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THIS WEEK’S SUBSCRIBER MENU:
Clockwise from Left:
• Swiss Chard
• Sweet Salad Onions
• Pea Shoots
• Collard Greens
• Green Garlic
• Leaf Fennel
COMING SOON
• Salad Greens
• Arugula
• Spinach
I meant to write last week, but then we got so busy all I could manage was the list of items. I hope everyone found the Cardoon recipes in the How To Eat It list.
I had so hoped for salad greens last week, but we had them planted in the greenhouse because it was so cold in March and April. But when it turned 95° outside, it was much hotter than that inside. The salad fried. The radishes gave up. So, artificial spring was over, and we turned to the real spring. Luckily we have salad greens and spinach outside that are four weeks old now and nearly ready to harvest. We should have both next week. We got them all cleaned up and hoed a lot of rows, and they’re looking beautiful now.
The hot weather also brought out the dreaded flea beetles, those nasty tiny bugs that quickly shoot holes through anything in the mustard family. Unfortunately, that list includes all the spring favorites like arugula, pepper cress, mizuna, and baby bok choy. We are trying to rescue a few of those, but we will probably have to start over with arugula because it just tastes bitter—a defense response to the sudden attack.
We are really busy now. I apologize if I can’t return phone calls right now. Email is the best for me because I can sit down at the computer after I get the kids to bed (which happens by 10:00 if I’m lucky, since we don’t eat dinner until 9:00). So please, if you need something from me, email it if you can.
More good stuff to come. There are two weeks of the spring season left, and then the summer shares will start. That means broccoli, peas, and lettuce! Yes, Monique, butter lettuce.
Whistling Train Farm 