The CSA Begins this week with the much anticipated box of greens: Lettuce, Spinach, Arugula, Bok Choy, Pea Tendrils, Onions, Radishes,  Cilantro and a little bit of goat cheese.  The spring has been very generous to us and the plants with favorable weather and timely rains.  This had lead to the garden looking beautifully.  The last of the cucumber transplants have been planted as well as the later crops of beans, beets, and carrots.

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All of the bagged greens have been washed and should be ready to go in your favorite salad, wilted or used in this easy gem of a salad: Spinach, Arugula, Cranberry and Walnut Salad. If not used right away, keep them in the bag with the paper towel in the refrigerator, although it is best to use them quickly to get the most nutrients out of them.   The pea shoots are a new trial this year. After hearing my sister rave about how great they were when she had them on vacation I thought I would try them out. This variety is called Maestro and is specifically grown for the insane volume of tendrils it produces.  The shoots can be sauteed, used in salads, as a sandwich garnish or try out this flavorful rendition, of Pea Shoots Sauteed in Garlic and Ginger.

The favorable conditions also allowed for the transplanting of 80 apple trees to their permanent spots. Some of these are well known current varieties like HoneyCrisp and Haralson while others are some more obscure Antique Apples like Water Mellon and Pound Sweet.  It will be a few years till these varieties become available, but my older established apples have a nice collection of fruit set, probably due impart to the beehives we are keeping on the property.

Other than that, the chickens are growing well outdoors and the goats are enjoying our first cutting of hay that was bailed today.

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Next week should bring more of the same but also look for a few new things… for sure I saw some garlic scapes popping out, either mustard greens or  tatsoi will be ready to harvest and the sugar snap peas are flowering, we will see if they get here in time.