We are very busy and I have not had time to even write a Blog! My last report on the farming situation said we just received a massive amount of rain rather quickly. You have seen how that affected the joi chois . . . the roots started to rot and the leaves turned yellow. For a while we were able to strip off the outer leaves and still put them in our boxes, but eventually we lost even the “hearts.” This is one of my favorite spring veggies, so I really, really hate this happened! The onions were in one of those field puddles and are not looking good. The broccoli (which you are getting in your boxes now) were stunted. There will be some nice heads in this picking; but when you see what looks like a “stalk” of broccoli, remember that this was supposed to be a “head” of broccoli. And the tops are not quite as beautiful-green as we would prefer. Just another example of how too much rain is not good for one’s garden. You probably would not like having your feet wet for days on end either. We do plant multiple varieties and in multiple gardens, perhaps another will perform better! Time will tell.
Robert made valiant efforts to create extra ditching to remove the water. He actually dug trenches under the black fabric and drip lines (sacrificing some plants) to create drains perpendicular to the garden rows. His efforts made a difference. It was hours of dangerous labor in the pouring rain and the following day. And I could have made an outstanding laundry detergent commercial with the rain gear he was wearing!
Last week he finished planting the winter squash. The summer squash have been hilled and weeded. These plants look beautiful. So do the potatoes! Next the carrots need some weeding attention as well as the cucumbers and cantaloupe. The eggplant and pepper plants are show signs of water-related stress, but we believe they will come out of it and produce in the late summer. The tomato plants are doing a bit better. Our tomatoes will be late this year. Perhaps they always are! We have so many crops to get planted and tomatoes are always near the end of our list. August tomatoes are always sweeter anyhow!
We trust we have thrilled you with at least one unfamiliar vegetable thus far! In the next box you will find red and green romaine, escarole, endive, red kale, red lettuce, purple and green kohlrabi, broccoli, and perhaps some black summer joi. The kohlrabi may be new to many of our CSA Members.
Kohlrabi growing in the garden actually sits on top of the soil in the garden! With a bit of imagination, one might think they have the appearance of little, alien space ships that just landed in a neat row!
I like kohlrabi raw. Robert prefers his slightly sauteed in coconut oil. There is a crunchy kohlrabi salad recipe on the website under “K” as well as some tips for storing and preparing this unique vegetable. And yes, the tops are edible. They will need some time in the saute pan, however!
Cane Creek Asparagus & Company CSA 