Winter 2023 CSA - Week of January 16th

Full: Tat soi, mizuna, chard, 3# carrots, watermelon radish, long pie pumpkin, 3 garlic, cilantro micros

Half: Tat soi, chard, 1.5# carrots, watermelon radish, long pie pumpkin, 1 garlic

Hello Winter CSAers!

It’s pretty quiet here at the farm as we prep the second to last week of Winter CSA. We’re seeding and harvesting microgreens, seeding, prepping, and planning for the spring, and maintaining the laying hens and sheep with a close knit winter skeleton crew. Today reunited all of the sheep and sheepdogs, which meant a nice long walk/jog across the farm and some very sweet animal scenes.

Notes and updates:

  • The new year for Whole Farm CSA starts on February 1st. Click here for Details: Whole Farm CSA Information Sheet. Whole Farm CSA Sign Up Sheet

  • Summer CSA information and signups will be available next week.

  • Eggs for sale in the market stand! Our hens got the memo about the egg shortage and have been laying like crazy.

Produce:

Mizuna: A highly nutritious brassica native to East Asia, mizuna has a peppery, slightly bitter flavor. Two cups of raw mizuna provides 222% of the recommended daily Vitamin A intake (important for healthy vision and a strong immune system), more than 100% of your Vitamin K (blood and bone health), as well as other key vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Mizuna can be eaten raw in salads, but really shines in cooked dishes like stir-fries. 

This is a “Formula for Stir Fries and Noodles” from Root Radical CSA based in Canada. Seasonal veggie combinations and a chart for hard, medium firm, and tender vegetables guide you in building your stir fry. This week, your mizuna, tat soi, watermelon radishes, carrots and garlic would be a great base, topped with cilantro micros for a fresh finish. And here’s a link to some more mizuna recipe ideas if stir fry isn’t your thing.

Tat soi: Another brassica, tatsoi is kind of like a cross between spinach and bok choi. It has spoon shaped leaves with a buttery texture and slightly sweet flavor. Can be eaten raw in salads or cooked; I love it in kimchi soup. 

More Recipes:

  • Sautéed Mixed Greens With Garlic Recipe Try this recipe with chard and tatsoi - this would be a perfect side to any meat dish (cumin lamb! pick up a roast or some ground lamb in the market stand).

  • Long pie pumpkins store well and make a great soup base. They can also be baked and frozen to use later for soups, sweet breads, or other squash and pumpkin dishes.

  • Hoisin-Glazed Chicken & Noodle Bowl with Mint, Cucumber & Watermelon Radish

  • Hopefully you’ve already used your parsnips, but I finally actually made the parsnip puree I’ve been touting and it was delicious. I had it topped with a spicy tomato sauce - made with frozen stewed cherry tomatoes from the summer - on olive oil toast. A perfect easy meal to go with a roasted veg salad. 

    • Boil peeled parsnips in salted water until fork tender (I added a few sunchokes; smashed garlic and herbs would also be good). Adding dairy of your choice and blend until smooth.

That’s all for this week! I’d also like to share that this is my last week doing newsletter and market stand — I’ve so enjoyed writing this weekly update and getting to chat with you all at pickup each week. See you tomorrow!

Sasha

Jacy Rothschiller