CSA Shares 01/12- 01/14

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This week’s produce: Green or red cabbage, sweet potato, butternut, acorn squash, parsnip, rainbow carrots, turnips, Fuji apples, Asian pears, kale, collards, lettuce, sprouts. South Carolina products are organic certified. Green Pasture Farm lettuce is hydroponically grown right here in Chuckey, TN.

Bakery share: sweet semolina loaf, pretzels, rice pudding, granola bars. Pizza kit with 2 dough balls, mozzarella & pizza sauce, 4-6 servings creste rigate pasta.

Egg shares are coming from 2 Hens and a Rooster of Jonesborough.

We’ve lost a mustard green crop in our high tunnel to the severe cold snap, but our kale and collards are bouncing back. The heartiest baby Nero Tondo black radishes will be up in the next week or two. We’re spending our days cleaning up the fall crop and landscape fabric and irrigation lines, prepping the high tunnel for late winter greens, and setting germination trials to utilize old seed. Seedling starts are underway under grow lights indoors, bound for the high tunnel in the upcoming weeks.

CSA Shares June 30-July 2

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Lettuce

Spring onion

Tomato

Peaches

Zucchini

Sweet corn

Blueberries

Malabar spinach

Arugula

Bulb fennel

Basil

Snap peas

Malabar Spinach isn't a true spinach, but a rather versatile vining, heat-tolerant green native to tropical regions of Asia. The leaves and stem tips are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and various B vitamins. It's also mineral rich - containing significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, manganese, and also iron.

When eaten raw in salads the greens resemble a succulent texture, and take on a more slippery texture similar to okra when cooked. Malabar leaves and vines can be boiled, steamed, or stir-fried. They make a great addition to curry dishes, soups, stews, omelets, and quiches.

Fennel has an impressive nutritional profile. It's brimming with phytonutrients that have demonstrated anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. It's an excellent source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, and potassium as well as some B vitamins.

The entire fennel plant is edible - from the crisp white bulb, all the way up to the green feathery leaves that eventually produce flowers and seeds.

Fennel is commonly found in many European cuisines, particularly those in France and Italy. It belongs to the same family as parsley, dill, carrots, and coriander. It's taste is similar to that of licorice and anise.

Fennel can be sliced and sautéed, or served fresh in salads or as a sandwich topping. It pairs well with dishes containing onions, salmon, scallops, avocados, oranges, and mint.