July 14th Whole Farm and Summer CSA

Full Share: Cucumber, Kohlrabi, Beets, Scapes, Broccoli, Lettuce Heads, Asian Greens, Dill, Peas

Half Share: Cucumber, Scapes, Broccoli, Lettuce Heads, Asian Greens, Peas

Bouquet: Lily, Feverfew, Snapdragons, Corncockle

Summer is in full swing and this week’s share is full of crisp, colorful vegetables. Broccoli has arrived, cucumbers are abundant, and peas are sweet as can be!

Lots of exciting blooms are opening up in the flower field, and we anticipate having our first you-pick flower day this Saturday! We have plenty of calendula, sweet peas, and snap dragons, with lots more to discover. You can pick your own bouquet for $25, or a full bucket for $40. While our strawberries and raspberries aren’t quite ready for you-pick as of yet, we will be sure to keep you updated on their progress and announce a start date in the next week or so.

Napa cabbage was bulk harvested this week, and garlic is being harvested today! We know that our garlic is ready to be harvested when 2/3 of the bottom leaves are brown, and we also watch the weather and make sure we get it out if there’s a lot of rain coming. Once the garlic is harvested, it’s brought over to the Rocky Creek side of the farm and dried for about a month in the greenhouse. Once the garlic is sufficiently dried, we will start trimming it and getting it ready for storage! Make sure to eat up those scapes, because you will be able to look forward to fresh garlic in your share within the next two weeks!

Take advantage of those beautiful Bibb lettuce leaves by creating lettuce wraps with your favorite fillings inside - here’s a recipe for Asian chicken lettuce wraps!

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound ground chicken

  • 2 Tablespoons peanut oil

  • ½ onion (finely diced)

  • ½ Tablespoon minced garlic (or scapes!)

  • 1 cup red or green pepper (finely diced)

  • 1 cup chopped broccoli

  • 8 ounces water chestnuts (drained & finely diced)

For the sauce

  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce

  • 3 Tablespoons hoisin sauce

  • 1 Tablespoon sesame oil

  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar

  • 1 Tablespoon peanut butter

  • 1 Tablespoon honey

  • 2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce

  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

  • ¼ teaspoon powdered ginger

To serve

  • ¼ cup peanuts (crushed)

  • ¼ cup sliced green onions

  • Lettuce or your favorite Asian greens

PREPARATION

  • Whisk together sauce ingredients until well combined. If you use a firmer peanut butter you may need to microwave the mixture for 30-60 seconds in order to melt it and ensure everything is well-mixed.

  • Heat 2 Tablespoons peanut oil in a frying pan. Once hot, add ground chicken, onion and minced garlic.

  • Cook until chicken browns and the onions are translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.

  • Add the peppers, broccoli, and water chestnuts and cook about 5 minutes or until peppers are slightly soft.

  • Add the sauce and simmer on low heat until the chicken and veggies are evenly coated and everything is heated through.

  • Serve in lettuce leaves, on top of your favorite Asian salad, or over noodles or rice!

Jacy Rothschiller