Now that we’re a few days beyond the solstice, the first signs of our fruiting season are visible in the field (as are the weeds:). Pale little Blueberries are putting on color slowly but surely, and the Sugar Snap harvest is winding to a close (be sure to snag your last few little pods at the farm stand this week). And perhaps the most palpable sign of Summer— Zucchini and Summer Squash have come on just in time for holiday grilling, and so have the Fava Beans! I love growing and eating fresh Fava Beans, and it seems like they only get more and more popular among our customer base with every year. Fresh beans are such a fleeting treat, and if you're new to the world of Fava Beans, be sure to check out the tips in the recipe section below for some ideas for putting yours to use. And if you're looking for a way to enjoy them without the fuss (or the stove), and impress your family grill-side this week, you can grill the pods whole, let them cool a bit, and then pop them out casually to enjoy them as a savory snack. Favas also make a great pairing with Escarole, and there were a few more heads out there for this week. For as many years as our kiddo can remember, we've clocked some serious time on the porch pulling big broad beans out of their pods and skins, snacking on a few raw ones before cooking them up for dinner. It takes a bit of extra work, but an opportunity to slow down and pass the time together is something I relish, even if she’s in charge of the playlist these days.

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!).