P i c k l i s t
GARLIC SCAPES - STRAWBERRIES - LETTUCE - BOK CHOY -
SPINACH - RHUBARB - ENGLISH CUKES - VEG PLANTS
EDGEWATER UPDATE:
To be perfectly honest with you, I am STUNNED that we are here today. Up until Saturday I was convinced we would be pushing the harvest and CSA pick-up date to next week. The constant Spring rain has put an extraordinary dent in our growing season and the production therein. Seeds and plants are in the ground, but they just wont grow without something to reach for.
On the plus side, with nearly daily rain fall, everyday is perfect planting weather day (unless the field is too muddy and wet for tractor work). So the field crew has been putting in their time putting plants in the ground and letting the sky water them in. Finally on Sunday and Monday we were graced with real sunshine, and I am convinced that small amount of heat and light really perked things up in the fields. On Monday of this week we jumped right into our long awaited strawberry season with 5am rise and shines and 6am field picks. From now til crops end, that is where you will find Ray, Tim, Strong, Jasper, Georgie, Roy, Gabrielle, Jalina, and Cardi. Out there picking berries daily from sunrise to mid morning. Picking quart after quart dreaming up shortcake lunches and maybe something salty to counteract the sweet strawberry snack breaks.
As far as the rest of the team goes, Sarah and the greenhouse crew have been busting ass moving plants from our lower greenhouses to the plant barn (where you picked up your CSA and this newsletter). Still so many gems to fill in your gardens and make your friends and neighbors say oooh la la. Bonus tip, there appears to be rain in the forecast so NOW is a great time to plant. Allie Boeri, our previous farmstand manager of the past 10,000 years has been busy getting our new farmstand manager, Allie Schubert up to speed. Allie Shubs has taken on quite the load navigating 51 years of Edgewater Farmers. We even pep-talked about all the emotions- from joy to pain- that one experiences over strawberry season… She is a great fit to lead the farmstand and we are so pumped to have her on board.
The kitchen is also welcoming a new lead. Enter Alex Mentus, a culinary super hero working her own side hustle as the Rooted Anchor catering/personal chef biz. She works so thoughtfully with the seasonality of our region and our road and I am so excited to bop into the farmstand and open the grab-and-go cooler and see what she and our kitchen crew craft with all these just picked crops.
I think we can all agree here that Summer offers the very best food, that's what we are here for anyway, so without any further ado let’s get into what to do with this week's picklist!!
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS:
Great news, Mitchell Davis, friend/neighbor/chef has offered another season of matching the CSA picklist with easy-ish recipes
He is the best- his meals are primo, and to catch up more with him, check out his substack: https://kitchensense.substack.com/
Mitchell’s Soup of Spring Greens
Somehow, even though it’s June, it’s still soup weather out there. So why not take those spring alliums, leafy greens, and other vegetables and make a comforting spring soup to defy the season. (PREACH)
Makes 6 servings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
Salt
1 small carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 or 5 garlic scapes, chopped
Additional spring alliums, such as green onions or green garlic, as you find them (optional)
7 to 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock, or water
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons uncooked white rice or 1 small potato, peeled and diced
1 large bunch spinach, cleaned well and chopped (stems included)
Handful of other greens, such as kale, beet, or turnip, stems removed, or additional spinach
Handful of chopped fresh dill (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Plain Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, for garnish (optional)
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, 4 or 5 minutes. Add the chopped carrot, celery, garlic scapes, and other alliums, if using, along with a little more salt, and continue sautéing until soft. They shouldn’t brown. Add the stock or water, bay leaf, and white rice or potato, and bring to a boil. Add the spinach and other greens. Bring back up to a simmer, cover loosely, and let cook about 25 minutes or so until the rice or potatoes are soft. Remove the bay leaf. Add the dill, if using, and a decent amount of black pepper. Using an immersion or stand blender, purée the soup until smooth. Depending on how fibrous it is and how smooth you like your soup, you can strain it through a mesh sieve to remove the pulp. (I like to keep it thick.) Adjust the texture by adding more stock or water and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Bring back to a simmer before serving. Garnish with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or crème fraîche, if desired.
Mitchell’s Rhubarb, Strawberry, Orange, and Burnt-Sugar Compote
I use the same burnt-sugar caramel technique for all my fruit compotes and sauces.
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 or 3 stalks rhubarb, thinly sliced
Zest and juice of 1 large orange
1 heaping cup sliced strawberries (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
Pinch salt
Begin by making a caramel. In a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan, combine the sugar and water. Set over high heat. Once the mixture begins to boil, swirl the pan to dissolve and then melt the sugar evenly. Keep an eye on it. When the sugar begins to brown, usually in a patch or two and around the edges first, swirl the pan to even out the coloration. You want the sugar to become quite dark. It will smoke and smell slightly burnt, but it shouldn’t be black. Watch closely because it changes quickly. Keep swirling. When it is a dark caramel brown, add all of the rhubarb at once. Lower the heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir the rhubarb in the pan. The sugar will stick to the spoon and the rhubarb will clump until it begins to break down and release its liquid. When it does, the mixture will begin to look like a lumpy jam. Add the orange zest and juice, which will help the caramel dissolve. Continue stirring until the rhubarb has mostly broken down, about 4 minutes. Stir in the strawberries and cook another minute or two until softened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Serve warm or cold in yogurt, on ice cream, alongside pancakes or French toast, or on buttered toast with fresh ricotta. The compote will keep in the fridge for 2 or 3 weeks.
Garlic scapes:
I plan on grilling mine, and you should do the same :)
VEG PLANTS!
All you need is soil/compost/water and SSSSUUUUNNNNNN… also space… plant everything atleast 18 inches apart. Also if you are tight on space, you can grow just about anything in a 3-5 gallon pot.
FOR MORE PLANTING TIPS, EMAIL ME!! jenny@edgewaterfarm.com