This is the last week of our Spring Season at Wild Hare, and I want to thank you all—our CSA members, customers, and crew for setting the farm up for a successful harvest season by supporting us during the “off” season.  Investing in our CSA, shopping at our little farm stand and sharing what we’re up to with friends and neighbors is what keeps us growing.  It sounds trite, but it is absolutely true.  We’ve all weathered so much over the past several years, and taking a lap around the field, I am overcome by the sheer gratitude that we’re still here and have a chance to learn and grow with every season and year.  Those strips of color that you see when you drive along River Road are quite literally a taste of things to come, but they also represent a great deal of commitment, diligence and more blessings and educated guesses than I could ever count.  Thank you so much for being willing to eat your vegetables—your favorites and those that you haven’t discovered yet—but mostly, thank you for caring so much about this farm. 

Due to the onset of some hot hot HOT May weather, this is going to be a very green week for the CSA–the kind we dream of in January and February.  It is, as Mark Bittman called it recently, a good greens problem.  Bok Choy, Tokyo Bekana and mixed Mustard Greens would have been toast in the greenhouses this week, so we harvested earlier (and more thoroughly) than we might have otherwise done according to the spreadsheets.  On the plus side, this heavy harvest of greens allowed us to fully flip the greenhouse several days ahead of schedule, and now over 1400 tomato plants are mulched, planted, irrigated and ready to trellis up between the high tunnel and beds out in the field.  It will also allow you to enjoy raw, grilled, or lightly stir fried vegetables as the hot days roll on.  Asparagus, Bok Choy and Pencil Leeks are all great options for the grill.  In fact, little grilled Leeks will always remind me of the day Mark and I became engaged–we had them for the first time at a Slow Food dinner out on Shelter Island that night, grilled, then served cold over a big fat slice of tomato and greens.  I don’t remember any of the other courses that night, but there were many, each with wine.  And while the tomatoes aren’t ready yet, and we won’t be getting dressed up for a multi-course dinner anytime soon, I am looking forward to grilling a few, side by side, with some tasty spears of Asparagus this week, reminiscing, rehydrating and probably stir-frying.

Mark called this the brightest corner of the year this morning, as he poured his first of many cups of coffee for the day.  His brand of optimism isn’t easy to come by, but I’m sure thankful for it.  And, I take it as a good sign that he can stare down a series of long days like these and see the promise in them.  It gets the job done. Coffee helps, no doubt.  It is still early enough in the season that we’re genuinely pumped for the week ahead–even if they’re calling for 80+ degree weather by the week’s end.  If it is that hot outside it means that our greenhouses will be much hotter, and fortunately, sweet little Hakurei (aka Tokyo) Turnips are ready pull as are bunches of Tokyo Bekana, a looseleaf and almost lettuce-like variety of cabbage that is great for stir fries and salads.