•  Chard
•  Collards
•  Baby Arugula
•  Lacinato Kale
•  Lemon Verbena
•  Spring Onions
•   Flat Parsley
•  Rose Geranium
•  Rosemary
•  Sage
•  Thai Basil
•   Tarragon
•  Oregano
•  Chives
• Squash Blossoms

Berries are in at the Charlottesville City Market and one of our all time favorite things to do with rose geranium is here: strawberries for stewing and brewing!   Any fruit will do but strawberries are especially yummy when stewed with rose geranium sprigs that are then fished out when the leaves begin to turn army green colored. We stew the strawberries a bit to let them cook, in sugar and a bit of water, and towards the end (just a few minutes cook time), drop in the sprigs of rose geranium, taking care to turn down the flame as the scent will cook off at high temperatures. I add mine after letting the strawberries cool for a few minutes.

We use the stewed strawberries in drinks, making a tea of it by adding water and honey, topping for waffles and pancakes, stir into a yogurt cup, or use in yogurt for a dressing of an apple salad, even as a base for a fruit chutney. Once cooked and the leaves removed, it can also do well stored in the refrigerator for future use; just be sure to pull out the rose geranium, or it can mess with the flavor, becoming overpowering to your dish. When we use this as a chutney, is usually with a yellow curry.

Please be sure to see attachment for lots of yummy ideas for your squash blossoms. Consider also using them as a topping for a gourmet pizza. Many people will remove the inner base of the flower, but we leave it in. Lacinato kale is also in your CSA share this week. Cutely nicknamed dinosaur kale, it does well chopped into a saute pan and cooked for a few minutes. This kale is well liked as “chips”: remove thick center rib, cut to desired size, coat in oil and favorite spices (simple salt and pepper does nicely), and bake about 10 minutes, checking for roasted crisp finish.

CSA Spring 2015 May 23: Artemisia, the genus name for tarragon, was of curiosity early on for its derived connection to the name of a goddess, Artemis; she was active and a huntress. Particularly interesting that one strength was regarding the healing of diseases in women. Tarragon has a few subspecies that can sometimes become confused, such as Russian tarragon vs. the French tarragon, which is what we propagate for you and others that value the particular flavor of this variety. Used in meat and egg dishes, it is also known for being an ingredient in classic Béarnaise sauce. We have used it in teas, salads, roasts, and quiches. Mike has daydreamed about incorporating it into a chewing gum; surprisingly it is used as a soft drink flavor in eastern Europe. There are plenty of herbs to enjoy, but wanted to be sure to suggest one of our all time favorite ways to use spears of rosemary: as mini shish kebabs. Using the cut end, pierce fruits and/or veggies, roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. Serve on a bed of rice. A fav combo: tomato, pineapple, sausage, green pepper, onion. Use any drippings to adorn the rice.

Lemon verbena, more cucumbers, fresh spinach and nasturtium flowers are just part of this week’s CSA share. Lemon verbena has long been touted as a medicinal herb, but a whiff of the aroma hitting your senses may drive a different desired effect: deliciousness! We like to use lemon verbena as a tea, simple syrup (great for flavoring drinks, deserts and pancakes), scissor cut into ribbons over salad and fruit, baked into cake, and with chicken or fish. It also will find its way into spaghetti sauce For a twist, we made a quick yogurt dressing of chopped lemon verbena and Thai basil with honey, and poured it over pineapple chunks. Consider trying this recipe, substituting cucumber and leaving out the honey. Thai basil is another herb that is considered medicinal and is great in the kitchen, also pleasing to use from savory to sweet. It is commonly used in green and red curry, noodles, and different kinds of meat dishes. In our kitchen it can be found scissor cut into dishes fresh, in tea concoctions and occasionally to enhance desert.

Last year each $300 share received nearly $1000.00 of market produce! That’s a 3 to 1 value!

Value of Your CSA share Year

Winter shares happening now – Farm Pickups January Thru March.

Market pickups will launch the first market Saturday in April! For the Spring Summer and Fall shares.

We offer shares 3 months each  yearly.  $300 per share (more with optional eggs and wheatgrass addons)

• Winter: January February March
• Spring: April May June
• Summer: July August September
• Fall: October November December

Our distribution will be Saturday 7am till 1pm at the Charlottesville City Market and Tuesday 4pm till 7pm at the Forest Lakes Market. Shares will be held in the refrigerated truck and extras will be available for normal purchase.

Details of the prior years distributions and value provided:

[catlist name=CSADist numberposts=99 pagination=yes instance=1 orderby=date]

Give us hints and requests for what you would like to see this year. See the Forums

To Sign Up and for more info see https://specials.planetearthdiversified.com/csa/

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