This is something new we’re doing with our brand-new system! We will be posting the accurate list of each day’s box contents here, so you can double-check against the contents of your box! Here’s the first-ever day-of-delivery update: What’s in your box today (consume in order of appearance on this list!):
Strawberries: So sweet & tasty! Store in fridge in green basket in paper bag or in closed plastic container with a damp paper towel. Wash only when ready to use. Eat soon. Please return green baskets to your delivery site in an orderly fashion!
Chives: Keep in a plastic bag in the fridge. Wash right before use. Remember: fresh herbs are tender and heat will destroy their flavor; they should be added toward the end of the cooking time or sprinkled over the top of a dish just before serving. Fresh herbs will last just a few days.
Tomatoes: From Terra Firma Farm near Winters, CA. CCOF certified organic. Terra Firma was able to take advantage of a break in the cold weather much earlier than we could, so their tomatoes are coming on faster than ours! Their soil is lighter than ours, which means it dries out faster than ours. While we were waiting for the ground to dry out, they were already planting out their tomatoes! Eatwell tomatoes should be coming soon (in the next 2-3 weeks, we hope!). Store on counter (never in fridge!). Tomatoes are famously fragile, so please make sure you eat them soon!
Plums OR Peaches OR Nectarines: The first of the year! Some of you will receive plums, others will get peaches, and still others will get nectarines. The plums are slightly scarred but are still sweet little wonders. Where does the scarring come from? There's a little insect that comes out right about the same time the stone fruit is flowering. If we mow the orchard when the flower petals are just about to fall off, the insects jump up into the trees and burrow down between the flower petals and the tiny fruit. They make itty-bitty incisions at that time, which grow into large scars as the fruit grows. Normally we try to mow right before or during flowering. This year, however, the rain came during the wrong times -- every time it would dry out enough to mow, it would start to rain again! One of the worst things you can do for your orchard is to take a heavy tractor into the orchard while the ground is wet. It can damage the roots and compact the soil so there's no more oxygen available to the roots. It's pretty delicate! Somehow the peaches and nectarines dodged it this time, but the plums got hammered with the pest. While they don't look like much on the outside, the plums are super delectable on the inside. Store in fridge, and wash before eating. YUM!
Spinach: From our transitional fields (this means it’s not certified organic). Please contact us with questions about transitional produce & organic certification; we’re happy to explain how we keep the items separate. We finally entered our third year of transition to organic on our leased piece of land — we’ll be able to have the parcel certified Nov. 2010!May be muddy. To clean, first rinse quickly to remove mud chunks. Then fill up a bowl with cold water. Remove leaves from stems & all yellow leaves. Put in water, swish, & let soak for 5-10 min. Lift leaves out of water, rinse & blot/spin dry. Use the discarded water for your houseplants! Store in plastic bag in fridge.
Bok Choy: Grown in our transitional fields (see spinach above). Crunchy & tasty, bok choy makes beautiful sautés & soups. Store in plastic bag in fridge. Don’t forget to use the ribs!
Eggplants OR Peppers: Some of you will receive our first eggplant of the year, while others will get our first Poblano (Ancho) peppers! How exciting! For eggplant, the best way to draw out bitterness is to cube it & cover with a LOT of salt (in a bowl). Let sit for 20+ minutes. Wash off salt & sauté or otherwise cook. So tender & yummy! Store in fridge crisper for best results. Poblano peppers will be either green this time of year & are mildly-hot chile peppers. These are called Ancho peppers when dried. Store in fridge & use in any recipe calling for hot chiles!
Summer Squash: Store in fridge in plastic bag. Can damage easily but adds a special something to any sauté, soup, or bread.
Beets: From our transitional fields (see spinach above). Don’t forget to eat the greens, too — they’re extremely good for you and oh-so-tasty! Store roots separately from greens. Keep both roots and greens in fridge. Eat the greens just like you would eat chard! So good!
Wakefield Cabbage: This variety of cabbage is the sweetest I've ever eaten! It's a British variety and has a cute little pointed head. Eat just like you would any other cabbage (in slaws, salads, sautees, soups, etc.). Seriously yummy. Store in fridge.
Potatoes: Store these in a cool, dark, dry location and eat the skin for most nutrients! Wash before eating but not before storage. Tender and sweet. Yum! See website for varieties we are growing this year!
Garlic: The garlic we’re sending out is already cured for long-term storage! Please store in paper bag in a cool, dark, dry location. We will be giving you much of this garlic for the next few weeks. We have planned so you can have a stash of garlic for months!