May 8th, 2023 Newsletter

Box Contents

1 bu Chives

1 bu Green Garlic

2 hds Red Leaf

1 bu Red Chard

1 bu White Spring Onions

1 bu Carrots

.5 Snow Peas

1 bu Cilantro

CSA Notes:

We love the support that we get from local farms in our area. Grateful for the support of Good Humus Farm. In 1976, Jeff and Annie Main started Good Humus on a 3/4 acre garden, and have since expanded to a beautiful multi acre farm nestled nearby where they host on-farm events, like the annual Peach Party since 1993, grow flowers, herbs, vegetables and fruits for CSA and whole sellers. In past years the Capay Valley Mother’s Day Garden Tour would happen for Mother's Day weekend in May. Private gardens throughout the Capay Valley would up their gardens to the public. That has not happened since 2021. However, if you are looking for a way to celebrate the weekend, Good Humus is hosting their Hats & High Tea on Saturday, May 13th from 2-5 pm.

Chives – This delicate member of the allium family gives a pungent, oniony flavor to anything it adorns. The internet loves to pair chives with eggs, check out these recipes (yum, yum, yummy). Try chipping into 1mm-long pieces and sprinkling on your next omelette or mashed potatoes.

Green Garlic –  I look forward to green garlic every season. One of my favorites is pork chops cooked in brown butter with green garlic. Green garlic is young garlic that hasn't fully matured yet. It has the same great garlic taste but is more mild than cured garlic. It can be used as substitute for garlic in recipes, but adds a fresh flare when added raw.
 

Red Leaf Lettuce – At Riverdog we grow more lettuce varieties than I ever thought possible. One of my favorite games to play with the students I teach is guess which variety. What are the subtle differences between each lettuce variety? Red leaf lettuce is mild with a slightly bitter undertone. The redder the lettuce, the more bitter, sort of like the mustard of the lettuces. Because of its curly crimson red leaves, red leaf lettuce makes for a beautiful base to a salad such as this Roasted Carrot and Red Leaf salad with buttermilk herb dressing. For storage, you can either transfer to a plastic bag, or put in plastic, to avoid wilting.

Red Chard – Riverdog's bright and shiny Red Chard makes a delicious and nutritious addition to any meal! More than a pretty face, this chard's bright red color comes from a powerful class of antioxidants called Betalain. Try them in a frittata, a yogurt dressed slaw, or stuffed into an enchilada or empanada!

White Spring Onions – Betsy, our market leader, often wonders why May is National Barbeque Month. An online source states that National Barbeque Day "encourages us to break out our special recipes." With spring onions, Betsy says they are incredible cooked on heated grill for about two minutes for a milder sear, or grilled all the way to a soft almost mush like consistency. Spring onions are like a scallion, except more robust in flavor, like onion. They're versatile, you can cook them, eat them raw, they dry out easily, so you can mix them into salts, as seasoning to your soups. Your pathway to sweet and creamy is just a good ol' classic grill. Enjoy!

Carrots – You can "eat the rainbow" here at Riverdog with the variety of carrots we grow. Quick- which varieties do we grow here at Riverdog- we have Red carrots, Red Dragon carrots, Nantes (orange) carrots, Yellow Carrots, Deep Purple carrots, and White carrots. Every time I'm around these carrots I find it's necessary to do research, and eat one of each. Check out what the Spruce Eats has to say about the different carrots here. Carrots can be stored in the refrigerator for one to two weeks, remove carrot greens first.

Snow Peas – We are back with the first of first of the season's snow peas! First of the season snow peas are crisp, delicate, and sweet. Snap peas, otherwise known as sugar snap peas. They are delicious as a raw snack, but are excellent in a stir fry with bok choy and carrots. Toss them in at the very end to preserve their natural snap. For an easy cook recipe, check out this recipe for a quick salt, pepper, and lemon zest saute.

Cilantro – Oh cilantro, there is so much to say. But why don't we start with using the roots? There is a ton of flavor in the root of cilantro in addition to the stems and leaves. The roots can blended for dressing or marinades, or chopped or sauteed into any rice dish. For the leaves I like to chop and mash into avocado with some lime and onion to make a simple guacamole. Or you could shoot for the "best ever" guacamole. Store in a bag in the refrigerator.

-Maya, CSA Manager