We Greens love eating and growing Greens of all kinds, and at this point in the Summer, amid the cool “June Gloom,” right before the fruiting crops really take hold, leafy greens are having a moment. And I know that it can feel a bit overwhelming, if not intimidating, when fresh greens start to take over your fridge and table. Those GIANT heads of lettuce from last week were bonkers. The biggest one I snagged weighed three pounds, so in solidarity, I made great big main course Caesar Salad on Wednesday and used our second head for Thai Larb Salads on Thursday. We’re onto a new rotation of lettuces that are standard size this week, and we’re dipping into our big beds of assorted bunching greens. We grow several delicious options for eaters to choose from, so to help you decipher and make the most of them in the coming weeks, I’m offering up a little “Field Guide” of sorts to introduce you to our lineup, with a whole lot of helpful links scattered throughout.

Weeding, watering, trellising, planting, picking and mowing—we’re doing all of that and then some this week. There’s a great deal of energy pouring into the care and fruition of Summer crops, but already, the crew is tending to next year’s parsnips, seeding winter brassicas, and in Mark’s case, working in cover crop and getting things so that beds are ready for everything…everywhere all at once. He’s clocking long hours on the tractors to stay ahead on these loooongest days of Summer, but he’s always been the type to pack plenty of life into a day. We’ve got a fun list of fresh harvestables to work with heading into the week. Sunshine and Salad Mix are plentiful, and in addition to a second round of Sugar Snap Peas, we’ll have bunches one of my other favorite snacking vegetables—Kohlrabi. A literal cross between a cabbage and turnip, kohlrabi tastes like a sweet broccoli stem. The summertime varieties of this vegetable are smaller than the winter storage counterparts. Their skins are tender, and they’ve still got their tasty top leaves. There are plenty of ways to actually prepare and cook Kohlrabi, but more often than not, I slice it into half moons, about 1/4 inch thick, and dip it into hummus. It makes a unique and yummy addition to a vegetable tray (or lunchbox!).

First of all, I want to extend a huge thanks to all of you for the patience, warmth and excitement that you brought to the farm during our first week of Summer share.  Seasonal transitions are complex, and somehow life feels extra full in June in particular—so many long days filled with celebrations, and if you’re lucky, vacations right?!  All the while, Summer at the farm is a solid reminder of how great it is when good folks make good food happen, both in our fields and in our homes.

And this CREW!  They’re doing BEAUTIFUL work, and we’ve now hit the point in the growing year when our newest crew members are harvesting the fruits of their earliest labors—a worthy source of pride.  Some of the first seeds that they’ve sown and transplanted are now ready for harvest, and this week, they will have cleared the very last of this year’s Green Garlic.  It feels like we’re saying “Hello” and “Goodbye” very quickly this year, but this week’s harvest list is shaping up to provide several good ways of enjoying our last hurrah with our Green Garlic.  

How about a Caesar Salad?  With Kale or Lettuce, or my personal favorite, a mix of both?  We’ll have an array of lettuce heads on the harvest docket for the cool morning hours–Butterheads, Red Leaf, more Green Oak and maybe a bit of Romaine–and a bit more of the Red Russian Kale too.  As far as Kale goes, Red Russian is one of the most tender, which makes it a perfect candidate for salads.  I’m sharing links to traditional and plant based versions below, so scroll down and give the recipes a look.