CSA Week 6: Summer crops make their debut

In their shares this week, members will receive the following: scallions, kohlrabi, cucumbers, cabbage (for some), parsley or sage, head lettuce, lettuce mix. Members will receive either snap peas or carrots. They will receive either green cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower.

This newsletter includes a roundup of news from the farm as well as information and recipes. Feel free to jump to the bottom of the newsletter to find the section titled, “This week’s veggies and recipes.”

Here is this week’s video check in:

News from the farm

We had many CSA members share their favorite kale recipes, and we were so excited to see the response to our first (but not last) Kale Week. As promised, we did a random drawing of all the CSA members who submitted recipe ideas with the winner receiving a Rising Phoenix T-shirt. The winner was Scott, a longtime CSA member and friend, shown here with his dog, Poppy. Perhaps it’s fitting that Scott won, since it was Scott and his wife, Jill, who introduced John and Heather-Marie to each other.

We just ended two weeks with our CSA members that we cheekily called “Kale Week” (it’s like #sharkweek but with kale).

We created a contest that if anyone submitted a recipe, they’d be entered into a drawing for a farm t-shirt and, yep, more kale!

Boy, did people step up. So much fun to see the recipes, some with photos, that used kale in everything from smoothies, frittatas, tacos, salads and pizza to one person who made a sandwich by putting kale between two slabs of uncooked cured bacon to make it healthy.

Ha!

We have two goals with our veggies: one, try it! Be creative. And two, it doesn’t have to be fancy. It can just be a sunbutter sandwich with kale and hot sauce.

Images from the week

We had about 25 people at our Movie Night in the Barn event this year. The weather was warm, but the bugs weren’t too bad. The movie, “Inside Out” was fantastic. A special shoutout to Nicole and Alesha, who made mojitos using a fresh farm herb called shiso and to CSA member Kathy, who made amazing rhubarb bars.
Heather-Marie’s flowers are now taking hold and starting to really produce. We’ll be selling bouquets at our farm stand, to CSA members and at popup flower stands at Duluth Cider.
We had our first Farm Stand of the year on Saturday. It was one of our five most successful stands ever, so thanks to everyone who came out.
A Minnesota sunset. We’ve gotten into a pretty good habit lately of finishing off the day of farming with a nice swim in one of our nearby lakes.

Recipes from the week

These recipes were compiled by Kristina, aka, the Farm Queen.

Quick Pickles

This recipe is a favorite of John’s daughter, Brenna. It is adapted from one by acclaimed chef and restaurateur David Chang. We added dill to the recipe because it’s currently in season. Garlic, red pepper and other spices and seasonings could also be added as desired.

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium pickling cucumbers or 1 or 2 slicing cucumbers (about 13 ounces)
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 to 2 sprigs of dill

Directions:

Slice cucumbers into ¼ inch medallions using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer. Combine with remaining ingredients and let refrigerate for at least one hour. Pickles will keep for up to a month.

Scallion Fried Eggs

Scallions, or green onions, are a small versatile onion that we use a lot in our cooking.  It has a slightly sweet flavor and can be used raw or cooked. Scallions are great in a huge variety of dishes. Here, they take your eggs to the next level.

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 medium scallions
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Prep Scallions: Trim and thinly slice 2 medium scallions, reserving 1 teaspoon of the dark green parts for garnish.

2. Cook Scallions: Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the remaining scallions and cook until tender and fragrant, about 2 minutes.

3. Cook Eggs: Crack 2 large eggs into the pan, season with 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, and cook undisturbed until the whites are set but the yolks are runny, about 3 minutes. Drizzle 1 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari around the egg whites about 1 minute before they are ready.

4. Assemble: Remove the pan from the heat. Place 1 cup hot cooked rice in a serving bowl, sprinkle with the reserved scallions, and slide the fried eggs onto the rice. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Serve & enjoy!

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

This flavorful, cold soba noodle salad with fresh cucumber and snap peas works great as a side or a light main dish when it’s hot outside. The ginger/scallion/cilantro sauce is super customizable to you and your family’s taste. This salad would also go great with some grilled fish, chicken, or tofu if you feel like firing up the barbecue.

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • 1-2 tbsp tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos (to taste)
  • 2-3 tbsp rice vinegar (to taste)
  • 1-2 tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 1 minced garlic clove
  • 3 scallions, thin oblique slices
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1-2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • crushed red pepper flakes to taste

Salad:

  •  8 oz package of soba noodles 
  • 1-2 cucumbers (julienned or made into ribbons)
  • 1 cup snap peas, thin oblique slices
  •  ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Make the Sauce:

   – In a small bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients and set aside.

2. Cook the Soba Noodles:

   – Prepare the soba noodles according to package directions (usually 6-8 minutes). Drain and rinse under cold water.

3. Prepare Cucumber Noodles:

   – Using a julienne tool or a peeler, create cucumber noodles or ribbons.

4. Assemble the Salad:

   – In a medium bowl, combine the soba noodles, cucumber noodles, and 3/4 of the sauce.

   – Add fresh cilantro and snap peas and gently mix to combine.

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