What an amazing diversity in weather we've experienced this week. This past Saturday we found ourselves harvesting in the rain, and on Tuesday the heat spiked at 95 so we fled our fields and headed to the river! One of our many responsibilities as farmers is to always be keeping our eye on the weather forecast. This is one of the myriad of ways that we can anticipate the ever-shifting needs of the farm. A hot day can mean extra water for our animals, pulling shade cloth over our tender starts in the propagation house, and lots of watering. Even if the soil is moist, it helps to water a little extra on hot days. This little boost in moisture can help to cool the air around plants that may not appreciate temperatures in the mid 90's (think lettuce, kale, broccoli, radishes, the list could go on and on). Hot days are a great day for weeding as everything you pull up will immediately desiccate in the heat, with no chance of re-rooting.
Really hot days are also a good time to take a midday break and spend some time relaxing at the river! Many of the activities that take place on the farm (harvesting, planting etc) are best done when it's cool. At Flying Coyote we tend to do all of our harvesting in the early morning, getting our produce out of the field while it's still cool and immediately into a cool water bath to remove any lingering "field heat." Conversely, we like to transplant our starts in the evening as this gives the little plants a whole cool night to get used to their new home without any stress from heat and wind.
In today's box you will find our first harvest of napa cabbage. These lovely cabbages are the traditional base for kimchi, a Korean fermented cabbage dish similar to sauerkraut. They're also wonderful in stir fries or to replace green cabbage in a coleslaw. You'll also find a head of kohlrabi; although this brassica isn't as popular as other well-known member of this family (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower), they are absolutely delicious. At our house we peel and slice them very thinly and either roast them in a hot oven with oil, salt and pepper, or they get sauteed in the pan with a dash of butter and salt.
Full Share
1 head of Napa Cabbage
1 bunch of Hakurei Turnips
3 heads of mini butter Lettuce
1/2 pound of Snap Peas
1 bunch Dill
1 head of Kohlrabi
1 bunch of Chard
1 bunch of Kale
1 bunch of Bok Choy
Half Share
1 head of Napa Cabbage
1 bunch of Hakurei Turnips
2 heads of mini butter Lettuce
1/2 pound of Snap Peas
1 bunch Dill
1 head of Kohlrabi
Recipes
Napa Cabbage Slaw
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 pound napa cabbage, chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- Freshly ground pepper
- Preheat the oven to 350°. In a pie plate, bake the almonds for 5 minutes. Let cool.
- In a bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. Add the cabbage, scallions and cilantro and toss. Add the almonds and season with pepper. Toss again and serve.