May 8, 2011

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to everyone who has joined our CSA for 2011. We're are looking forward to another great year!

Despite the dire reports of shortages of food due to flooding, droughts, rising cost of petroleum, dare I say climate change? we still have been able to get a lot planted -- onions, leeks, potatoes, cabbage, broccoli (lots of it because it was requested), kale (the King of vegetables, at least in terms of nutrition), radishes (because they grow so well in the black dirt...the farm I volunteered on had an entire building that is still called to this day "The Radish House"), collard greens, Brussels sprouts (always a Capital vegetable), cilantro (my very favorite herb and not just because it detoxifies mercury (I used to play with mercury as a child, and no I'm not kidding (long story) and bok choy, carrots and sugar snap peas. And the overwintered vegetables are coming up...spinach, rhubarb, sorrel (sour grass), dandelion greens, scallions, lovage (oh? you don't know lovage? Lovage is an erect herbaceous perennial plant. (Thank you wikipedia). There's more...

"The leaves can be used in salads, or to make soup, and the roots can be eaten as a vegetable or grated for use in salads. Lovage tea can be applied to wounds as an antiseptic, or drunk to stimulate digestion. The seeds can be used as a spice, similar to fennel seeds.[4] In the UK, lovage cordial was traditionally mixed with brandy in the ratio of 2:1 as a winter drink. Lovage is second only to capers in its quercetin content."

Hey, what's not to love about lovage?

But all kidding aside, there is something to eating seasonally. There is a reason that the spring greens are so green and tonic. And there is something about looking forward to horseradish. This is the first year that they have taken "root" in my garden. And I have fallen in love. With horseradish!

This is also the first season that I have been affected by pollen -- and allergies...and horseradish is just the tonic. After digging it up in my garden and looking at a few youtube videos (ain't technology wonderful?) I washed it, peeled it, grated it, and cried and cried. (And this from someone who chopping onions never bothers me). But it did clean out my sinuses. And I made a wonderful creamy horseradish dip with sour cream (what's not to love about that?) and horseradish. It is divine! Just one spoonful is a rush.

And maybe that's enough. Just a few spoonfuls. So I now think of eating vegetables not servings per day but servings per season. How many servings of dandelion do you need a year? Well, just look out your window and see when they sprout. That's the time. For if you miss it, you'll have to wait an entire year to seize the day. And that's just too long.

So, we thank you for joining our CSA for this season. This season we will bring you whatever this season will bring. We will try to tame the wild weeds in whatever way we can to bring you the broccolis and cucumbers that we have come to expect from Shop Rite (because we must shop right musn't we?) and we will sneek in the weeds of the wild which often become our very favorite "vegetables."

(The first pickup is on Tuesday, May 24...more details in the next email).

Enjoy!

Lisa, Lauren & Jacob

P.S. The plants (for those who ordered them) will be arriving Tuesday, May 17. More details to follow.