Greetings from the farm! There’s a sense of urgency now that the temps have come up. The Sugar Snap peas are “up” in more ways than one—we suspend the trays above our greens in the greenhouses every Spring so that hungry critters don’t devour them before we do. And beyond the peas, there are all kinds of greens and beets and things that are going to want to be out of trays and into the soil before we know it. Since it was time to make a little more room in the field, Mark and Luis dug the remaining bed of Parsnips today, making way for an afternoon of plowing and forward momentum. Like us, our friends Amy and Agustin of Four Elements Farm were looking to move some of their overwintered baby Collards this week. Ours are looking pretty tasty as of this morning too, so with our powers combined, we’ll have some overwintered leafy greens on the table this week. I love quick sauteed Collard Greens—they’re like Cabbage’s robust cousin that can hold up to all kinds of flavors—pepper, vinegar, ginger and peanut. Yum! Meanwhile, Parsnips are one of our more covetous root vegetables this year. They look like creamy white carrots, but their flavor is sweeter and more intense than carrots. And like so many things that have overwintered, they taste extra yummy this time of year. My rule of thumb still holds true in late March—a little of frost and a bit of heat make hardy vegetables nice and sweet. So whether you turn them into oven fries, or grate them up into a breakfast hash over the weekend, I hope you’ll find them a delicious treat.

Best,
Katie

A farmer could get used to days like these, but there's no room for complacency in this line of work. Overnight lows and buckets of rain are still lurking out there for Spring.  We started things off with  frost on the ground Monday morning, but quickly found ourselves opening up greenhouse doors, uncovering seedlings in the greenhouse and getting to work outside for the day.  Kim has planted another round of Spring Green Garlic that we'll get to enjoy later on this season.  We're still waiting to see how the February snowstorms will ultimately impact some of our treasured overwintering crops, but we should have answers very soon.  The beginning weeks of our Spring Share are geared toward the enjoyment of things that have overwintered , not just as in “Winter, we’re sooooooo OVER it,” but more that we count on crops that we set in motion anywhere from 6 months to even a year ago to carry us through until we can really get into the field and get rolling.  Sunny spring days like these are so deceiving--it feels like Summer, but the plants just aren't there yet.  (But have I mentioned how delicious Grilled Leeks are?) So we gamble with overwintering crops to try and close the hunger gap of March.  I call it a gamble,  because honestly, we never know exactly what our Fall and Winter will do to something that we plant in Summer.  When we win, it feels like hitting the jackpot.  But, there are losses in the game.    The primary crop that springs to mind is the perennially fickle Purple Sprouting Broccoli, aka the Notorious PSB. 

Spring Share begins tomorrow at NOON. If you’re reading this and didn’t get around to signing up before the harvest deadline, don’t fret.  We would love to have you join us, and you may still sign up online to begin picking up next week.   Whether you’re joining the CSA for the first time this season, or are one of the seasoned veterans continuing on with us into Spring, welcome and thank you! This is a great week dig to in with some good comfort food. With Pi(e) Day on Thursday (3.14) to St. Patrick's Day this weekend--grab a rolling pin or a masher and make the most of some sweet apples, tasty tubers and perhaps the last round of our overwintered cabbage.  There are a few recipes below to get you started with some Irish style meals, and a growing archive on our website (that is fully searchable).