- Spinach
- Carrots
- Rainbow Swiss Chard
- Assorted Varieties of Tomatoes
- Fresh Basil
- Leeks
- Cilantro
- Tomatillos
- Sweet Peppers
This Week's Fruit Share:
- Red Raspberries
- Paula Red Apples
- Ozark Premier Red Plums
Know Your Food, Know Your Farmer
We're now more than half way through the fresh fruit season, and I thought I'd take a moment to tell you a little bit about the family who grows the fruit for our CSA members. Mick Klug, his wife Cindy, and daughters Abby and Amy farm about 120 acres between St. Joseph and Berrien Springs near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Because of the moderating effect that Lake Michigan has on the climate, that area is particularly well-suited to growing fruit. Mick was born and raised on the farm that his parents puchased in 1940. When Mick was growing up, his parents' farm was very diversified. They grew a wide range of crops including strawberries, asparagus, currants, tomatoes, peaches and much more. Gradually though, fruit farms in the area, including the Klug farm, began to specialize in just a handful of crops, namely peaches and juice grapes for Welch's. It was during the 1980s, after Mick had taken over the farm, that he realized that direct marketing and a return to crop diversity was the best way to keep his operation viable. Today, Mick and Cindy, have a highly-diversified farm that employs 15 people. Mick says that even though development pressure in their area is pretty intense, the buy-local movement is helping his farm to survive and to thrive!
Here are some pictures of Mick, the peach orchard, the apple orchard and the vineyard.
- Leeks are members of the lily family and are close relatives of onions, garlic, shallots and chives. Leeks are milder than most onions and tend to get sweeter as they cook. When using leeks, cut the tops off about 2 inches above the white section. Then cut them in half lengthwise and wash any dirt out from between the layers. Leeks may be sauteed, braised, grilled, baked or eaten raw. Store them in the refrigerator.
- The tomatillo, also known as the husk tomato, plays an important role in Mexican cuisine. It is the primary ingredient in salsa verde, a popular salsa that also calls for garlic, onion, chile peppers, cilantro and lime juice. Store at room temperature, with husks on, for up to 2 weeks. For longer-term storage, refrigerate in husks, but not in a plastic bag.
- In contrast to the relatively modest yield we are seeing from our field-grown tomatoes, our hoophouse tomatoes are producing like crazy. Today we harvested about 900 pounds from the 2 hoophouses, which means that each CSA member will receive 3 pounds in addition to your field-grown tomatoes!
- Summer spinach can be hit-or-miss depending on the weather. Spinach really doesn't like hot, dry weather. We haven't had too much hot, dry weather lately, so this planting of spinach turned out great. Everybody will get at least a pound this week. Enjoy it now as there probably won't be more spinach for at least a month.
- Fall-bearing raspberries are just starting to ripen. As always, keep in mind that fresh raspberries are very delicate and should be eaten within a couple of days. The best way to store them is to line a plate with a paper towel. Spread the raspberries on the paper towel in a single layer and refrigerate.
This Week's Recipes
