June twenty sixth, 2023 | Monroe Natural Farms

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Expensive Farm Mates,

    Welcome to the third week of CSA!  This week, you may be receiving sugar snap peas, rainbow chard, garlic, garlic scapes, summer time squash, pickling cucumbers, Hakurei turnips, and fennel.  You possibly can eat each the bulb and the fronds or greens of fennel.  The fronds can be utilized in salads resembling coleslaw or potato salad to present it a kick.  It’s also possible to dry them and use them as a pot herb. Remember, if we provide the greens to any plant, they are going to be edible and can be utilized as an herb or cooked as a inexperienced.  Fennel may be very sort on the stomach.   

July 4^th is a Tuesday this yr.  Not this week, however subsequent week we’ll transfer all Tuesday distribution to Monday, July 3^rd.  Join together with your distribution facilities in case you have questions on this. 

Funds due July 1^st for these of you who’ve solely paid your down fee.  When you’ve got a singular fee plan that we’ve agreed on, proceed with that!  For everybody else, the rest of your whole is due both in full on July 1^st or in two funds on July 1^st and September 1^st.  Thanks for being well timed together with your funds. 

A observe on beginnings: We all know it might appear odd after we provide you with one or a pair small pickling cucumbers.  Consider them as a chunk of what’s to return after we can actually load you up.  We really feel that it’s higher than no cucumbers in any respect.  Keep in mind, we frequently discover ourselves in a pickle (haha) when now we have a small quantity of produce to unfold out over a whole bunch of CSA shares.  It’s not a easy activity.  We do an immense quantity of planning to verify we get you all the things we’re producing and that you’re our precedence.  So, whereas one pickle could seem ridiculous to you, to us that one measly pickle is a literal extension of our hearts and farm to you.  Our crops are simply beginning to produce proper now.  You could not have observed, however most different farms are usually not but producing summer time squash not to mention cucumbers out within the discipline.  To be producing these crops with the spring we had has amazed us.  We’re so grateful that we will distribute these things to you and that now we have not been destroyed by the climate.   

Enjoyable Reality:  Chard is principally the identical plant as a beet besides bred for his or her above floor elements whereas beets are bred for his or her underground elements!  A number of crops can come from one seed.  For all the man plant nerds on the market, the seeds of chard (and beets) are referred to as polyembryonic.

Primary Canning Directions:  Since we’re getting nearer to full on pickle season, and we’re certain we’ll get sufficient fruit to can sooner or later within the season, we thought we’d share these tried-and-true household ideas with you. 

Listed below are a few of our primary canning steps for the Entrance Vary:

1.  Sterilize jars and lids.  Maintain scorching whereas filling different jars (the dishwasher is superior for this).
2. Pack produce tightly whereas jars are scorching.
3. Add scorching brine/syrup & cowl to half inch from prime of jar.
4. Add lid and rim, tighten and set into canner.
5. Sizzling water bathtub for 15 min. plus 5 min. for each 5000 ft above sea stage.  We sit at simply over 4800 ft, in order that makes our canning timer set at 20 minutes.

These steps have served us effectively for a few years.  Jacquie’s mom and grandmother used the identical guidelines, and we by no means had an issue with any of our canned items!  Canning may be very therapeutic if you may get used to the warmth.  You realize the saying, “In case you can’t stand the warmth, get out of the kitchen!”  Good luck!

SHAVED FENNEL, MUSHROOM AND PARMESAN SALAD

Servings: 4                                                                                                                    Writer: Alice Waters

Substances:

• 2 small /1 medium or giant, fennel bulb
• 3 giant, white mushrooms
• 1/2 contemporary lemon
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (sub vegan cheese)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• Instructions:

Wash and trim fennel bulbs – reduce away feathery tops and root finish. In case you can solely discover giant bulbs, take away the robust internal core on the basis finish. Save the fronds for adornment.  Utilizing a vegetable slicer or mandolin slicer, slice the fennel as thinly as attainable and scatter over a plate or platter.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Shave mushrooms into paper skinny slices and scatter over fennel.  Season with extra salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and the remaining olive oil.  With a cheese slicer or vegetable peeler, shave about 30 skinny slivers of Parmesan on prime of the fennel and mushrooms. Don’t toss!  Utilizing scissors, embellish with chopped fennel fronds.  Serve instantly.

Simplicity (How blissful is the little Stone)

Emily Dickinson

How blissful is the little Stone

That rambles within the Highway alone,

And doesn’t care about Careers

And Exigencies by no means fears

Whose Coat of elemental Brown

A passing Universe placed on,

And unbiased because the Solar

Associates or glows alone,

Fulfilling absolute Decree

In informal simplicity

With gratitude,

Kyle, Sam, Jacquie, Jerry, Linda & The Crew