THIS WEEK’S HARVEST
Fresh Lorz Softneck Garlic, Pink & Gold Swiss Chard, Collards, Frisée, Green Zucchini and Yellow Crookneck Squash, Volcana Little Gem Lettuce, Romaine Lettuce, Rouxai Red Oakleaf Lettuce, Giorgione & Bel Fiore Chicories, Fennel, Pickling Cucumbers, Mini Tiara Cabbage, Carrots
U-PICK
Check the u-pick board in the barn for weekly u-pick limits.
Albion Strawberries: 2 pints per share | The strawbs are in their seasonal 4th of July lull. We’re keeping the limit at 2 pints this week but it will mean a little harder picking. Check out the middle and back of the beds for areas that are more abundant.
Sugar Snap Peas: The peas had a sudden drop-off in productivity last week, which meant that not all members were able to pick their shares. If you got your peas last week, please leave the gleanings this week to those who didn’t. We’ll have another succession coming soon!
Herbs & Edible Flowers: Italian Basil, Purple Basil, Lemon Basil, Purple Basil, Dill, Tulsi, Parsley, Cilantro, Chamomile, Calendula, Borage, Nasturtium, Pansies/Viola, Stridolo, Lemon Bergamot Bee Balm, Onion Chives, Garlic Chives, Tarragon, Thyme, Oregano, Marjoram, Culinary Sage, Lemon Balm, Lemon Verbena, Vietnamese Coriander, Shiso/Perilla, Catnip, Pineapple Sage, Sorrel, Assorted Mints
Flowers! Many perennial flowers and the first of the year’s annuals!
One Eric, one tractor, lots of potatoes, zero weeds.
HARVEST NOTES
Frisée: This is our once-a-year succession of frisée — a frilly, slightly bitter endive. While it’s probably most familiar as a salad mix component, it’s also delicious cooked as you would an escarole. Check out this recipe from last year’s newsletter for Herby Summer Beans with Garlic & Frisée.
Collards: Cooked slowly and for a little longer than you might cook kale, collards transform into one of the most decadently sweet and silky cooking greens. To truly revel in the transformation, try making Gomen — Ethiopian collards with onions and fresh ginger. We promise that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
FLOWER ARRANGING WORKSHOP
SAVE THE DATE!
Tuesday, July 22nd, 5:30 pm
Are you looking for some tips and inspiration on flower picking and arranging?
Are you a seasoned flower-nerd and feel like sipping bubblies and arranging flowers with like-minded friends?
CSA member Cassidy Blackwell fell in love with flowers and flower arranging on the farm in 2020. It’s since become a passion of hers. Cassidy will share her stoke and some tips she’s learned about arranging. This is a special annual farm event.
Please bring a bucket to pick into, a favorite vase, and clippers. Members are welcome to bring a non-member friend. Suggested $30 donation for non-members.
FLOWER HARVESTING BASICS
Here are some basic tips and tricks to help you make the most of the abundance in the flower garden.
Pick when it’s cool. Picking in the cool morning or evening hours will keep your flowers from wilting right away. If you do pick during a hot moment, dunking your flower stems in boiling water when you get home can help revive them.
Pick directly into water: Your flowers will last longest at home if they go right into water after being picked. Try bringing a 5-gallon bucket, filling with a little bit of water, and picking directly into the bucket for arranging later.
Strip the stems. Taking off any leaves that will fall below the surface of the water will keep it and the blooms fresh longer.
Clean your vase and refresh the water. Your flowers will appreciate being in as clean an environment as you can provide for them. This means keeping your vase scrubbed, and replacing (or at least topping off) the water as often as possible. You can also give the stems a fresh cut every few days to ensure they’re able to keep drinking.
Pick at the right stage: The vase-life of flowers is affected in part by how far along they are in the process of blooming. While we love the exuberance and ephemerality of a flower in full-blown glory, you’ll usually get a longer vase-life from one that’s just starting to open. For short-lived flowers like Cosmos and California poppies, picking stems that include unopened buds will extend the life of your bouquet, as you watch them come into bloom in your vase, changing before your eyes.
Chicken and Herb Salad With Nuoc Cham
Nuoc cham, a Vietnamese sauce bright with lime juice and chile, is tossed into this simple, satisfying salad to give it a salty-sweet finish. Thinly sliced bell pepper and shaved cabbage provide crunch, while meat pulled from a store-bought rotisserie chicken — or any leftover chicken — soaks up the dressing. Serve this by itself, or alongside steamed rice or room-temperature cooked rice vermicelli.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bird’s-eye chile or other small hot chile, minced with seeds
1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 loosely packed cups chicken meat (12 ounces, pulled from store-bought rotisserie chicken or roast chicken)
2 cups thinly sliced red or green cabbage
1 small English cucumber, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups peppery leafy greens, such as watercress with tender stems, arugula or mizuna
1 loosely packed cup Thai or sweet basil leaves
1 loosely packed cup mint leaves
1/2 cup crispy fried shallots or onions, store-bought or homemade
PREPARATION
1. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. Add the garlic, chile, lime juice and fish sauce. Stir to combine.
2. Add the chicken, cabbage, cucumbers and bell pepper to the dressing. Toss to coat. Add the leafy greens and the basil and mint leaves. Toss to combine.
3. Divide the salad among bowls, garnish with the crispy shallots and serve immediately.
FARMER’S LOG
Spacewalks
It’s a special time in the garden right now.
If the first few weeks of flowers were the lift off phase — the launch pad, the rockets pushing, gaining speed, and hurtling towards space — then we have now cleared the stratosphere.
It is quiet now. We are surrounded by a galaxy of glittering stars. Many flower beds are going supernova… the full mass of their energy erupting in a blinding display of blooms before the end; This week it’s the trailing amaranth, scented nicotiana, snapdragons, marigolds, angel’s wings, and Russian statice…
From left to right… Top row: Select Watercolor Nicotiana, Oeschberg & Emerald Tassels Amaranth, Schizanthus aka Angel’s Wings | Middle row: Summer Breeze sunflowers, Cupcake cosmos, Queen mix zinnias | Bottom row: Apricotta cosmos, Supercrest celosia, Russian Statice.
And new many new star clusters are flickering into existence this week. The zinnias — enticing in their endless variety and intricacy — are opening more every day; the celosia is pluming, cresting and crashing like waves; and the rudbeckia are going up like 4th of July fireworks, crisp golden balls.
Bees and pollen seekers of all types fly around like space craft all day — and land on soft little moons to sleep each night. Come in early in the morning or late in the evening to catch them in their little beds, or close your eyes in the warm morning sun, and listen to their hum.
We hope you enjoy your spacewalks. Just don’t forget a handful of dill when you return to your ship.
See you in the fields,
David and Kayta
THE BASICS
What time is harvest pick-up?:
Saturday harvest pick-ups run from 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Tuesday harvest pick-ups will run from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
U-pick hours: Oriented members can come to the farm any time, 7 days a week, sunrise to sunset, to u-pick and enjoy the farm.
2025 CSA program dates: Our harvest season will run from Saturday, June 14th through Tuesday, December 9th this year.
Where is the farm? The member parking lot is located at 1720 Cooper Rd., Sebastopol, CA 95472.
Slow on Cooper Rd. Out of respect for our neighbors and the many kids and animals that live on Cooper Rd., please drive slow (20 mph)!
Where should I park?: Follow our sign on Cooper Rd. down a short gravel driveway. Please find a parking spot under the solar panels to your left, or on either side of the road in front, or below, the greenhouse.
Where is the food? The produce pick-up barn is just to the right of the solar panels and above our big greenhouse. You can’t miss it!
What should I bring?:
Former members, please bring your WCCF tote bag! (New members will be given a new one.)
Pint baskets or small containers for strawberries and herbs (if you have some, we will provide a few pint baskets to be used as measures)
A vase, bucket, or water bottle to keep your flowers and herbs happy
Clippers or secateurs to cut flowers (if you have some)
Water / sun hat / picnic supplies if you plan to stay awhile!
Newsletters & email communication: All our important CSA communications are sent through this email address, which is sometimes spam blocked. Please make sure this email address is in your address book so you get important CSA communications. All newsletters and important updates, like this one, are also posted on the Newsletters page of our website weekly.
