Dear MembersWe hope you enjoyed your first full box of the spring season. We were trying out a system of writing the items on your label. This was slightly more efficient but next week we will be trying something new. I enlarged your names and put them in bold face for next weeks delivery. I realize that the previous labels are a bit hard to read. We are all figuring out the bugs together. I appreciate all of your feedback and suggestions.
Pictured above are snow peas, hakurei turnips, & black seeded simpson lettuce.
Peas
In general I feel that peas have had a bad rap and are taken for granted in our modern culture. But, ask any farmer and you will know that they are a true delicacy. Mostly, because they are extremely labor intensive to harvest. The pea harvest can be just as grueling as rewarding. Many hours spent in the intense sun picking will usually yield just a few pounds of peas. But I have always been blessed to have upbeat early season coworkers who sang songs from a few rows over. Invisible to the eye their voices carry their eagerness for the summer to begin.
There are several types of peas and each one means something very different. There are shelling peas, (which we do not grow), single round peas which are extracted from the shell. There are Sugar snap peas, these are my favorites but were an unfortunate crop failure for us this season. And lastly, we have the ever- popular Snow Pea. The later 2 peas are best eaten fresh and the entire fruit is consumed shell and all. They both must be picked often and are superb when eaten right from the vine. That said, peas are one of the many crops that I recommend you eat like candy. Try eating them plain. While they are great cooked there is nothing like a fresh raw pea.Hakurei Turnips
These turnips are almost unjustified as turnips. They lack all the bitterness and toughness of traditional turnips. A farmer I used to work for called turnips “War Food” referring to them as being the only thing to eat during WWII. Hakurei turnips are a Japanese salad turnip. They are crispy and tender, slightly sweet with a mellow bite.
I recommend eating these raw. You may cook them as you would any other turnip but eaten raw you truly enjoy their uniqueness. Anita, an employee at Hartz’s and a CSA member eats them raw with a bit of salt for a snack.
And don’t forget the greens. In spring when the greens are abundant eat them in salads or in stirfrys.*Another great suggestion from Anita is to use the beet greens in a morning smoothie. She simply blends bananas, orange juice and beet greens. A great way to get you ready on a hot day.
Enjoy,
Erica
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