July 26 Stearns Farm CSA News

The sunshine warms us again with its loving rays. Let's slather on some SPF, pull up a lawn chair and see what treasures abound this week:

• See below for a list of what to expect in your share this week.

• Ember divulges a few secrets on keeping our cut bouquets daisy fresh all week long.

• The PYO Flower Garden is now open to the public!

• First time Back to School Sharers - mark your calendars for next month's orientation.

• More herbs are ready to leave the Culinary Garden and make their way into our kitchens.

• This week, we're coming to the rescue with two quick, one-pot entrees (translation: less dishes to wash).

Stay healthy, happy and safe and see you all next week!

In Your Share This Week

Classic Harvest take 11, Farmer’s Choice take 8: Fennel/kohlrabi choice, chard/kale choice, carrots, beets, basil/parsley/cilantro choice, peppers, onions/scallions choice, squash, celery, cucumbers, cabbage, tomatillos/cherry tomatoes choice.

PYO: Herbs (look for the stars), 14 flower blooms, 1/2 pint blueberries.

Although the crops listed on this page represent what the farmer anticipates will be available this week, the vegetables you receive may be different due to weather conditions and other factors that affect production. For an overview of the ebb and flow of the harvest throughout the season, check out the Harvest Chart.

Making Blooms Last

Whether you are a CSA member or a community member excited to start picking in our PYO flower garden, I hope you enjoy everything we are growing this year. The recent cloudy, rainy days have slowed growth and blooming in some of our plants, but there is still plenty to pick! Whatever you end up picking, I’d like to share some tips and tricks to keep your flowers looking good all week long.

Self-Serve Flower Garden Now Open

The Stearns Farm PYO Flower Garden is welcoming members of the public starting today! People can visit the farm anytime during daylight hours (from dawn until dusk) to pick their flowers for purchase.

Back to School Orientation Dates

If you are a NEW Stearns member who purchased a 2021 Back to School Share, you are cordially invited to join us for an orientation session next month.

Chives, Rosemary, Edible Flowers & More

Thank you to everyone who has been attentive to harvesting herbs in a mindful way! Please watch Ember’s informative and helpful video on “Harvesting Herbs the Right Way”. As a community, if we are all attentive to picking herbs carefully, there will be more than enough for everyone through the rest of the season. As a reminder, If you do not see a yellow star next to the name of the herb, that means the herb is not open.

Eat Your Share

Both of the recipes featured call for several ingredients in this week's share and make for easy leftovers the following day. Because who wants to stay in front of a hot stove when it's even hotter outside?

The Italian Sausage and Pasta Pot is ready in two steps and freezes well, if you want to do a bit of meal prep for the week ahead. While the Vegetable Cabbage Soup is super filling, ready in 40 minutes and can easily accomodate anything else you wish to add.

For more simple, delicious recipes like these, check out the Stearns Farm CSA recipe archive and find a new favorite. Search by ingredient and see where it takes your taste buds.