• Lettuce
• Kale
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Fennel bulb
• Spinach
• Sweet onions
• Strawberries
• Zucchini ~ some sites only

Special Announcements:

We wanted to remind you that if you are going out of town for this upcoming Fourth of July weekend, please get in touch with Linda in the office so we can make arrangements for your share of the harvest! Thank you!

Also, if you want to order blueberries, please email folks@wintergreenfarm.com or call Linda in the office (541 935 1920) instead of here on the blog. If we have too many orders coming in from different places it can get hard for Linda to keep track of everyone’s berries, thank you! Here is the blueberry ordering schedule if you are interested in getting some bulk blueberries this season:

• For delivery on July 7th or 8th, your order must be in by the morning of July 2nd
• For delivery on July 14th or 15th, your order must be in by the morning of July 9th
• For delivery on July 10th, 11th or 12th, your order must be in by the morning of July 8th
• For delivery on July 17th, 18th, or 19th, your order must be in by the morning of July 15th

Vegetable Handling and Preparation Tips:

FENNEL: Wash Fennel bulb and store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, wrapping delicate leaves in a moist paper towel, for up to 2 weeks. Fennel can be eaten raw, baked, steamed or sautéed. The tops can be used as a garnish, taste delicious baked with fish, or added to soups at the end. You can also use the tops as a substitute for dill.

KALE: Wash kale leaves well, by dipping in a sink of cool water several times, to flush out soil and garden stowaways. Remove stems from kale leaves by folding leaf in half lengthwise, and stripping or slicing away thick stems. Baby or tender young leaves may be cooked stem and all. Wrap Kale in a damp towel or in a plastic bag and refrigerate, preferably in a hydrator drawer, for up to 1 week.

You can steam mature Kale leaves approx. 4-5 minutes, depending on age, size, and amount in steamer. It’s ready when limp, but still retains texture. Kale is also delicious in a stir fry, or added at the end to soups. Kale chips are also a popular way to enjoy this healthy green, I’ll put a recipe in the section below… For long term storage, kale can be frozen. Wash, de-stem, and blanch leaves for 2 minutes. Rinse in cold water, drain, and pack into airtight containers (ziplock bags) and freeze.

Recipes!

6 Tips for Flawless Kale Chips + All-Dressed Kale Chips Recipe from Oh She Glows

Caramelized Fennel: The Best Fennel You’ll Ever Eat from The Putney Farm

10 Recipes That Remind Us Why Cabbage is Awesome from The Kitchn

News From the Field…

The sun rises fierce on these hot farm mornings! The crew is gathering at six to get the harvest in before it becomes unbearable to be out in the heat! They are all working so hard to make sure the boxes look amazing.

I know I keep mentioning this heat, but it really is a crazy beginning to the season, to have such warm mid-summer weather so early! I wanted to highlight our irrigation duo today, because if it wasn’t for their hard work, dedication, and attention to detail, the crops would be suffering in this heat, instead they are thriving! DJ Parson and Kyle Ryan are managing all the farms irrigation, from the pastures to the row crops.  Here’s a photo of DJ…

And Kyle…

Jabrila wanted to share a story about your spinach, which ties in nicely with our recognition of these amazing guys! Spinach is a Spring crop, and does not tolerate the heat very well; it dries up, yellows and bolts (which means that it forms a flower and becomes a little bitter)

When Jabrila went out to check on the spinach on Friday she knew that it was going to need a little TLC. Kyle and DJ were on it, and made sure that the planting got extra water over the weekend and was able to stay cool and grow big enough to harvest on Monday! They are going above and beyond for your food and it can be stressful at times, we really appreciate all that they are doing to make sure the farm gets through these heat waves!

Even though we are in the beginning of summer, and the warm weather crops are just starting to come on, like the zucchini some of you will recieve in your box this week, we are already planning ahead and seeding your fall crops in the greenhouse. It is hot hot hot in there this time of year, and all the fall crops like a cooler germination environment so shade cloth has been hung to protect the little seeds from the harsh greenhouse sun.

These little seedlings are going to grow into your fall broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and more…aren’t they cute?

We hope you are all staying cool in the heat and are finding time to enjoy these long summer days. Even though the heat can be unbearable at times, we will miss it when it’s gone! Have a great week, enjoy your veggies, and feel free to share any delicious recipes you find!

– Sara