Flower Shares Begin!

CSA Pick-Up July 7-11

What a great growing week we had! Between the hot sunny days and cooling thunder storms in the late afternoons, we have four new seedbeds happily germinated, plus many more rejuvenated crops. That also means the weeds have shot up, but we have plans for them this week that involve hoes and, in some places where the weeds are large, hand pulling.

As always, there are more transplants to go in–some beautiful eggplants now grace the garden rows, and some late season peppers are soon to join them. Speaking of succession planting, in case you didn’t see the link on our Facebook page, Katie was interviewed by Margaret Roach of A Way to Garden. You can read the text or get the podcast of the interview from Margaret’s public radio show here: Fall Vegetable Gardening Planting

We also want to remind you that Thursday, July 17th is a CSA Member Picnic! All members are invited to visit the farm during the regular CSA hours of 4:30-6:00 pm. This is a great time to meet other members, and, for those who pick up in Montpelier, to see the farm and where your food comes from every week. We’ll provide farm-fresh snacks, and we hope you’ll stop by for a relaxing social hour(s).

This is our first week of Flower Shares! For those signed up, you will receive your first bouquet along with your veggies. We’ll also have small bouquets for sale at the pick-up for anyone to buy.

This week on the menu: Snap peas, choice of herbs, lettuce, chard, bunching onions, kohlrabi, garlic scapes (this will be the last week of scapes!)

Garlic Scape Pesto

We freeze a lot of garlic scape pesto to use in the winter as a soup starter, or in place of garlic when late winter/early spring rolls around and our garlic bulbs aren’t holding up in storage anymore. It’s simple and fast. Here’s a recipe from seriouseats.com:

1/4 cup pine nuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes*
Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
A few generous grinds of black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
*Or use half scapes and half herbs

1. In a small, dry pan set over very low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring or tossing occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

2. Combine the scapes, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you’ve defrosted it.

For more ideas on what to do with Garlic Scapes, visit The Crisper Whisperer: 7 Things to do with Garlic Scapes