We have had some really nice rains out here, one small hail storm, but mostly gentle, soaking rain. The river is up. The dust is down. Everything is looking very lush. It is muddy in the irrigated field which makes some aspects of field work very difficult or impossible, but, for the most part, the rain is a huge relief. We harvested the first few zucchinis this week. And the first carrots, as you know. The first round of market cabbages are heading up- we might harvest some next week. There are green fruits on the tomato plants and flower buds on the peppers.
Every produce item has its optimal storage conditions. Many vegetables fall into the category of 'cold & moist'. Cold means 34-38 degrees: refrigerator temperature. Moist essentially means zero water loss to evaporation: 95-98% humidity: tied in a produce bag (like the lettuce bags). Cold & moist = in a bag in the refrigerator: lettuce, kale, chard, green onion, beet, carrot, turnip, radish, cabbage, parsley.
You will receive carrots in your share for the next month or so. The greens should be cut off for storage because leaves loose lots of water. Roots will store in a bag in the refrigerator for many months. I am not exaggerating. Months. One year I had some celeriac roots in a bag in the crisper drawer for 11 months and they were perfectly fine!
I will have garlic in the share every other week from now on. If you need more garlic than that, it will be available for sale every week. If anyone would like to order bulk garlic, it is $6/pound for 5 pounds or more.
This is our very favorite beet recipe. We like to make big batches of these so that we can have them as leftovers on salads or in our grain bowls. Even the boys, who claim to dislike cooked vegetables, gobble them up. Marinated Roasted Beets Beets cut into about 3/4 inch cubes Balsamic Vinegar Thyme- a small handful of fresh or a spoonful of dried optional additions Black Pepper Oil- you could use butter, olive oil or whatever you are comfortable with Garlic minced Squeeze of lemon Salt- i actually never add salt, but you could i suppose Mix everything in a bowl and let sit for a few hours. You can also just throw it in the oven if you don't have time to marinate. I like to use a lot of balsamic vinegar, half a cup or more in a 9x13in roasting pan (i would use about three bunches worth of beets in this size pan. Use a smaller pan for fewer beets) Roast in a covered roasting pan at 400-425 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes- until the beets are completely soft and the liquid has reduced.