Mother nature gave us some much needed rain last week. The plants, and unfortunately the weeds, are looking very happy.

The rain gave us some time to catch up on indoor activities. We potted up a variety of vegetables. To save space, we usually start up to 450 seeds in a flat tray. Once the baby plants get their seed leaves (their first set of leaves), we transfer them (aka potting up) to a tray with 72 cells. These 72 cell trays are where they will continue to grow until they are ready to be transplanted to their forever home in the field or greenhouse. 

The rain also gave us time to cut seed potatoes for planting. If you don’t know, seed potatoes are a specific potato that is grown with the sole intention of it being planted. They look identical to the potatoes we eat, but they are grown under very specific conditions. It is grown in designated fields by specific farmers. These farmers carefully watch the plants to ensure none of them get a disease. If you plant a potato from a diseased plant, you subject your entire potato crop to the disease. We cut the potatoes so each piece has two eyes which ensures a higher possibility of 100% emergence. Once the potatoes are cut, we allow them to sit for a day or two so the flesh can start to dry out and produce a protective callous. This locks in moisture, and keeps out bacteria and bad organisms, which prevent the potato pieces from rotting.

Once the sky cleared up, we spent some time in the fields getting more brassicas planted, doing some weeding, and setting up our trellis fencing for the peas.

This week we will be focusing on getting the rest of our storage cabbage planted in the field, and seeding some of your Summer favorites. The first rounds of green beans and dill will be in the ground by the end of the week!

In your box this week:

Lettuce – Turnips – Green Onions – Spinach – Rhubarb – Radishes

Turnips seem to be one of those foods people either love or hate. Most people who dislike them object to their peppery taste. If you’re one of those people, check out this recipe for Honey Glazed Turnips. Cooking the turnips will mellow out the peppery flavor a little bit. Adding the honey makes most of it go away. This recipe is also great with radishes.

We are sending some big heads of romaine this week. These Asian Lettuce Wraps are a great way to use up some of the romaine, aside from making another salad. This recipe is a summer staple in my house. It’s easy to make, and easy to customize. You can swap out the protein, add more veggies, and top them with an variety of items. Your green onions are a must with this recipe. Also try topping with any leftover radishes from last week, peanuts, or kimchi.

I love a French 75! This one with fresh rhubarb syrup is on repeat every spring. It combines a homemade rhubarb syrup with all the classic components of a French 75. It’s light, bright, and not too sweet. Perfect for a sunny day on the deck. If you prefer non alcoholic drinks, you can mix this syrup with sparkling water and a little lemonade. I like to garnish the non alcoholic version with an orange peel, to add another depth of flavor.