Frog Holler CSA: CSA Newsletter, June 27, 2020

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

- Margaret Atwood

Remember that sweet white doggie princess from last week's newsletter?

Greetings from the Farm Crew and Critters! It has been a good growing week on the farm, although a little more rain wouldn't hurt. See what y'all can do about that! (We got some on Friday - thanks!)

HERE IS THE BOX FOR THIS WEEK:

Green Bibb

LETTUCE X 2 You will get two heads from these varieties

Green Leaf

Red Leaf

Romaine

SCALLIONS - SPRING GREEN ONIONS

Bright onion flavor for salads and stir-fries

GARLIC SCAPES - garlic-flavored greens for stir-fry, salad and soup

Harvesting these garlic seed-sprouts helps make bigger cloves

KALE - CURLY OR TUSCAN

Firm leaves for stir-fry, soups, kale chips!

Also called "dinosaur kale"

CABBAGE - first tender cabbage harvest!

the lowly cabbage - so versatile and nutritious!

SNOW PEAS - edible pods popular in salads and Asian cuisine

A fleeting spring treat

BULB FENNEL - unique anise-flavored flattened bulb

Popular in French and Italian cuisine

CILANTRO - an acquired taste or acquired addiction!

STORAGE SUGGESTIONS:

Everything will do best with a quick dunk, then drain, place in plastic or veggie-keeper bag, and store in fridge.

RECIPE SUGGESTIONS:

This week we roasted the garlic scapes until almost charred and crispy - very tasty!

We also enjoyed our first feast from neighbor Maan Abdul-Baki, who occasionally provides the crew with authentic Lebanese fare. You can find the recipe for Lebanese Lentil + Chard Soup on p. 60 of the Frog Holler Recipe book and see the actual soup AND the soup-maker here:

Using cilantro, scallions and chard or kale!

I told him to smile! :-)

Bulb Fennel! Not familiar? Try this Shaved Fennel Citrus Salad with Orange Vinaigrette, and make a new friend!

NOTES FROM THE FARM: MEET INTERN MILAN!

Milan (pronounced like the city in Italy, not the town in Michigan!) Anderson is our only residential intern this year, joining us at an uncertain time in late April, but agreeably quarantining for her first two weeks so that she and we felt comfortable together.

Milan graduated from the University of Michigan, majoring in Applied Movement in the School of Kinesiology, with a Minor in Spanish. She followed graduation with pre-med courses at Oakland University until taking a break and heading to some farms for a change of pace. After working at farms in the midwest, Milan taught science in two different Chicago schools. She continued her interest in growing and working with plants at an urban farming initiative in Chicago called Urban Canopy. After volunteering at farms in Puerto Rico this winter, Milan returned to the area where she grew up (Detroit northern 'burbs) and looked for farm work relatively nearby. Enter Frog Holler!

Milan continues her interest in health and healing, but at present is exploring the healing aspects of herbs and wild plants. At the farm she has been harvesting and preserving wild medicinal plants for eventual salves and tinctures. Milan's ongoing interest in herbalism has led to the launch this week of the Fresh-Picked Medicinal Herbs section of our Produce ordering web site! You can see it here: https://froghollerfarm.square.site/ (scroll down) and learn more about the traditional uses of these humble "wild plants" that grow so generously and offer so much.