Hello from the fertile fields!

As the calendar turns a page, we are turning to some new crops, and are excited to be harvesting garlic, (wow, does it ever smell good upstairs), beets, and regular cabbages. Tomatoes are about walnut-sized right now, and peppers and eggplants are also just a few weeks away. Most crops are early this year thanks to the abundant sunshine and warm that we've been enjoying.

Garlic Party: Next Wednesday (7/7) 9am-12 noon
Want to experience the garlic harvest and learn about garlic growing and curing? There is something earthy and satisfying about sinking a shovel into the ground, loosening the soil and pulling up a giant bulb of garlic from the earth. Come and bring comfortable shoes and clothing, and a garden shovel if you have one. If you are planning to attend, please email to let us know--anytime Wednesday morning is fine--even if for a short while.

Serving Suggestions for the Harvest:

• Cabbage: the simplest ways to use this are cut into wedges and serve with a bit of salt, or shred and add to salad.
• Beets: grate and add to salad, roast, pickle, or see recipe below
• Summer Squash: add raw to salads, steam lightly, or stir-fry. Don't overcook.
• Cucumbers: add to your lettuce and greens for salad. Dice and add to yogurt with onions and garlic scapes. See additional writeup below.
• Napa Cabbage: use in salad or stir fries. Mild and crisp.
• Chard or Swiss Chard: sautee, oil, garlic, parmesan etc.
• Kale: this nutritional powerhouse is great stir-fried with olive oil and garlic (scapes)
• Garlic Scapes: the soft neck of the garlic--wonderful garlic flavor, cooked or raw. Discard any firm portion unless you enjoy the crunchiness.
• Collards: similar to kale--highly nutritious--butter or bacon fat flavor greens superbly
• Scallions: mild green onion, use fresh or cooked
• Bok Choi: this Asian cabbage is excellent stir-fried, w/peanut butter, peanut sauce, soy sauce, garlic onion, etc...Otherwise use as a substitute for regular cabbage in cooking.

Fried Beets:

"I was helping make supper at my sisters and I was in charge of cooking the beets. Years ago I had tried every way to cook beet so I'd like them, didn't work. I wasn't really concerned if the beets turned out OK, because I wasn't going to eat them, so I went for simple. Well when I was stirring them one escaped the pan, picked it up no place to put it, popped it in my mouth. DEEEEE LISH US."

SERVES 4 , 2 1/2 cups (change servings and units)

Ingredients
2 cups cooked sliced young beets
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
salt
pepper

Directions

1. Melt butter in non-stick frying pan.
2. Add butter, onions, salt and pepper.
3. Fry on med-low heat until onions are translucent because beets are already cooked.
4. NOTE: To cook beets, trim them leaving approximately 1 1/2 inch stem. Place in large pot with enough cold water to cover, add 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until tender. Cooking time depends on how large the beets are. Drain, wearing rubber kitchen gloves, remove skin. Cool. Slice for above recipe.

from http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/Fried-Beets-319068

Chill out with cukes!
Cucumbers are pretty run of the mill right? Well, eat a few from the farm and you may behold them with new regard! Sweet, mild, crisp and tasty, not to mention refreshing.

We've spent a lot of time thinking about cucumbers this week, harvesting over 1,200 of them! The ergonomic cart funded by a gift from Case New Holland, has been a boon to harvesting the bumper crop. It aids both the person harvesting, keeping them from kneeling, squatting, and lifting repeatedly, while protecting the tender cucumber vines from our trampling feet. A big thank you to shareholder Morgan Forney for helping to bring this to fruition!

Cucumbers are nature's way of keeping us cool when things heat up. They cool the body, restore body fluids,quench our thirst, provide vitamin C, Folate, dietary fiber and potassium.

Looking for ideas of what to do with all these cucumbers?

Blend up some cucumber gazpacho; add cucumber slices to you water pitcher for refreshing cucumber water…serve with a sprig of mint; make spring rolls with cucumber, fresh basil and mango; make tangy tabouleh; relax with cucumber slices over your eyes and soak in the goodness (they really are good for your skin); sip cucumber martinis; make pickles; serve tea sandwiches with cucumber and a soft cheese; juice up a cucumber along with cilantro or dill and season with salt to taste; make cooling cucumber raita with yogurt; eat them on the go and think of it as nature's own water bottle; make cucumber salad, of course; cucumber boats--hollow out the seeds and fill with herbed cream cheese or your favorite dip; have a sushi party and make cucumber nori rolls.

Food to Share?

If you are making, or have made a dish with veggies from the farm and would like to share your success and recipe with other shareholders, please feel free to bring in some samples and a recipe to display with it here at the distribution table.

Enjoy! Scott