Week 9 (plus a Week 8 Recap!)

Hello CSA members!
Here it is, week 9, and we're still going strong! We are sorry we did not post on last week's box...it turned out to be a very busy week and before we knew it, it was Thursday again! We spent all day last Friday harvesting our meat chickens for the school. It was an intense day, but all went smoothly. And now we have almost 130 pounds of chicken for the school kitchen!

The lovely Montana, on slaughter day. 

The usual suspects were in the box last week, nothing really out of the ordinary...
Cauliflower, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chard, Fennel, Kale, Basil, Onions, Snap Peas, Celery, and Herbs.

However, in your box THIS WEEK, there are some new players!!

We've begun to harvest our beans and peas!
In the full share you'll see:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Braising Mix
Squash
Kale
Chard
Celery
Beans
Cucumbers
Peas
Basil
Cabbage
Herbs
Flower Bouquet

The half share contains:
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Braising Mix
Squash
Kale
Chard
Celery
Basil
Cabbage
Herbs
Flower Bouquet

The peas in your box are GARDEN Peas, aka shelling peas or English peas, (Laxton's #9 from Johnny's Seeds, if you're interested in the variety).  If you bite into the shell, you'll find it tough and not very tasty. But take the peas out of the shell and cook them fresh! Delicious!!

The colorful bean medley is:

Tavera

Gold Rush

Royal Burgundy 

The purple beans will turn green when cooked, and all three are delicious lightly steamed and served with some butter. Simple. Amazing.


The braising mix, or Mesclun Mix (also from Johnny's) is great as a salad or sauteed as a side dish.


Our broccoli heads are almost all gone, and now we'll begin harvesting the side shoots, as the season continues. There are still some veggies to look forward to: carrots, potatoes, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and hopefully tomatoes. These past few weeks will be the biggest boxes of the season, and we hope that you've appreciated them in their fullness. This has not been a typical weather year for the Matanuska Valley, and if you've been overwhelmed by the amount in your boxes, we hope you've been able to share with friends and preserve what was possible. It's been such a joy for our team to share our garden's bounty with you, and we hope that next year we'll have this sun again!!

It will all depend on the weather for the rest of the season, as to how long we will continue to harvest. We've begun to sow our open spots in the garden with cover crop, in an attempt to keep the soil protected with roots during the fall and winter winds. We still have a ton of kale, chard, basil, squash, peas, beans, and more. Thanks for your support and see you next week!!

~Your garden crew