Our first potato harvest is happening this week! New red potatoes are going to be a great addition to the share – they are delicious in potato salad or just steamed with butter. They have a remarkably tender skin this early in the season so you likely don’t need to peel them. Sometimes the skin starts to come off as we wash them.

Most people know and love potato tubers, but many people have never seen a potato flower. They are beautiful! White flowers = white or yellow tubers, purple flowers = purple tubers and pink flowers = red tubers. You may recognize the shape of the potato flower as being similar to tomato, pepper, eggplant and other plants in the solanum family. They are all distant cousins, but have that pretty flower type in common.

You’ll find recipes for potatoes and the rest of the veggies in your share at Cook With What You Have. If you’re a CSA member, you will find your Access Key in the most recent farm email. Enjoy 24/7 access to recipe inspiration!

We still have a few spots available in the CSA so feel free to let your friends know they can still get in on the bounty with a pro-rated Summer CSA share share starting next week.

This week your share may include…

• Napa Cabbage: This makes delicious kimchi. I think it is tasty even at the green stage – before you add the spice mixture. Just ferment with salt overnight and give it a try.  Might be your gateway to fermented foods : ) Or use it in to add a new twist to your favorite cabbage salad recipe.
• Swiss Chard: I didn’t grow up eating very many greens out of our garden, but this was one that my mom & grandmother always grew. It is not edible raw due to a high level of oxalic acid in the mature leaves, but it is a fabulous creamy cooked green. Use it like cooked spinach – as a side dish, sautéed with onions, layered into lasagne or try my Grandmothers Chard Bisque.
• Lettuce Heads: Time for Caesar Salad with these tasty romaine lettuce heads
• Baby Fennel: These baby bulbs and beautiful greens have a lovely black licorice flavor. The greens can be used like an herb and added to salad or sprinkled on top of other dishes. At this stage, the bulbs are not as tender as they will be when larger. Chop and cook the bulbs – this will tenderize them and mellow out the flavor. This is Fennel & Onion Soffrito is one of my favorite recipes – especially if you’re new to fennel. And it would be especially tasty with the Sweet Onions in the share this week
• Onions: Big & beautiful sweet walla onions are good in almost anything and make great onion rings!
• Peas: Snow peas are tasty raw or sautéed.
• Potatoes: New red potatoes – yum!
• Summer Squash: These are coming on strong now! We’re harvesting a variety shapes & sizes so take your pick – tiny & tender for steaming or giant boats for stuffing : )

Coming soon… Fava beans!!