Lookin' purdy

Hey Guys! We hope this week's newsletter finds you well and hopefully not completely overdosed on Wooden Hill lettuce. You've undoubtedly been eating salads galore, but alas, all good lettuce crops must come to an end. The heat from the last couple of weeks was enough to send most of the remaining lettuce heads bolting to the sky and make it bitter, bitter, bitter. We've still got some romaine in the ground, so we'll see how much it can put up with. Speaking of heat! Can we talk about this amazing cooool weather we've got goin' on here?! Incredible! The spring we wish we had! Sweet relief! Just when you thought you couldn't take it anymore! Now if we could just get some more of that wet stuff to fall from the sky.
This week has been all about irrigation and making the farm look purdy. Tomatoes got strung, corn got hoed (and is knee high by the 4th of July), the bug wars continued with a particularly gory battle in the eggplant-Marley vs. the Potato Beetles. Roadways got mowed, cucurbit vines were whipped into shape, and the herb garden's lookin' as fine as ever. Most importantly, Farmer Dave made his return to Wooden Hill this week. This is Dave's 2nd year helping us on the farm part time. He has superb mowing skills, can wield a hoe with ninja like precision and can cook up one meeean pot of chili. But above all, he's a he, which Charlton is extremely grateful for. Charlton likes working with the ladies, but enough is enough. It's nice to have a change.
This weeks share will bring in a couple new crops. The beets you'll get are a mix of three different varieties. Chioggia appears normal on the outside, but are red and white striped inside. Marley's brother hated beets until he tried these guys! There's also a standard red beet as well as one called Bulls Blood which you'll notice is a very dark purple and a bit smaller. You'll also be getting our Red Norland potatoes this week! At this point in the year the skins are not fully set (also known as "new" potatoes). If you decide to store these guys for a while, keep an eye on any nicks on the skins. Sometimes these are the spots where they may start to go. We've also left some soil on the potatoes which can help protect them and keep them longer.

CROP OF THE WEEK
CARROTS

The carrots we know and love today were actually bred from the wild carrot. They were selected overtime for their larger, sweeter roots and are believed to have originated in both Asia and the Netherlands. Although we all think of carrots as orange, there are in fact white, red, yellow and purple carrots too. We'll probably be growing a variety called "purple haze" in the fall! Carrots are actually a "biennial" crop. During the first year of growth the carrot puts on leaves and stores all its nutrients and sugars in the root (the part we eat). If left in the ground, the carrot will use this stored energy to flower and set seed in the second year. Carrots are rich in Vitamins A, K and C. Carrots can promote healthy vision and healthy digestion and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer and even lower blood cholesterol.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Potato Salad for the Holiday Weekend
8 medium red potatoes
2/3 cup chopped onion
chopped parsley(to your taste)
1 cup mayo
2/3 cup sour cream
2 and a half TBSP sugar (or to taste)
2 and a half TBSP white vinegar
3TSP dry mustard (a prepared brown mustard works well too)
Salt and pepper to taste
* we also like to add some chopped celery and or grated carrots

Prepare potatoes and combine with onion and parsley. Combine all other ingredients in separate bowl and pour over potatoes. Mix and refrigerate for at least an hour. Letting it cool longer will allow the flavors to really meld

Carrots a la Dave
shred carrots, dice up a little bit of onion and some garlic if ya like. Saute in pan with oil, honey, a dash of chili powder, black pepper and a little soy sauce. Eat as is, or use to make mini stuffed cabbage rolls!