Thursday, June 20, 2013

Riverbend Farm CSA Week 1

A picture of my produce, plus Greg's newsletter to go along with it.


This week’s shares consists of:
Arugula
Rapini
Mizuna
Lettuce
Radishes
Rhubarb
An herb pot

If you have been a member before, you know how weak my recipe ideas can be. This year Mary Jane Miller is doing the recipe suggestions. You can find them at  http://www.maryjanemiller.com/ . I just glanced at them and they look really good. 

In general, all the greens need to be washed.  The best way to clean them is to fill a sink with tepid water and add the greens. The greens have to float in the water to give the sand a chance to sink to the bottom.  Turn the greens gently, several times.  Remove them from the water. Drain and clean the sink, and repeat the process until 1) the greens don’t taste gritty when you take a bite or 2) there is no trace of sand in the sink. Option #1 takes less time than #2. The greens should be dried and stored in a plastic bag in the fridge. 

The herb pot  can be used to season meals all summer. You can remove the plants from the pot and plant them in your yard, a window box, or a larger pot. Herbs do best when they are grown in relatively poor soil and have just enough water. They are kind of weedy, so they usually do fine anywhere.  In the pot there should be basil, marjoram, oregano, thyme, rosemary, lavender, parsley, and celery.  Celery and parsley would like a little better soil. If something looks like a weed, it probably is, but taste it before you pull it out.

One of our friends left all the plants in the original pot all summer. She kept it watered and in a place near the door that had some shade in the afternoon. When I saw it in September (October ?) it looked awful,  but she said that it worked great all summer.  Absolutely no fuss and usually just what she needed.

Last but not least, the herb pot makes a wonderful gift.

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