July 9- Whole Farm/Summer CSA

Todays CSA is exciting both shares get some strawberries in their boxes this week! Enjoy the Kohlrabi also included this week there are a few recipes below on what make with it. This week opens up full you pick so if you want some more tasty strawberries come on down and pick some!

Full Share: lettuce mix, chard, bok choy, kohlrabi, strawberries, green garlic, scallions, oregano, cilantro

Half: lettuce mix, chard, kohlrabi, strawberries, strawberries, green garlic, scallions, cilantro

Hey ya’ll! I’m Weston, and I have the great pleasure of being the animal caretaker here at Rocky Creek farm this season. I’ve been a farmworker since 2019 in a mostly migratory way, bouncing around the country and seeking out work wherever I find myself, always looking to learn new skills within the realm of homesteading and organic farming. My first time visiting Rocky Creek was in 2021 to help with fall harvest, and I was excited by the diversity that exists here in the food we grow and the animals we raise. So naturally, as someone who enjoys eating meat, and values being a part of the food systems I benefit from, I wanted to make it a priority to better understand sustainable practices for raising animals. Now, back for a full season and hopefully many more to come, I’m lucky enough to get to take care of the amazing animals we have here.

Spring brought with it all the younglings. Our flock of sheep had 39 lambs, all born happy and healthy right here on the farm. We also started 14 Idaho Pasture piglets, 50 turkey chicks, over 100 new laying hen chicks, and the first couple rounds of our broiler chickens, adding up to over 300.

So I’ve been busy! My favorite part about the job is how dynamic it is. The needs of the animals change almost weekly as they grow, in addition to the way that we regularly rotate all of our animals through different grazing areas around the farm to keep them fed and happy, outside foraging. The animals move through cover cropped areas and fields to replenish the soil with what they leave behind, improving our soil health, allowing us to grow better food. It is a beautiful system at work, and it has been fulfilling to learn and be an active part of the sustainable techniques that are implemented here. It has been rewarding to witness the benefits they have on our fields, our food, and most importantly the quality of life it gives to our animals.

Well into the season now, the animals are getting big, and our second round of broilers are ready for processing. With that in mind and the addition of some of the produce in this weeks CSA box, I want to share a really cool kohlrabi noodle bowl recipe with a peanut sauce that goes great with chicken as well. Supplement anything else you might want to include from the market stand!

Westons Kohlrabi Noodle Recipe here!

Recipes:

Roasted Kohlrabi  Click Here!

Swiss Chard Tahini Summer Dip Below!

Recipe information

Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

2 bunches green-stemmed Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 lb.)

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more

5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 cup tahini

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt

Toasted flatbread and lemon wedges (for serving)

Top with scallions and green garlic

Preparation

Step 1

Remove ribs and stems from Swiss chard leaves and finely chop. Tear leaves into small pieces. Set both aside separately.

Step 2

Heat 1/3 cup oil in a large pot over medium-low. Cook reserved ribs and stems, stirring often and adding a splash of water if they start to brown, until tender, 5–7 minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add reserved chard leaves by the handful, letting them wilt before adding more; cook, tossing, until all the leaves are wilted and tender, 10–12 minutes total. Let cool. Squeeze excess liquid from mixture into a measuring glass. (You should have about 1/2 cup liquid.)

Step 3

Place Swiss chard mixture and 1 Tbsp. cooking liquid in a food processor and add tahini, lemon juice, and 1/3 cup oil. Season with salt and process, adding more cooking liquid if needed, until dip is creamy and only speckles of chard remain. This could take up to 5 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.

Step 4

Transfer dip to a serving bowl and drizzle with more oil. Serve with flatbread and lemon wedges.

Do Ahead

Step 5

Dip can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill and top with scallions