MORE GREENS!?!   
We didn't see any strawberries this spring. The cool, wet conditions caused the strawberry plants to weaken and become vulnerable to disease.  It seemed the asparagus was "going to seed" before we could get a "good cut" on it.   Squash is finally ready to harvest ~ about a week late!  Hopefully, the garlic isn't going to rot in the field this year... Too wet is as bad as too dry...   Believe it or not, this is a "normal" spring for us.   It's always something, right?
Now the good news, we have lots of spring crops to harvest well into June! 
Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables around with one serving providing you with an excellent source of health-promoting vitamins A and K.
With this delicious, easy-to-prepare recipe you're going to want enough for seconds!

5 MINUTE KALE
INGREDIENTS;
1 lb Kale Chopped
1 small onion,  sliced

MEDITERRANEAN DRESSING;
1-2 Tbs Lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Chop kale, leave stems on and slice them too.
Chop garlic and let sit.
Fill bottom of large pot or skillet with 2” of water and bring to boil. Add onion and kale to boiling water, cover and steam for 5 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl, chop through the greens again and toss with dressing ingredients while kale is still hot and serve.

Serves 2 to 4

Optional toppings:
2 Tbs sun dried tomatoes
2 Tbs Kalamata olives
2 Tbs Feta cheese
5 drops tamari soy sauce
Enjoy!

Many of our members asked about recipes for Swiss chard.  In yesterday's post, I offered one of our favorites.  But, I thought I would post a few more ideas for chard and the kale.  Enjoy!

Spicy Swiss Chard:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aaron-mccargo-jr/spicy-swiss-chard-recipe/index.html?ic1=obinsite

Greens, Polenta, and Eggs - I found this amount of balsamic vinegar to be a bit too pungent for me, and I would recommend backing off of it a little.  But, this dish is a staple on our table.
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1562448

Kale Chips:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/

Kale Salad - there are a lot of recipes out there for kale salad.  This is our own version.
a few leaves of kale
2 pears
a few tablespoons of Blackberry Splash vinaigrette*
Gorgonzola cheese (you can substitute feta if you prefer the flavor)

wash, pat dry, and tear kale leaves.  Fill individual bowls to desired level with kale leaves.  Slice pears and place desired amount on top of the kale.  Sprinkle bowls with Gorgonzola cheese.  Drizzle salad with vinaigrette.  
* Blackberry Splash happens to be sold at Buppert's and is made by McCutcheon's.  You can probably use any fruity dressing; this just happens to be our favorite as it is a little thicker and richer than other fruity dressings we've tried.   

The sun has finally begun to warm the soil and the air, albeit slowly (although today seems to leaving us wanting).  As the green leaves burst from the soil, so do we have the sensation of bursting into new light, new adventure; new life is being breathed into our farming practice.  From an insider’s perspective, it offers us a medium on which to paint a new masterpiece.  We began as a tiny operation; we took a full truck to city streets to peddle our produce, and back on the farm, we sold from a picnic table on the farmhouse lawn.  As a neighbor rumbled up the gravel drive toward a few tomatoes and a conversation with Granny, the grandchildren, running wild through the cherry and chestnut trees, would yell, “CUSTOMER!”, and Granny would hurry out to greet them.  As our community has grown, so have we; from the picnic table to a small red shed by the road to the beautiful barn that Dad designed and built himself.  Needs of our clients presented themselves, and we included two new greenhouses to be able to offer flowers as well as produce.  Over the past few years, as we’ve developed visions of how the farm will grow, we’ve had a cool spring – business was strong, but progress and change was slow.  Alas, the sun has warmed our soil and our roots have begun to stretch and reach into this new adventure of the CSA.  As is common when faced with what the unknown will bring, we are anxious about what will come of this – but, the excitement and fresh air far outweigh any apprehension.  To be honest, most of our nervousness is rooted in our desire to bring you the best we have and to meet your expectations.  We hope you are pleased with what we have to offer.

We know that this week yields an abundance of greens.  Below is a quick and easy recipe that we love, and it uses multiple products that you took home with you today:

3 spring onions – thinly slice as much of the onion (green and white) as you can

6 cups of Swiss chard – include the stems in the measurement but separate for cooking

2 cloves of garlic – minced or crushed

1 tbsp olive oil

8 eggs

Few dashes of salt

Few dashes of freshly ground black pepper

1 generous handful of feta cheese (about ½ to ¾ of a cup) (optional, but tastes great!)

Slice the stems of the Swiss chard and chop the leaves and separate.  Slice the onions. 

Whisk together eggs, cheese, salt, and pepper in a separate bowl.

Preheat the oven to broil.

Heat the oil in an oven proof skillet.  When the oil is shimmering, but not smoking, toss in the chard stems, and sauté for about 3 minutes.  Add the onions and cook for another minute.  Add the chopped chard leaves and allow them to wilt down, stirring the onions and stems into the leaves.  You may want to add a little salt and pepper to this mixture for taste.  After the leaves have wilted, add the garlic and mix well. 

Pour the egg mixture over the greens and allow it to cook for a minute.  Using a stiff spatula, lift the sides to allow the liquid eggs to flow under the veggies.  Cover and cook on low heat for 8 – 10 minutes (until the sides are set, but the center is still liquid).  To set and brown the top, put the pan in the broiler for 2 minutes.