested like this. We had an overabundance of kale and cherry-picked all the best leaves for ya’ll. Rinse, chop, and massage with olive oil and salt to make the leaves more tender when using in salads or toss it in your smoothies to get a full serving of fruit and veggies in the morning.

    • Lemony Kale Pasta with Toasted Walnuts

    • Kale Pesto Pasta

    • Kale Caesar

• Gourmet Lettuce Blend

  • We are super pleased with how tasty this leaf lettuce turned out. It is not bitter at all and delicious all on its own. Consider making a dressing using the strawberry rhubarb jam by adding a little olive oil and vinegar of your choosing (we recommend white balsamic or champagne vinegar). We intend on growing more of this throughout the year.

• Spinach

  • All of our spinach grew much faster than expected this year. We ended up with a large harvest a few weeks before the first box. If you signed up early you likely received a big bag or two because we were swimming in it! By the time the second harvest rolled around, some of it started to bolt and turn bitter because of the hot weather. That being said, use the spinach up as soon as possible. We love using it to make smoothies, quiches or frittatas, and saag paneer. If you are interested in receiving large packs of frozen spinach, our chest freezer is stocked.

    • Saag Paneer

    • Spanakopita

• Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

  • This one has a story. Our apologies, it’s runnier than we would have liked. We went a little overboard with the size of this batch (10lb of rhubarb and strawberries EACH went into this!) and ran out of time while reducing it to the proper consistency. Working in smaller batches moving forward but it’s still great on toast, as a sauce for crepes, as the sweetener in salad dressing, or as an accompaniment to brie or camembert. If you would like more, let us know! We have plenty of jars.

• Native Prairie Mint

  • This is a rare find. You won’t see this in a grocery store. Originally sourced and propagated from plants found in our prairie, it has a strong peppermint flavor and has a smaller, less fuzzy leaf than the common mint. Best used as a tea to soothe an upset stomach. We are hoping to see mixologists of the Midwest using this in artisanal cocktails in the future.

• Common Mint

  • This herb has a subtle spearmint flavor best in lemonade, tea, or cocktails like mint julep or mojitos. It also makes a great cilantro mint chutney!

    • Classic Mojito

    • Mint Julep

    • Watermelon, Mint, Feta Salad

• Young Shallot

  • We originally intended to have green onions in this box but they weren’t quite ready in time. (Some of you may see them in box 2 but the supply may be limited) Luckily, we had overwintered shallots that sprouted early and they looked phenomenal. Use them just as you would green onions. Let us know what you think! It’s our first time experimenting with over-wintering these and substituting them for scallions.

• Garlic Scapes

  • This is the part of the garlic that would produce seeds if left to mature on the plant. It makes a great pesto that is delicious on just about anything. We saw a recipe where they were tempura battered and deep-fried like onion rings!

    • Garlic Scape Pesto

    • Scape and Potato Soup

    • Tempura Garlic Scapes

• Cherry Belle Radish

  • Very pleased with how these turned out. They are incredibly dense, juicy, and crisp (not offensively spicy). Best used in salads, braised in stock, chopped in slaws, or glazed in butter and sugar. Some like them raw. Find what works best for you.

    • Miso-Roasted Radishes

    • Braised Radishes

    • Glazed Radishes

    • Slaw with Miso Dressing

• Pac Choi

  • This is a leafy green vegetable that is one of the most common Asian greens found in supermarkets. It has a few different spellings and variations but they are fairly similar. It is a juicy green with a peppery flavor that is related to cababge and mustard. Best in stir-fries, or paired with braised beef.

    • Braised Beef with Pak Choy

    • Stir-Fried Bok Choy

• Strawberry

  • Eat these babies as soon as possible! They don’t last long but they are far tastier than any store-bought variety and there’s something beautiful in the ephemeral. In the future, we may have frozen bags to share but keep in mind we are fighting off ground squirrels on the daily for these delights (and eating about as many as we pick)! We are also experimenting with dehydrating some for a sweet snack.

• Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley

  • Lush, dark green leaves are a dead giveaway this is nutrient-dense produce and why you should support gardeners instead of picking up a wilted, yellowing bundle in the supermarket. This first round wasn’t as large of a bed but we seeded a thick patch that should be coming up later this summer. Consider blending it up with a couple cloves of garlic, cilantro, olive oil, and a splash of red wine vinegar to make a delicious chimichurri.

    • Grilled Tofu with Chimichurri

• Cilantro

  • This one is straightforward, so you know what to do. You either love it, or you think it tastes like soap. We grow it from seed we save year after year. This batch was from seed planted last fall that came up this spring.

Enjoy!