CSA Spring Share 2013 - Week #3 (23 October/26 October)

WHAT’S IN THE BOX The following are the items harvested this week.  Items and quantities in your box may vary depending on your harvest day and the total harvest of each crop.  The boxes are completely governed by what is ripe and ready for harvest and how much of it there is.  We endeavor to divide the harvest fairly.  A "*" next to an item indicates that this is something that is being rotated through the boxes.  If you did not receive it this week, expect it in the next one or two weeks.   "F" indicates that this item is in the full share box.   "H" indicates that this item is in the half share box.

NOTES ON STORING THE HARVEST Please check out our Vegetable & Fruit page on the website to find tips on maximizing the life of your veggies.  We envisage that many of the vegetables you are receiving this week will last for two weeks with careful attention to storing upon arrival. Although we do wash all the greens after harvest, we are washing to take the heat out of the plants and wash away some surface dirt, not to prepare them for consumption.  We also spray a seaweed/herb brew about every ten days.  While this will not harm you, it does have a taste. We do suggest washing your produce prior to eating.

NOTES ON THE SHARE *Artichokes – There are two varieties being harvested 'Green Globe' and 'Purple Jesi'.  The 'Purple Jesi' have thorns on the tops so be careful.  These are easily cut off before steaming or grilling.  We like steamed artichokes. Broad Bean Shoots – We still had some broad beans to top so have added these again as they work well cooked with broad beans. Broad Beans – We have been wading our way through the blown over broad beans to harvest the pods ready - such a delicious food of Spring. *Cauliflower - We are harvesting heads from an Autumn sown crop of 'Green Macerata'.  This is an heirloom green cauliflower...but with heirloom seeds, sometimes they grow "untrue" to their parent.  Such is the case with this planting.  The heads being produced are either true green cauliflower or a broccoli-flower.  Both are delicious!  The broccoli and its broccolini work great in a stir fry. We are also harvesting from an Autumn sown crop of "Purple Sicily", another Italian heirloom.  We grew this in the Autumn and produced cauliflower that was purple.  But the same seed overwintered has produced small heads of purple broccoli-flower.  Still delicious.  It works well added to a stirfry, steamed or baked! Lazy Lettuce – This is a mix of ten different lettuce varieties harvested at the "teenage" stage. Mint – Bunch in every box. You can freeze the leaves in ice cubes if you do not use this in a salad. Mibuna – With a mild, spicy flavour, this Asian green is good raw ( mixed into salads) or braised in a stir-fry. Mung Bean Sprouts – The crisp and juicy sprouts are very nutritious, rich in protein (20%), iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus selenium, zinc and vitamins B1, B2, B3, B12, B17, E, A, C; they help regulate cholesterol. Although these are ready to eat, you can keep growing the sprouts longer by putting them in a jar on your counter. Rinse and drain them twice a day. Enjoy these raw or cooked. Radishes – -H-  'Champion' and 'French Breakfast'.  These have been harvested very young to produce a mild, succulent radish. Rocket – Bags of tender baby rocket. Spinach – Bags of English spinach. This variety, 'Long Standing Bloomsdale' is very curly and delicious steamed or cooked into curries and soups. Even our children ate it steamed last night without anything added.  The flavour was great! Snow Peas – These are wonderful raw or slightly steamed.  Sweet and tender! Tat Soi – Mature heads of this Asian green nutritious raw or cooked.

NOTES ON WHAT IS GROWING The greens continue this week with the inclusion of some of our Spring "fruits" broad beans and snow peas! Spring is a new season for us and we are still learning the timing of the Spring crops.

Our first broccoli planting is starting to be harvested. Meanwhile the Autumn planted cauliflowers are producing a great array of cauliflowers and broccoli-flowers - all delicious.

The first zucchini flowers are budded in the polytunnel and the first tomatoes have set.  The shelling peas are flowering and carrots and beet root bulking up. This week we will be planting out capsicum and eggplant and first melon planting.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS Simple Broad Beans with Broad Bean tops Moroccan Style Broad Bean Salad with Yogurt and Crunchy Bits - this is a Jamie Oliver recipe that captures the freshness of broad beans Warm Rocket Salad - another Jamie Oliver salad perfect for these cold, rainy days Chlorophyll Paste - a Thermomix recipe that uses greens sent by Ceila Lairba, one of our CSA members and a Thermomix consultant Tat Soi Stir Fry - although this recipe calls for tat soi and cabbage, you can use any stir fry greens you have Snow Peas with Sesame Dressing

You can search our recipes by looking for the key ingredients on our website recipe page.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX EMAILS Expect the What's in the Box email before noon on Wednesday's.  If you do not receive it, please let us know so that we can work out why.

Please note - Photo is of a full share box.  I added a radish bunch from a half share.