Beet Tops

2018 CSA Spring April 7th Beet tops

2018 CSA Spring April 7th Beet tops

  • Beet Greens 10×10
  • Ginger
  • Turmeric
  • Watercress Box
  • Collard Greens 10×10
  • Salad Mix 10×10
  • Mint
  • Papaya
  • Dozen Eggs
  • microgreens

I don’t get out to restaurants much these days, but I have had a beet greens salad that I thought was delicious and simple enough to replicate at home. The beet greens are served fresh, raw, chopped into large pieces, and then topped with goat cheese, toasted pecans and a sweet balsamic reduction. Sometimes I will add a squeeze of orange on top. For the reduction, I put about ½ a cup of balsamic into a sauce pan and simmered it really low (beware of being directly over the pan as the fumes can bite the nose), and as it thickened up, added a tablespoon of honey. Just reducing the balsamic vinegar will be sweet, so this addition can be skipped. Sometimes I will sweeten the toasted the pecans instead and drizzle a bit of balsamic without reduction to save time. But the salad can be made entirely without any sweetening agents at all and still be very tasty.
This weekend marks the first day of our Spring CSA share and the first day of our Charlottesville Market, downtown right next to the Water Street parking garage. Our farmer’s market season runs from April to December at the downtown Charlottesville location, and south of town at Forrest Lakes (through October). All CSA members receive a 10% discount on purchases made at either of our market stands.
We really hope to see you at our Saturday market! Hope you have a marvelous week…to your health and your pleasure, always!

 

 

mint

2018 CSA Winter March 31st mint

2018 CSA Winter March 31st Mint

  • Ginger
  • Turmeric
  • Watercress Box
  • Collard Greens 10×10
  • Salad Mix 10×10
  • Mint
  • Papaya
  • Dozen Eggs
  • microgreens

Fresh mint for this weekend as it  marks the last day of our Winter CSA share and the first day of our Spring CSA share, as we formulate our seasonal calendar into 3 month long periods that start in January. Next week marks the beginning of ourfarmer’s market season, which runs from April to December in downtown Charlottesville and south of town at Forrest Lakes (through October). All CSA members receive a 10% discount on purchases made at either of our market stands.

Mint, violets and redbud blossoms are highlighted in photos this week as many will enjoy a mint sauce with lamb this weekend and the violets are blooming here. Redbuds have yet to pop out (budding and opening before the tree’s leaves) but I wanted to remind you of another edible flower that is easily wildcrafted. 

And just in case you happen across some violets, consider trying some for a surprising twist. As with gathering any edibles from the wild, be aware to not gather right next to a road substantially travelled to avoid heavy metal accumulation from exhaust.

 

nasturtium

2018 CSA Winter March 24th Citrus Nasturtium

2018 CSA Winter March 24th Citrus Nasturtium

  • Kumquats
  • Calamondin Oranges
  • Nasturtium Flowers
  • Nasturtium Leaves
  • Salad Mix 10×10
  • Chervil Chef Box
  • Micro Collard Greens
  • Papaya
  • Ginger
  • Turmeric
  • 2 Dozen Eggs

It is a real joy to share with you all every week a nice selection of the bounty here at the farm. This time, I would like to highlight that the microgreens selected are my favorite. Certainly other microgreens are delicious, nutritious and beautiful but none shocked me as much with regard to my expectation of how I thought they would taste. Being raised in the south, I was introduced to collard greens early and my experience into adulthood was a tough green cooked for a very long time, regularly prepared with or dressed with a splash of vinegar even if pork/bacon/ham hock, onions, etc were added. Sufficed to say, the end result did not exactly highlight what collards taste like, but rather smothered it. I do enjoy mature collard greens and will scissor cut the tough spine out before dashing them in a hot skillet, making quick work of wilting them just until they are bright green. Well, this week’s collards require no cooking and come in the power packed form of microgreens. Try eating a pinch right out of the box to get a sense of what I’m saying…sweetish, nutty, and satisfying. The first time I tried them, I was blown away. Another fun twist for this week’s menu, the lovely nasturtium. There are leaves which can be a doily by which to pick up the serving or used as a dainty wrap. I have also shredded them for use in salads and egg dishes, like omelettes and quiches. The flowers are lovely in a salad or as a garnish. Mike really likes these both savory or sweet, either stuffed with a crab dip or with a sweet cream (as shown) for desert. There is a nice spicy kick in flavor, but be sure to smell the fragrance for a delightful surprise. To your health and your pleasure!