First Newsletter of 2023! January 2nd, 2023

Box Contents: 
1 bu Scarlet Queen
1 hd Green Cabbage
1 lb King Richard Leek
2 lbs Potatoes
1 bu Rapini
1 pc Red Beet
.75 lb Spinach

Farm Notes:

Happy wet New Year to all!!  Our welcome back to full tilt harvest is soggy and promises to get wetter after Tuesday.  Everyone is busting out all the harvest we can today and Tuesday so we can weather Wednesday’s predicted inundation under cover!  We have had no flooding yet but have seen some wind damage to our largest greenhouse.  This morning’s windless and rainless spell gave us a chance to re-skin the greenhouse and hope for the best! 

I hope all of you have survived this past week well and that we all make it through the coming 2 weeks of wet!  We desperately need the rain and are delighted that so far on farm runoff is relatively clear and minimal and our seasonal creeks are not running too wildly.  Our thirsty soil is still drinking in the rain as of today but I suspect that this week we will see some serious run-off start.  Enjoy all of the freshly harvested greens and stored potatoes!  While it is inconvenient and challenging in the moment, we are deeply grateful for the rain. 

Box Notes:

Scarlet Queen -- Thank you Good Eggs for this suh-weeet write up on our Scarlet Queen Turnips: "These vibrant and beautiful turnips can be boiled, roasted, steamed, or eaten raw. Their flavor is among the freshest of all root veggies, as they're a little sweet, and somehow very light on the palette. Mash some up with other roots for a bit of a kick, slice them up and put them on your salad for some extra zip, roast them along side your root medley and they won't disappoint."
 
Green Cabbage – My friend and local Riverdog CSA member, Matt, swears by cabbage soup. Maybe not everyday for the rest of your life, but this versatile, hearty wonder can turn any meal into a veggie comfort food. Cabbage is one of the most versatile vegetables around (braised, stuffed, stewed, roasted, fermented, pancaked?)-- and notorious for storing well.

King Richard Leek – King Richards are beautiful full sized leeks with white shanks over a foot long. Let's also talk about how leaves are more than just their white shanks. You can use the green parts too, and here's how. Also you can save these fibrous tips for veggie stock! Do not trim or wash before storing. Leeks have a strong odor so wrap leeks in plastic when storing in the refrigerator. Leeks will last up to two weeks. Be sure to rinse well, or put cut leeks in a bowl of water to remove the dirt and grit that can get stuck between the leaves.

Potatoes -- We grow a whole range of potatoes here at Riverdog that you can also order on our Farm Store. Try em' all and impress your friends with your knowledge of potato varieties. This week you'll find Yellow Finn potatoes in your box. It’s a great idea to store your potatoes in the refrigerator, especially when they’re new and haven’t been cured.
 
Rapini – If you are still wondering what in the heck is Rapini? Just know that our market manager, Betsy, is also our local recipe guru. Betsy loves to chop up and stir fry Rapini and add some meat like in this rosemary pork with sauteed rapini recipe. Rapini, otherwise known as broccoli rabe, can be described as a cross between mustard greens and broccoli. The secret to a great tasting rapini is to blanch it before frying it if you’re not a fan of bitterness. A great way to balance bitters in your food is to introduce something sweet, salty, or sour, but in truth, sometimes all you need is a little  garlic.    
 
Red Beet – I did not discover my love for beets until later in life, it came in the form of roasted in balsamic beet slices with goat cheese and sprinkles of mint leaves, then I began to understand. Beets savory, beets sweet, beets juiced, beets, just ... beets. We love our precious deep red roots – with the greens attached, it's really a two in one. Separate the roots from the greens for best storage and store both in plastic bags in the refrigerator. The beets, like most root vegetables, can last a long time if store correctly, but often get soft. No worries, these are still delicious roasted. The greens are like a salty chard, easy to stir fry, and deliciously hearty.
 
Spinach – We grow a variety of spinach here at Riverdog. The leaves are a deep green, and hardy. The spinach is good to enjoy massaged in a salad, lightly wilted, or cooked in a yummy meal such as Palak Paneer. For storage, will keep in the refrigerator for sometime. You can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put the waxed paper bag in plastic, to avoid wilting.

-Maya, CSA Manager