Introducing some more farm cats – taming has commenced.
This past week has been hot and humid! The plants are loving it!
On Saturday mid-morning some of the zucchini were about 2 inches long, and on Sunday evening they were about 9 inches long. It really is amazing to watch the growth.
Yes, the entire garden seemed to be growing as crazy as the zucchini, but unfortunately in the lead for growth were the weeds. Fortunately, we have been on top of the weeding so our crops are still thriving against the weed nemesis. We did get a fair amount of moisture on Sunday evening along with some wind. With this heat some more rain would be welcomed.
If Mother Nature continues to provide favorable conditions, we will be able to continue to have growing results in your boxes. Enjoy!
Garden Science
Carrot, onion, beet, purple kohlrabi and green kohlrabi
Root or Tuber
All around the world, roots are basic sources of nutrition to people and many animals; a root’s nutrients are passed on to those who eat them. Sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, turnips and radishes are actually plant food-storage roots. The roots of the tropical plant cassava give us the tapioca we use in desserts, and cassava is a food staple in many tropical countries and in South Florida. Poi is a nutritious native Hawaiian food made from the root of the taro, which is cooked and ground to a paste then fermented. Carrots, ginger, jicama, parsnips, radishes, beets, rutabaga or Swedish turnip, and turnips are great-tasting, nutritious root foods .
Potatoes are tubers, not roots. What’s the difference? The roots mentioned previously are naturally modified root structures, whereas bulbs and tubers are modified stem structures. Bulbs and tubers are sometimes mistaken for roots because they also grow underground.
Roots and stems have different cell arrangements as seen under a microscope. That is how scientists determined that a potato is not a root, but actually a stem structure or tuber. Tubers are swollen, fleshy, usually oblong or rounded thickenings of underground stems, bearing tiny buds called eyes from which new plant shoots arise. Examples of tubers people eat are the potato, Jerusalem artichoke (not a true artichoke, but the tuber of a sunflower) and water chestnut. Bulbs are short, modified, underground stems. Examples of bulbs we eat are onions, scallions, leeks, garlic, kohlrabi and shallots.
Source: Project Food, Land and People
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.
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.
Spinach – Remember to wash before eating. A combination of these vegetables will make a wonderful meal!
Beets – A taste to start the season. We are also thinning out the rows so that the beet plants remaining can grow larger.
Just a few onions.
Onions – Learn more about onions on America’s Heartland.
Zucchini and Summer Squash
Cucumbers – These are the first of the season. We have two varieties planted.
Carrots – While we have the pleasure to pull the carrots right out of the ground…See how baby carrots end up on our grocery shelf so we have the pleasure to eat them all year-long.
Sugar Snap Peas – A garden favorite. Eat the pod and all. Enjoy this delicious vegetable! A new crop will come in next week. **Fun Fact – Did you know Minnesota is the number one producer of peas for processing in the United States.
Green Beans – This crop is bountiful. Be prepared for future weeks. We do have dill if you wish to pickle some.
Purple Beans – A taste of a new crop. Enjoy the fun color.
Kohlrabi – Here are some ideas of how to use Kohlrabi.
Cilantro
Cilantro – Enjoy in salsas, fajitas, eggs and more. Learn more about cilantro here.
My flower picker tonight…Zinnias.
Fresh cut arrangement – A variety from sunflowers, zinnias, bee balm, lilies and more.
Recipe of the Week
Vegetables on the Grill
On double layered aluminum foil ( I cross the pieces so the vegetables are wrapped separately in two different pieces of aluminum foil) place:
*Variety of vegetables of choice ( I used pea pods, carrots cut into the shape I knew my boys would eat, green and purple beans cut into 1 inch pieces and broccoli cut into bite size pieces)
*Drizzle with olive oil
*Sprinkle with Romano and Parmesan cheese
*Flavor with herbs of choice
Place on grill for about 8 minutes flipping aluminum packet once which is filled with above vegetable mixture, olive oil, cheese and herbs. Unwrap and enjoy.
Vegetables on the Grill
On double layered aluminum foil ( I cross the pieces so the vegetables are wrapped separately in two different pieces of aluminum foil) place:
*Variety of vegetables of choice ( I used pea pods, carrots cut into the shape I knew my boys would eat, green and purple beans cut into 1 inch pieces and broccoli cut into bite size pieces)
*Drizzle with olive oil
*Sprinkle with Romano and Parmesan cheese
*Flavor with herbs of choice
Place on grill for about 8 minutes flipping aluminum packet once which is filled with above vegetable mixture, olive oil, cheese and herbs. Unwrap and enjoy.
