MEADOWLARK FARM SUMMER CSA NEWS 6-25-10 Dear friends, All is growing and growing in the gardens and we continue with the emergence of summer vegetables for your box today. There aren't as many green foods and we hope that you are excited for the "newness" that you'll find within. We are swimming in broccoli right now and the first sugar snap peas are harvested. Your box today contains: fresh garlic bulb,a bag that contains dino kale, a baby carrot bunch and Italian parsley(wrapped with a twist tie), a bag of broccoli, sugar snap peas, 2 little cornichon pickling cucumbers that are great on salad or just munch as a snack, hakkurei white turnips without greens, a bag of purple pearl onions with greens on, salad mix and a little waxed bag of tarragon. Premiums receive beets, extras of peas and broccoli, zucchini and more. Fruit shares receive enough strawberries and rhubarb to make a winning combination dessert(crisp? pie? cobbler? Topping for vanilla ice cream? Check out Nancy's weekly farm blog at http://farmfoodleelanau.blogspot.com. We are excited to watch the garlic as it nears the completion of it's cycle, and feel confidant in calling the date of the ANNUAL MEADOWLARK GARLIC HARVEST WEDS. JULY 7TH! Garlic is one of our favorite crops to grow and the circle of it's life is like this; In October, we crack apart heads of garlic into cloves which are then individually planted by hand, covered and watered. Then we wait and watch and marvel that this plant is so strong and hardy that it actually grows roots into the winter. At the first break of snow we see the green spears emerging from the cold march soils and then the green plant phase of the garlic swings into full gear. We weed, water and snap the "scapes" or flowering stalks and of course, we can't resist harvesting some fresh green juicy garlic bulbs to send along to you in their soft and silky newness. Then in early july, we get ready to harvest this year's crop of garlic, all 20,000 heads! This is a really fun community event that welcomes all people into it's circle. We have work in the fields in the soil and work in the shade cutting stems and bunching garlic to hang in the barn. We work together until it's done and the feeling of connection, completion and community is one of the sweetest parts of our farm year. Kids and grandmothers work alongside each other and we all pull and clip and bunch and bundle until the garlic is all harvested. We will not harvest if it is raining, so keep posted on the website for details. The air will infuse your skin with the sweet and pungent smell of garlic and we'll send you home with a bundle of fresh garlic to thank you for your time and place in this annual event. We have been planting and harvesting this same variety of garlic for 16 years now and this year's crop is looking lovely. Mark the date on your calendar and come see the farm and the farm workers and the chickens and help pull garlic! Here's a recipe to try that features many of the ingredients in this week's box: TASTE OF EARLY SUMMER: YOUNG ROOT VEGETABLE BRAISE -4 slender pearl onions including greens -6 carrots -10 little turnips -1 bunch radish, kohlrabi or any other rootie -2 garlic cloves, chopped -sea salt and fresh pepper -1/2# sugar snap peas -2 TBL unsalted butter -2 TBL finely chopped parsley -1 TBL finely chopped tarragon -1 TBL fresh lemon juice Slice onion greens from bulb and cut bigger onions in half. Cut turnips in half or quarter and cut all but ˝" of carrot greens off. Halve radishes and soak in water and rinse. Bring 6 c. water to boil and add 1 ˝ tsp salt. Blanch roots for 7 minutes then scoop and set aside. Drop sugar snap peas in water for 1 minute until bright green, and scoop out saving cooking water. Melt half of the butter in 10" sauté pan. Add onions and greens plus garlic. Cook over medium high heat. Add ˝ c. vegetable cooking water, the blanched vegetables, half of the herbs and salt. Simmer until fully tender, 10-15 minutes, adding water in 1/3 c. increments so pan doesn't dry out. There should be a little sauce. Add sugar snaps, remaining butter and lemon juice. Raise heat and swirl pan back and forth until butter melts into sauciness. Remove from heat, add the rest of the herbs, season with pepper and serve. Great with rice or quinoa or dumplings. Enjoy and stay tuned for more details about garlic harvest. Love, the meadowlarks
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