Share #2 (and #1 for some!), June 25, 2011

In the box:

Collards - big round "platter" leaves (see photo!)
Spinach - bagged
Lettuce - Green Bibb, soft light green rosettes
Garlic Scapes - green stalks with curly ends
Scallions (Green onions)
Baby Beets - dark red, small globes, dark green/red leaves
Radishes - bright pinkish-red, light green leaves
Fresh herbs: Arugula - small bunch, light green leaves
Dill - small bunch, fern-like leaves, darker green
Sprouts - a mix of Alfalfa, Mung Bean, Aduki, Red Clover, Radish
Strawberries - the patch is winding down...:-(

Edwin and Angie reach for the last berries

Notes on the box:

Collards - full of nutrition like its Kale cousins. Cook like Kale.
Spinach - see last week's newsletter for nutritional info
Lettuce - ditto above
Garlic Scapes - see last week's newsletter for more info and recipes
Baby Beets - Our first harvest of beets; they will continue to size up over the next few weeks. Use the greens too; they are tender and flavorful.Toss into stir-fry or soups; chop into salads. Very nutritious!
Radishes - you can also use these greens. Steam, saute, or throw into stir-fry for a spicy nutritious green option with a mild mustard flavor.
Fresh Herbs: Arugula and dill. From the Joy of Cooking, first edition: Confucius, a wise man, refused to eat anything not in season. Everyone who has tasted the difference between food served with fresh rather than dried herbs knows how wise he was. Enjoy these fresh herbs!

Storage tips for your share: First off, you are getting fresh-from-the-farm produce, so you're ahead of the game to start with. But in order to keep your veggies at the peak of their flavor and crispness, here are a few suggestions.

Most greens keep best if you give them a quick rinse, shake offthe excess water, and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. The thicker greens such as kale and collards will keep a little longer than the thinner leaved greens such as lettuce, chard, spinach and arugula.

Folks have the most success keeping salad mix by spinning off some of the moisture and storing in a plastic bag in the fridge. Some customers have gone to elaborate lengths such as layering the salad mix between sheets of paper towels to extend its freshness. That might help but it's a lot of work. Just get your mix relatively dry and enjoy!

Beets and radishes keep best and stay firm if the roots are cut from the greens. Store in separate plastic bags - the roots, of course, will keep longer than the greens.

Opinions differ on the best way to keep fresh herbs. Some folks like to place the herb stems in a glass of water in the refrigerator (some also cover the glass lightly with a plastic bag). Others simply treat the herbs like greens: rinse, drain and store in plastic. Fresh Dill also freezes very well: simply chop, place in plastic bag and freeze.

This has been a week of harvesting the early crops, planting the late crops, and weeding weeding weeding all the crops. In the above photo, the crew heads out of the new lettuce patch after weeding all afternoon, while Billy seeds a new patch in the next bed.

Frog Holler Recipe Box

Chickpea Spinach Soup is a hearty recipe using several of your share box items.

Emily Foley, our featured intern, suggests this tasty Beet Salad.



Meet the Interns: Emily Foley

Emily graduated from U-M in 2009 with a BA in Screen Arts and Culture. She must have also had a Minor in world travel; since graduating from high school in 2005 , Emily has spent a summer in Ethiopia, two semesters in Capetown, South Africa, two months in Nepal, and a month in Israel! Emily grew up in Boston, but comes to Frog Holler from Brooklyn, NY, where she has been living for the past year doing freelance film work. Emily leaves the farm at the end of July to film a Kundalini Yoga Conference outside of Paris, France.

Emily arrived at Frog Holler in early May, and shortly after her arrival, volunteered her time and talent to create a video of last year's Holler Fest. She condensed footage from eight hours (!) of film taken by intern Kirstin Pope into a lively two-minute synopsis of Holler Fest highlights. Check it out!

Emily delighted the lucky lunch bunch this week with her version of a dish she enjoyed in Nepal: Momos. They are a Tibetan dumpling, filled with tasty spicy veggies. In the photo, the momos have not yet received their delicious sauce.

Emily has covered a lot of ground, but is also very much at home on the Frog Holler ground (and in the Frog Holler pond!). Emily comes from a food-conscious family, and, while at U-M, she worked at Zingerman's and was one of the leaders of the Zingerman's Edible Landscape program, which connects the gardens around the deli to the food being served at the restaurant. An interest in deepening her experience of farming and community brought her to Frog Holler; we appreciate Emily's enthusiasm and creativity and are very glad to be a stop on Emily's world tour!

2nd of July Party

You are all welcome to come out and see the farm on the 2nd. Camping is an option for those who would like to stay; we appreciate your letting us know if you plan to camp.


There will be walking trails and self-guided farm tours during the day (after 4 PM). We have a lovely swimming hole, but it is not kid-friendly (no wading) so please keep that in mind. Potluck is scheduled for 6 PM with live music starting around 7 or 7:30 - a preview of some of the bands/ musicians who will be playing at Holler Fest.

Hope to see you!