BOX 1 June 13th, 2012

Hello Herbal Turtle 2012 CSA members!  We hope you enjoy your first box!

WHAT'S IN YOUR BOX THIS WEEK:

Garlic Scapes (these are the curling tops of the garlic plant and you can use it just like a garlic clove)

Kale (Cooking Green)

Bok Choy (Cooking Green)

Butterhead Lettuce (Raw Green)

Kohlrabi (Cook or eat raw like a radish)

You will note that there are lots of healthy greens this week :). Hopefully we can add some vibrant radishes for a little color in the next week or two. All of the produce is looking great in the fields. The lack of rain has slowed some things down a bit but we’ve been hand watering and should be on track for our harvest dates.
The Bok Choy did fall victim to a ravenous swarm of flea beetles as you may have noticed. The damage is only cosmetic and although we value presentation, we thought you may enjoy it anyway… we certainly have been! (see recipe below).
Katelyn’s cousin Michelle has a wonderful blog we thought you may be interested in checking out. She recently wrote an awesome article regarding CSA’s and useful tips for first time members! Check it out at http://www.rosybluhandmade.com/.
We also highly recommend shredding your kohlrabi with a cheese grater and using it as a topping for you salads!

A few items that may come in handy this season:

1. A salad spinner!  You can pick them up fairly cheap and you can thank us later.  Giving your greens a quick soak in cold water and then spinning them dry will keep them crisp for your salads.

2. The cook book "From Asparagus to Zucchini: a Guide to Cooking With Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce" by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition.  It is an AWESOME cook book written specifically for CSA members.  We give out a lot of these recipies but there is also a ton of great advice about storing and preparing your produce as well.

As always, feel free to call us with any questions, comments, or just to say hello!

Your Farmer's,

Bryan, Katelyn, Ayden, Katie, and James
Herbal Turtle Farms

RECIPIES WE THOUGHT YOU WOULD ENJOY:
 
Stir Fried Bok Choy with Cashew Sauce
(From Asparagus to Zucchini, MACSAC)
 
1/2 Cup raw cashews (can sub roasted/salted cashews as well)
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbs minced ginger root
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 1/2 lb bok choy
1/4 cup peanut oil
 
Toast cashews in a dry skillet, tossing frequently, until lighly brown and fragrant.  Combine cashews, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, red pepper flakes and 2-4 tbl of water in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Set aside.
 
Wash bok choy stems and leaves well, making sure to rinse away dirt in the ribs.  Separate the bok choy leaves from the stalks.  Cut stalks into 1 inch pieces and roughly chop the leaves.  Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over hight heat until hot but not smoking.  Add bok choy stems and cook, stirring often, until crisp tender, 2-3 min.  Add the leaves and cook until they wilt and turn bright green, another minute or so.  Remove to a platter and cover with cashew sauce or serve sauce on the side. 
 
 
Super Healthy Kale Chips
(Jamie Oliver)
http://www.allaboutjamieoliver.com/2011/03/28/super-healthy-kale-chips/