June 19th, 2023 Newsletter

Here is the link to the Mailchimp Newsletter: https://us6.campaign-archive.com/?u=e5242b0c1227215e9544a0709&id=67402eba25

Box Contents

1 bu Carrots 
.75 lbs Summer Squash
2 hds Red Batavian Crisp
1 bu Parsley
1 bu Dino Kale
2 hds Slicing Cucumber
1 bu Tokyo Turnips
1.25 lb Cauliflower/Broccoli

Happy week of Juneteenth!

Apologies for the late Newsletter delivery!   Gratifying to get emails looking for it though!  We had a seventeen hour power and internet outage here Monday evening through Tuesday mid day that caused a lot of chaos.   At least now we have our seasonal back up generator on hand and wired up, ready for more PGnE shenanigans.   More on public safety outages in the future!   We've had 4 over the past 9 days. 

Many thanks to Maya for gracefully steering the CSA for the past nine months. We appreciate the energy and care she brought to the farm and will miss her as she moves on to her next adventure. Our current office crew will be filling her shoes in the meantime. Cristina, our stalwart, wise and knowledgeable Sales Manager and Nikki, our relatively new but learning fast Bookkeeper will be your primary points of contact as we move forward. My apologies for some recent delays in email and phone communications during this transition. 

Think ham and sausage for 4th of July! Order now to have it on hand!

Happy Summer Solstice week!  We gambled on a cool June and are delighted to still have so much Spring (for us) veg still thriving as we go into the end of June.  So far our high temps have been well below average and haven’t even seen anything into the low 100’s yet, no complaints! Although we planted our potatoes late, anxious that they would be damaged by June heat, they are maturing beautifully. We hope to have New Potatoes for your box next week. Cucumbers and Squash are really starting to push and we picked our first cherry tomatoes last Friday; we hope to have enough for your boxes in two weeks.  Heirloom tomatoes look to still be far off, maybe mid July, but hopefully the early girls will hit for the July 4th week along with our first round of sweet corn.   

Sweet peppers like the Jimmy Nardellos and Gypsies are looking like late July; we will have to see what the weather fates bring. In an act of probable insanity we just transplanted more lettuce just to see how far we can push this cool Summer theme. You will see mid-July Little Gem if it works. Shade cloth is up on our propagation houses as we get fall transplant production under way.  Thanks for being along for the wild ride through this deliciously cool (so far!) start of Summer.  

Box Contents
 

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.

Summer Squash – We grow 12 different varieties of summer squash at Riverdog. Some of these varieties include: good ol' green zucchini, gold zuke, various colors of patty pan, and crookneck. Hopefully every week you get a variety of something you've never seen before. Or an old favorite. You can saute it in your favorite oil, steam it, bake it into bread, or hoard it to make a giant ratatouille. Best stored in any bag to help keep its turgor pressure so it holds it shape.

Red Batavian Crisp – Red Batavian, it’s one of our favorite varieties called Batavian Lettuce, a mild type that is like a cross of butterhead and iceberg lettuce. Also known as French Lettuce or Summer Crisp Lettuce, and is also known as being the most common lettuce in France. Ways to enjoy Batavian lettuce are perfect for your spring raw veggie salads. But since Batavian are on the slightly firmer side, they can also be used in stir-fry recipes like this one.

Parsley – Red Riverdog grows exclusively Italian Flat Leaf parsley. It is in the same family as carrots, and cilantro -- you can catch hints of their flavor in each other. Replanting the parsley garden every spring. Parsley is popularly used as a garnish, we use it anything from soups to salads to smoothies. Best stored in a bag in the crisper of the fridge, something that will maintain the humidity.

Dino Kale – Before everyone grew it and knew it as Dino Kale, I got to know a chef who brought the seed over with the name Cavolo Nero, or "Black Cabbage." Dino, otherwise known as Lacinato kale, is a dark blue-green, heirloom variety of Kale. The moniker dinosaur refers to this variety of kale, because of the bumpy surface of its leaves is said to resemble dinosaur skin. Tastes great when steamed or stir-fried, versatile enough for juicing. Here is a recipe for a yummy pasta and kale salad.You could also use these leaves in your salad.

Slicing Cucumber – We grow five different styles of cucumbers. The simple green slicer is the most prolific, if not the most exciting of these cucumbers. This is one of our most resilient cucumbers. We rely on it to stand up against disease and pest pressure. I happily eat the skin, but my toddler daughter's absolutely refuse. You can also use slicing cucumbers in soups, smoothies, and dips, or a cold cucumber soup. My mom loved cold cucumber soups- it's also an easy way to get rid of a lot of cucumbers if you're not eating them.

Tokyo Turnip -- Tokyo turnips are a favorite here in the Capay Valley. They’re sweet and enjoyable raw, but can be cooked in numerous other ways as well (roasted, sautéed, glazed, and even pickled)! Don’t forget to eat your greens! The greens of your turnips are tender with a mild taste, you can use them anywhere that you would use arugula. For storage, remove the green tops from the roots and store in separate bags since the roots last longer than the greens.

Cauliflower – Spring cauliflower is always risky. It moves from not ready to overripe in a matter of a day. As it did this last week when we hit 98 degrees on Friday. Your cauliflower is a little bit loose, but still delicious. We do a cauliflower rice all winter long, you can basically slice it into small pieces and saute it until it's just the right texture for you. We love it - a little browned.

-Riverdog Tim