Week one is under our belts. We hope you are enjoying all the fresh greens! There is a lot more where that came from. I thought I’d tell you a little bit about the pea tendrils we put in the shares. The picture above is of a snap pea plant growing in the field. The tendrils are reaching out to grab on to the trellis to hold the plant vertical. With the right fertility these plants can get 6 feet tall before July!
The pea tendrils we put in bags and eat as greens are produced in trays in the greenhouse. It allows us to use our greenhouse space even more productively (although at this time of year we are basically just filling up the spaces where we might otherwise walk the place is so packed!). Tendrils really isn’t the right name for what we bag for the CSA. Pea greens, or pea shoots might be more accurate. My cousin, Greg, re-named them ‘pea ticklers’ when we brought some to Thanksgiving last year.
We soak pea seed for a few days then spread them in trays and cover them for another few days to wait for uniform germination. We use organic 4010 field pea seeds from Lakeview Organic Grain in upstate NY. – they are super cool, and send a great newsletter.
After we have germination and the seeds have set into the soil we take the covers off and they look like the photo above. It takes about 5-7 days for them to really green up, but once they do they start to grow fast! It takes about 3 weeks from when we start to soak pea seed until we harvest. Which is actually amazingly fast!
We hope you enjoy them. We like to just eat them in salad or toss them in with a cooked pasta and Alfredo sauce. Or stir them in at the end of a stir-fry.
So, now that you know a little more about peas you probably want to know, what’s in the share?
Spinach: 1 bunch
Lettuce Mix: 1 bag
Kale/Swiss Chard: 1 bunch choice
Tokyo Bekana: 1 Small bunch
Bok Choy: quantity TBD
Scallions: 1 bunch
Bagged greens: TBD
Storage potatoes: 1 pound
Here’s what Jess Suggests for recipes:
Scallions & Bok Choy:
Mild, crispy and tender – Baby Bok Choy is delicious eaten raw and I will frequently slice it into thin strips and toss it with a salad dressing or just munch on the leaves whole. My kids? Not so much. This stir-fry is quick and easy and the ginger-honey dressing is so delicious even the kids will love it.
Stir fried chicken and Bok Choy https://amindfullmom.com/stir-fried-chicken-bok-choy/
Lettuce (probably 2 heads, or bagged loose):While my family isn’t vegetarian we try and eat vegetarian at least a few nights a week. This Southwestern Salad with Avocado Dressing is always a big hit, even with my meat loving husband, and I almost always have the ingredients on hand.
http://pinchofyum.com/spicy-southwestern-salad-avocado-dressing
Choice: Kale or Swiss Chard:
Swiss Chard is packed with nutrients and antioxidants and pairs perfectly with Italian sausage and pasta in this quick weeknight dish. This recipe is very forgiving and will accept more or less chard depending on what you have on hand. Swap out sweet Italian sausage if you’re not into spicy.
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/m/recipe/penne-with-chard-and-sausage.html
Spinach, 1 bunch:
This Strawberry-Chicken Salad with Pecans is a sure sign of spring and we need that with all the cold, rainy days we’ve been having. I love to add poppyseeds to the dressing and I substitute whatever kind of nuts I have on hand – it’s great with almonds, walnuts or pistachios if you’re out of pecans. Sometimes I take out the chicken and toss in some mushrooms and have it as a side salad.
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/strawberry-chicken-salad-pecans
Micro greens and storage potatoes:
We love breakfast for dinner at my house. Eggs are something most people have on hand all the time and if you’re like us and have your own chickens, eggs for dinner becomes mandatory so we’re not overrun with eggs. This Crispy Bacon-Hash Browns and Egg dish can be served in individual ramekins or just toss it all into an 8×8” pan. Top it with your vitamin packed micro greens and dinner is done!
https://cookingontheweekends.com/bacon-hash-browns-and-egg-casserole/
1 bunch Tokyo Bekana:
Tokyo Bekana is a mild lettuce-like cabbage with tender ruffly leaves. I’m planning on tucking mine into these spring rolls with coconut milk poached chicken, basil, mint and grated carrots and a sesame-ginger sauce. My kids will eat almost anything if it’s wrapped up into a roll whether it’s a burrito or these spring rolls. In a hurry? Skip the poaching and use rotisserie chicken (or shrimp or tofu). Don’t want to deal with rolling the rice paper wraps? Just serve it all as a salad. Got leftover cilantro from last week’s share? Toss it in!
Upswing Farm 