2022 CSA Season Week Eight

July 26, 2022

We’ve made it through July! As promised, the boxes are loaded this week. This sunshine has been great for all of us! We hope you’re enjoying your veggies and finding ways to stay cool as the days get hot. What a perfect time to go out and explore the Pacific Northwest.

Special Announcements

We know summers get busy and things get missed, but we want to make sure you get your share! Please don’t forget to check your name off the list to help us keep track, and to make sure you got your share! If your name isn’t on the list, let me know here at the office and I’ll look into it and get back to you the next business day. If you aren’t able to make pick up your box because of vacation, please let us know at least 7 days in advance so we can make the necessary changes. You’re welcome to either take a credit toward next season’s share, or give your box as a tax-deductible donation to Food for Lane County.

Please remember to respect your site location and all the other site members. Please make sure to arrive within the delivery window and let your site host know if you’re unable to pick up your share. We’ve been having a few issues of veggies going missing from boxes, so we would love if everyone could respect their fellow CSA members and only take their own veggies. There will also be covered flats of blueberries and strawberries delivered to some of our members the next couple weeks. We would appreciate if these were only touched by the member who purchased them. Each box or flat we pack has been paid for by a member, and we want to make sure everyone gets what they’ve bought. Please make sure you aren’t inadvertently stealing from your fellow members by only taking veggies from your own box. Thank you so much!

We Have Strawberry Flats Available!

We have an abundance of strawberries this season, and believe it or not, we’ve almost fulfilled our promised number in the boxes already! Because we’re bursting with berries right now, we’re offering our CSA members strawberry flats to be delivered with their normal CSA delivery. The flats are prepared Tuesday and Friday, and orders taken this week will be delivered next week during Week 9. We only have a handful of flats available, so you’ll want to order soon! If you aren’t able to place an order this week, we’ll let you know if we still have berries available for Week 10. As long as we have them, we’ll keep making them available.

If we do run out for CSA, you can always find us at our farmers’ markets! We’re at the Eugene Farm Stand at 18th and Polk Wednesday afternoons, at the Lane County Farmers’ Market in Eugene on Saturdays, and the King Market in Portland on Sundays. Come see us!

Blueberries Are Here!

We’ve partnered with Berkey’s Blueberries again this season, and you will have wonderful blueberries in your box the week of the 12th and the week of the 19th. We will have a limited amount of flats to order on a first come, first serve basis, delivered on the specified dates to the CSA sites to pick up with your share. We will be taking orders exclusively through our website on the products page, available only while supplies last.

If you aren’t able to get a flat from us this time, don’t worry! Click on the link above to connect directly to Berkey’s Blueberries or look for them on Saturdays at the Lane County Farmer’s Market if you’re in the Eugene area.

What’s Going on at the Farm

It’s getting hot out there, and boy are the veggies loving it! Our farmers are out there working hard to harvest all your delicious veggies. Strawberries, basil, potatoes, you name it! Everything’s a little late this year, but they’re popping up fast! The corn is growing, the strawberries are abundant, the cucumbers are almost ready, and the tomatoes are coming along. Each week, we’ll keep adding everything we can. If you can’t wait that long, don’t forget to check out our markets!

What’s in Your Box this Week?

  • Strawberries
  • Blueberries
  • Carrots
  • Green Onions
  • Basil
  • Broccoli
  • Potatoes

Some sites only:

  • Zucchini
  • Cabbage

We aren’t always able to harvest our veggies in equal share, but don’t worry! We’re keeping excellent notes. If we aren’t able to get you something this week, we’ll do our best to get it to you the next time that veggie is available.

Handy Tips:

  • Blueberries: Do NOT rinse blueberries before you’re ready to eat them. They have a natural coating that protects them from decay. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 10 days. You can freeze them on a cookie sheet and store them in Ziploc bags or sealable containers. Fresh or frozen berries can be used to make cakes, breads, and muffins, as well as added to yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, and smoothies.
  • Green Onions: Also known as scallions, green onions should be stored, unwashed, and wrapped loosely in a plastic bag. Put them in the refrigerator, where they will keep for a week. To keep green onions longer, chop off about three-quarters of the tender, green tips. The end closer to the root is less perishable. You can eat the entire green onion. You can use them chopped as a garnish, or use as a substitute for chives. They’re excellent in soups and stews, especially if you add them late in cooking. You can grill, bake, broil, or stir-fry them with a little oil to concentrate their sweetness and favor.
  • Napa Cabbage: Napa Cabbage is cleverly packaged. Just stick dry, unwashed cabbage in the fridge. The outer leaves may eventually get floppy, but you can remove and discard them to reveal fresh, inner leaves. Cabbage can keep for a month, but once it’s cut, it needs to be stored in a plastic bag. Rinse the cabbage under cold running water just before use. Peel away outer leaves (if necessary) and cut cabbage in half through the stem end. Lay flat and quarter it, again through the stem end. Balance each section upright and slice away the triangular core exposed at the base. Then, chop, sliver, or grate the quarters. Use raw cabbage to make coleslaw or sauerkraut. Stir-fry or braise until slightly browned. Use steamed or boiled cabbage leaves to wrap rice or meat fillings.
  • New Potatoes: New Potatoes have not been in the ground long enough for their skins to cure, so they are very fragile. We did wash your potatoes for you, so you will need to keep them in the fridge in a plastic bag, and be sure to eat them soon. No need to peel them, as many of the nutrients are close to the skin. New Potatoes can be prepared in a number of ways. You can boil or steam them, roast them with other root veggies, or saute them with some onions for breakfast home fries.

What We’re Making:

  • While we’re on the subject of comfort food, this Zucchini Gratin looks amazing!
  • Have you ever tried Gyoza? Apparently, that’s the real name for Japanese Pot Stickers, and they look amazing!

This heat has hit us all really fast, but we hope you’re finding ways to stay cool and enjoying time with your loved ones this summer! We’re so excited to be on this food journey with you this season.

Many blessings,

Chelsea and your Winter Green farmers