Welcome to a new season with Dancing Roots Farm! It should be a great 6 months of fresh and delicious pesticide-free vegetables, herbs, occasional flowers, and hopefully, a little more fruit this year!
It is common for the first 3-5 weeks to be light, both in number of items and weight. You’ll find the selection will increase soon enough. Returning members know this; new members – just think of this as the time to ease into your vegetable adventure and learning to eat more seasonally.
In Your Share This Week
Sylvetta Arugula – This is our top selling item to restaurants. This variety is closely related to the wild relative and can be a little spicier than the ‘regular’ or basic kind more commonly seen at farmers markets.
Dry Beans – Taylor’s Horticultural or Black Turtle. This is a first! These are beans we grew last year. They are relatively fresh and cook in a little less time than store bought.
Green Garlic – Use just like scallions or green onions, but expect a lovely garlicky flavor. They’re fun and delicious raw in salads, or can be added at the very tail end of soups or a stir fry.
Rapini – One benefit of our long cold spring: We still have rapini! The flowering buds of kale, cabbage and collards. Use just like broccoli; or try sautéing just until the colors intensify then sprinkle with a little nutritional yeast and a splash of tamari, or just butter & salt. Also great roasted on pizza or with eggs.
Cover Crop Pea Greens – These delicate greens are from the field peas in our cover crop. The peas don’t ever get of size, but the greens have the same pea-y taste as sweet peas. Use raw in salads, in risotto, or in scrambled eggs. The flowers are edible and even a little sweet.
D’Avignon Radishes – These are a traditional variety from southern France. At their peak of ripeness (which these certainly are) they are very mild. (Thursday pick up had a mix of D’Avignon and Zlata radishes to choose from.)
Oregano – Best known for use in tomato sauce for pizza or spaghetti; it also goes well with beans, cheeses, pastas, and just about anything else savory, especially Mediterranean & Mexican cuisines.
Cherry Tomato plant – see planting instructions below.
* * IMPORTANT NOTICE ** WASH YOUR VEGGIES * *
Your produce looks clean, but it’s only been field washed at the farm. It is not legally ”ready to eat” so always wash everything once you get home and put tender greens in the refrigerator as soon as possible.
About Your Tomato Plants
Your cherry tomato plant had a rough beginning but will thrive once they get in the ground in a sunny location. It will also do well in a very large pot. Because our potting soil is problematic you’ll want to gently remove about ½ of it (no more) before transplanting. Swoosh it around in plain water then plant, burying the 1st set of leaves so that it grows a thick, strong stem. Water regularly and deeply, 1” per week. You can stop watering those in the ground once they either flower or have little green fruits. In a pot, you’ll need to continue watering since the roots will rely on you. With enough sunshine they should bush out profusely and will benefit from a tomato cage or trellis. Get ready for a load of tasty little ‘maters!
