Walking to Spring and Organic Egg Share pickup and veggies for sale. Next week: green onions, carrots, and – we hope – squash.

Here are the items you can expect at market {M} and in the CSA {CSA}:

• Note that for best results storing all root vegetables, remove the tops as soon as you get home and store separately from the roots. Use the greens first; the roots will stay fresh longer.
• First cucumbers! {CSA} Personally, I prefer the first cucumbers of the year simply, with salt.
• Napa Cabbage {M/CSA} and White salad turnips {M/CSA}: Try Meghan O’Dea’s recipe for Kimchi, the Easy Way.
• Red Russian {M/CSA} and Toscano Kale {M}, Red Mustard {M/CSA}, Tender Collard Greens {M}, Rainbow and Ford Hook Swiss Chard {M/CSA}, and Spicy Asian Mustard {M}: You have probably noticed the veggies have more holes and are not quite as clean as usual! The bad bugs are in full force and the rain splashes soil up on the plants outside! We prefer not to wash the plants and place them in bags, but sometimes they are harvested wet due to the weather. Recently Olivia and I (our amazing Farm Help with harvesting, packing up and identifying native medicinal plants), harvested greens that had thick morning dew on them and we have harvested in the rain. We always have to go with the weather and situation! Heat, Freeze, Rain, Weeds, Bugs, Disease! We are nearing the end of the greens as we move into summer. Preserve some for later: how to freeze greens
• Green leaf lettuce {CSA}: If you are tired of salad (such as Caesar Salad with baby romaine or a hearty one), try lettuce soup. Yes, lettuce soup! I first learned of it in A Severed Wasp by Madeleine L’Engle. The main character describes it as “A French way of using up lettuce when it starts to bolt. Lettuce and chicken stock, basically…” I’ve made it with shredded lettuce wilted in a homemade chicken stock, but there are many different recipes on the internet, including three in this article.
• Daikon Radish with greens {M/CSA}: Use the greens along with your Asian greens, collards, mustard, and/or kale. Daikons are especially yummy roasted with ghee until caramelized.
• Gonzalez Cabbage {M}: This is just the right sized cabbage. Shred with Napa cabbage for a unique coleslaw or slice in circles and roast, topping with fennel seeds or caraway.
• Beets {CSA}: Roasted beets are fabulous on a salad and provide a nice visual contrast to the green leaf lettuce. Purée roasted beets and stir into mashed potatoes for fun color.
• Kale flowers {M}: Use these to top your salads, as garnishes other dishes, or in drinks .

Organic Egg Shares available, 1 dozen a week for 12 weeks! Don’t wait to get signed up! You can come see us at market or go to Tant Hill Farm Egg Shares Call 423-637-9793 for more info!

We’ll also be at the Brainerd Farmers Market Saturday morning from 10-noon.