This weekend, we were yet again trying to get the weeds under control. After finishing the weeding, the boys mentioned that, “It really did look a lot better. Really it did.”

Yet another life lesson learned. There will be moments in life that will look quite challenging, overwhelming and nearly impossible (trust me – it really did look that bad). The attitude you bring into the situation will determine the outcome (an I can do attitude is a must!) At the end of the road, you will look back and realize that 1) It was achievable; 2) It wasn’t quite as bad as you thought it would be (a little water fun on a hot summer day is always a great thing.); and 3) Your efforts were worth it.

Garden Science

We did receive heavy winds on Monday that laid our corn pretty flat. After all of our hard work of weeding, to see our crops looking that way is disheartening and concerning.

But as we looked at the crops, we discussed plant genetics and that there are scientists, plant breeders, who study the plants and look for natural qualities/traits that will help the plant to survive these challenging weather conditions: heavy winds, hail, droughts and very wet conditions while producing a quality crop – that is healthy to eat and produces good yields (quantity of crop).

In the end, the boys optimistic attitude won the conversation.

“Don’t worry mom. All we need is a 70 miles per hour wind from the opposite direction, and the crop will stand right back up.” Always love a child’s perspective!

Boxes of Produce

This list is prepared before we harvest your share. Some guesswork is involved! We do our best to predict which crops will be ready to harvest, but sometimes crops are on the list that are not in the share, and sometimes crops will be in the share even though they’re not on the list. Remember food safety in your kitchen when preparing, always wash your hands before working with your produce and always wash your produce before eating.

Asparagus – This is the last week for fresh-cut asparagus from the Chute’s Farm Fresh Gardens in Aitkin, Minnesota. These farmers are friends of ours who we know from Farm Bureau and also the Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership Program.

Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce – Some of the crops are ran under cold well water to take the field heat off of them so they last longer in your refrigerators. They are not washed – just cooled. So wash your vegetables before eating.

Red Oak Leaf Lettuce – Beautiful red lettuce leaf. It adds such a wonderful color to your salads.

Spinach – Remember to wash before eating. A combination of these vegetables will make such a wonderful meal! Check out some of Martha Stewart’s spinach recipes.

Beet Leaves – Great in your salads.

Sugar Snap Peas – A garden favorite. Eat the pod and all. Enjoy this delicious vegetable!

Kale – A new vegetable to our family. Some of you requested it so we are giving it a try. Let us know what you think!

Broccoli – We love to eat this fresh out of the garden in a salad.

Fresh cut arrangement – Hosta leaves

Recipe of the Week

Since we had never tried Kale before, we tried Kale Chips. safe place to start everyone.

Kale Chips

Kale Chips

1 large bunch of kale, rinsed well, dried and torn into 2 inch pieces

1 -2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt (I tried some with Kosher salt and seasoning salt)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Place Kale pieces in a single even layer on baking sheets; drizzle with olive oil and salt.

Bake in oven for about 12 minutes. Serve.