While the first day of summer is technically June 21st, I'm happy to start summer at the beginning of this month. Especially with this gorgeous warm, sunny weather we've been having!
The vegetables are growing like they too have decided it's summer already with little zucchinis forming and all the greens just exploding in bounty. We'll still have all the delicious, tender spring vegetables for a little while, but we also have the the start of some summer deliciousness. It's truly one of the best seasons on the farm!
Our high tunnels are full of cucumber, tomato, eggplant, and pepper plants that are absolutely loving the extra warmth and humidity in there. We've actually started harvesting the first cucumbers and boy are they tasty!
This is a time of great plenty and variety here at One Acre and it can sometimes feel overwhelming! Do I want kale tonight, or broccoli, wait that chard looks amazing too... How to keep up with all the tasty vegetables when they're all flooding in together?
One of my go-tos with the cooking greens (like kale, chard, collards, beet tops) is a quick stovetop braise with onion and garlic, maybe some tomato puree or paste as well. You can cook down a whole pile of greens into a manageable dinner this way and add any flavors you'd like! I did curry powder and fresh ginger last night over rice with some yogurt and YUM! You can stir in some pesto and fresh herbs for a more Italian vibe or go with coconut milk, ginger, and green chile inspired by South Asian curries.
I love to roast the broccoli with some olive oil, salt, and pepper in a hot oven until it gets both soft and crispy, just delightful! Stir that into a pasta dish or have as a side with your favorite protein.
And of course all the lettuce in all the salads! We are almost literally swimming in lettuce at the farm; it's just been growing marvelously well. Top with grilled chicken and a lemony dressing one day and then sweet corn, feta, and toasted cashews the next. Put a pile of the leaves in a sandwich, wrap, or burger and relish that fresh crunch.
We're so happy we can share this bounty with our CSA and we hope you're enjoying all the flavors whether they be new or familiar.
Finally, keep your eye on our blog for the weekly farm updates. Next week we'll introduce you to this year's crew so you can get to know your farmers!
Thanks for reading and happy eating!