what’s in the box this week?(Listed from shortest shelf life to longest shelf life)

Strawberries: These will be in your box relentlessly now. Eat right away as we pick them ripe and they will not last long. The store bought stuff has been picked way under ripe so that it can survive the journey to the distribution depot then to the store and wait in back stock until shelf space is available. Lettuce: Young lettuce cut from a bed with twelve rows in it. We cut and pack this in the field. Keep it cold in the fridge and only take out and wash what you need. I have been told it stays good for over a week. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Eureka Lemons: This versatile fruit adds a great touch to winter greens and salads. These are from Bill Crepps at Everything Under The Sun. They have not been washed, brushed or waxed. Bill is not certified organic. He is not good with paperwork or the bureaucracy of organic certification. He farms just the same as before when he was certified organic. Chard: These plants are new this spring, grown in a greenhouse and transplanted just like the collards Store in a plastic bag in the crisper.. Collard Greens: The leaves of this very healthy green are not as large compared to how they are in the winter but the are just as good for you. My favorite way to cook them is to plunge 1” squares of the leaves into boiling water for a couple of minutes, drain and drizzle on lemon juice. Store in the crisper in a plastic bag. New Potatoes: These are small and we are only putting about a pound in every one’s box. The plants are yielding about 12 oz each so as the yield goes up you will see more in your box. These may be small but they are very special. This is one crop that you can taste that it has been organically grown. Store in a cool dark place. Red Radish:  Radish makes a wonderful addition to salads and I like to eat them raw with just a little lemon salt. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge. Scallions: A yellow onion variety this bunch has three or four onions in it. These are almost dry ready to harvest as bulbs.  Store in the fridge. Arugula or Basil: Fast growing and delicious both of these crops make wonderful pesto. Store in the crisper. Green Garlic: It is such a delight to have this in our harvest shares. My favorite way to enjoy is to stir fry the chopped garlic in a skillet with some olive oil. Then stir in eggs for a delicious green garlic scrambled eggs. Store in the crisper. Carrots: These come from Los Pablos at Terra Firma Farm in Winters. We have more of our own bunches of carrots in the coming weeks. Store in the crisper Oregano: A wonderful culinary herb. Please return your boxes and strawberry baskets every week. We reuse these and it saves us a great deal of money. Take care unfolding the boxes as the flaps can be damaged easily. All the produce in your box every week is certified organically grown unless other wise stated as in the case of the lemons today. Have a great rest of the week and will see some of you on the farm this Saturday... Nigel