Garden Update
Summer is finally on its way to the gardens! We've spotted a few baby cucumbers, lots of green tomatoes, and...
Zucchini season is coming! This is a baby Tondo Scuro zucchini (a small round squash similar to an 8-ball zucchini). We had just a few that were big enough to pick, so we'll distribute what we can in the shares - but know that there are many many more to come!
Veggies to Enjoy this Week
Lettuce
Varieties harvested: Dark Lollo Rossa, Rocky Top, Amish Deer Tongue, Little Gem
Salad Greens Mix with:
Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach, Arugula, and Rocket
Varieties harvested: Kuroda, Lunar White, Cosmic Purple
Turnips & Turnip Greens
Purple Top White Globe
Nasturtiums (edible flowers)
Mint
Herbs
Varieties harvested: Tarragon, Savory, Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, Oregano, Sage, Thyme
We're wrapping things up with the spring veggies, but we want to be sure to get everything we can out of the beds before we're done. We have just a few peas this week, so shareholders will get a choice of:
Peas
Laxton's Progress, Blue Podded
or
Beets & Beet Greens
Varieties harvested: Chioggia, Bull's Blood, Albino, Golden
(first-come, first-served on the choice)
Recipe Ideas
What to do with that weekly supply of herbs? Everything that comes in your bag - savory, tarragon, parsley,
oregano, sage, and thyme - can be used individually or together. Just strip the herbs off their main stems and chop for marinades, with chicken or fish, on potatoes, in pasta, stir fry, or on pizzas. You can saute the fresh herbs in olive oil or butter, strain, then refrigerate your flavored oil/butter for quick and easy use throughout the week.
One of my favorite ways to use the herbs is to make a vinaigrette. Just combine:
Oil (olive oil is best)
Vinegar (balsamic, rice, tarragon, sherry, etc)
a little water
Herbs
Salt
a little sugar
a little powdered cayenne
if you'd like, add just a dash of Bragg's or soy sauce to give depth to the flavor
And blend in a blender or food processor. The fun part is tasting as you go, and adjusting the ingredients until you get the dressing where you want it.
What are your favorite ways to use the fresh herbs? Send me your ideas/recipes, and I'll share them with the group!
Meet Your Farmers
"Meet Your Farmers" will be a weekly feature to introduce you to the people that grow your food!
Tom lives in east Lakewood, near Sloan's Lake. He works as a plant biologist and spends most of his day in a lab with a microscope, but he loves getting a chance to spend time outside
in the gardens. Tom loves growing peppers and herbs, and his favorite veggies to eat (much to the dismay of his girlfriend Alison) are onions and garlic. Tom recently completed the Fort Collins marathon, and he also enjoys homebrewing, indoor & outdoor gardening experiments, and visiting new restaurants and pubs.
Asking for Change at Denver's Farmers' Markets
Some of you may have already seen the Westword article about the local vs. non-local produce issue at Denver's markets, or read my blog posting on the subject. If you haven't, you might want to read this:
Next week I'll be initiating a friendly email campaign to request the labeling of all out-of-state produce at Denver's major Farmers' Markets. I'll be asking all of you for your help - stay tuned!
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