CSA WEEK 1

  P i c k l i s t

strawberries - garlic scapes - arugula - bok choy - hakurai turnips -

basil - cilantro plant - plants for your garden!

Holy solstice light let it shine! Wow, what an entrance to Summer we have going on here.  Heat wave, upon strawberry season, upon the most perfect hakurai turnips we’ve ever grown at Edgewater.  Let’s all just knock off, celebrate JUNETEENTH with our CSA bounty, find some water and munch by the river side.  You in? Love this plan, meet ya there.

But don’t wait, start without me, something tells me we here on the farm have a big day of irrigation going on. Three days in a row of over 90 can really make the fields jump, bring on a ton of blossoms, ripen the fruit, and kill any strugglers out there. It’s a real “everything everywhere all at once” vibe.  

But all that aside, welcome! Welcome! Welcome! For all the returning CSA fam,  I’ve absolutely missed picking veg for ya.

And for all the new buds- Hi! Hi!! I am so happy to have you along for the best season of eating there is.  

And in case there is any confusion, these newsletters, recipes, emails, ESP’s, communications, vibrations are brought to you by me, Jenny.  The seeding and growing and picking and washing and setting up for the CSA is a total collaborative effort between all of us at Edgewater, field crew and farmstand crew especially.  

Please holler with any questions, curiosities, comments etc. It’s good to keep the momentum going throughout the season with some light vegetable banter, ya know?

ANYHOW, enter Summer Solstice and welcome this light, a big three cheers for Juneteenth, and goodness gracious enjoy and eat all these berries today, right now, in their absolute  prime. 

FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS: 

ARUGULA: its bagged unwashed, to remove grit, please wash :)

GARLIC SCAPE PESTO (it’s a scape season must)

YIELD About 1 cup recipe from the NYTimes

JENNY’S NOTE: No real measurements here, everything is to taste.

The star of this pesto is the garlic plant’s under-appreciated second offering: the fleeting garlic scape. The ingredients are straightforward except for the substitution of sunflower seeds for pine nuts. The seeds are a fraction of the cost and do the job just as well. A food processor is a must for this recipe. For pesto, ingredient order matters. Start with the scapes and process for about 30 seconds. Add the seeds until they are broken down and mixed well with the scapes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula for wandering bits. Next, pour in the olive oil. If you have Parmesan cheese in chunks, add it now, but if it is grated, wait until the scapes and seeds smooth out. If you’re serving right away, add the basil and lemon juice. If not, hold back on the basil for now — otherwise the pesto will lose its vibrant color. Add generously to cooked spaghetti or spread on crusty bread.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup garlic scapes, sliced crosswise (about 10 to 12 scapes)

  • ¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese

  • ½ cup basil leaves

  • Juice of one lemon
    PREPARATION

  • Place the garlic scapes in a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds.

  • Add the sunflower seeds and pulse for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  • Add the olive oil and process on high for 15 seconds.

  • Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse until the ingredients are combined.

  • Add the basil and lemon juice, and process until reaching the desired consistency.

  • Add salt to taste and serve immediately.

As for all the other crops included in this pick-list, welcome to salad season!

The following are some standby combos and quasi recipes I hold onto to brighten up all these greens for eating:

  • Rice noodle bowls!  Grain bowls!  Perfect vehicle for every green thing. Just add coconut aminos or tamari and sesame oil.  For protein you will have to look elsewhere- but as for the basil, bok choy, hakurai turnips- just chop and fold in.

  • GARLIC SCAPE PESTO SALAD DRESSING: 

    Remember all that garlic scape pesto you intend to make this week)? Take a couple of tablespoons of that and add the following: olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Everything to taste- whisk to combine.  




This Bok Choy Kimchi is a quick kimchi recipe ready in 15 mins.! With Vegetarian or Vegan options, plus detailed instructions on using baby or regular bok choy.

  • 1 lb baby bok choy

  • 1 garlic scape

  • 2 bulb spring onions

For the sauce:

  • 0.4 oz garlic cloves 2 large, grated

  • 0.1 oz Ginger a tiny small knob, grated

  • 1.5 tbsp coconut aminos

  • 1 tsp coarse sea salt

  • 0.5 tbsp fish sauce

  • 1.5 tbsp gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes

  • 1 tbsp maple syrup

  • 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

For the garnish: Toasted rice sesame seeds, Toasted sesame oil to taste

Prep:

  1. Halve the baby bok choy, rinse, and pat them dry. Thinly slice the garlic scape and chop the spring onions. If using larger sized bok choy, separate them into leaves and make crosswise cut into small pieces.

  2. In a separate bowl, combine the sauce ingredients from garlic to vinegar.

Mix:

  1. For baby bok choy (halved): In a big mixing bowl, add the bok choy, onion, and the sauce. Gently toss to combine. Take care not to bruise the leaves.

  2. For larger bok choy (diced-up): Add the bok choy stalks, onion, and half the amount of sauce to the mixing bowl. Toss to combine for 2 minutes. Then add the leaves and the remaining sauce to combine for 1 minute.

Serve:

  1. Transfer them onto a large serving plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds, sesame oil, and scallions. You can serve them right away or chill them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks but best consume within 2-3 days for the crunchiest bok choy kimchi!

Notes

  • When you first combine the bok choy with the sauce, they will seem dry. Gently toss to distribute the seasoning evenly. The bok choy will continue releasing water as they marinate, creating a saucier consistency.

  • Select bok choy with firm stalks so they will last longer, more juicy, and crunchy.

  • Add an apple: If you don’t want to use maple syrup, apples will add sweetness to the dish. Add it to a blender or food processor with sauce ingredients and blend until creamy.

  • Korean plum vinegar: You can use it in place of maple syrup and apple cider vinegar.

  • Vegan fish sauce or Yondu seasoning (a South-Korean brand of all-purpose, savory umami seasoning) will keep this recipe vegan/vegetarian.

  • To store: Store in the fridge in jars with a tight lid for up to 2 weeks. The kimchi will continue to ferment slowly in the fridge and the texture will turn softer.

  • To make ahead: Pack the sauce and the bok choy separately. Combine them before serving.