Reimann Family Farm

In your box this week:

1. NEW!  Garlic!  “Siberian” and “German Extra Hardy” varieties
2. Broccoli
3. Beans
4. Zucchini / Summer Squash
5. Tomatoes: Sort through these heirloom varieties, some are ready to eat now, some want to sit on your counter for a few days.  All of them want to be coddled and handled gently.
6. Beets: Red, Chiogga (striped), and Golden
7. Pineapple Sage
8. Mint
9. Thyme
10. Cilantro
11. Sweet Peppers
12. Onions
13. Cucumbers
14. Sweet Corn

I am off to Orcas Island, WA for a week for a friend’s wedding.  If you have questions or need to get a hold of us this week, please email my dad Darwin at ReimannFarm (at) yahoo (dot) com.  I will hopefully be back in time to help with the delivery next week, lucky #13, but your food will be harvested on Sunday by Darwin, Maggie, and Natalie.  THANKS to them all for letting me sneak away in the middle of peak harvest season!

In your box this week:

1. NEW!  Sweet Peppers
2. NEW!  Fennel
3. NEW!  Rainbow Chard
4. Tomatoes
5. Beans
6. Broccoli
7. Zucchini / Summer Squash
8. Cucumbers
9. Arugula
10. Lettuce & Mizuna Mix
11. Onions: Not cured for long term storage, so store in the fridge
12. Basil: Best kept at room temperature
13. Carrots
14. Edible Flowers: Nasturiums, Gem Marigolds, Oregano flowers, and Garlic Chive flowers

In your box this week:

1. NEW!  Sweet Corn! Happy Summer!
2. NEW!  Potatoes! Reds and Yukon Golds.
3. NEW!  Tomatoes! These are heirloom varieties, and have tender skin.  Be careful with them.  It’s best to store them at room temperature.  Some of them are going to be ready to eat today or tomorrow, and some of them may need a couple more days before they are at their full ripeness.   We pick them this way on purpose, otherwise they are likely to go bad on us throughout the week, or you would need to eat them all immediately upon getting your box home.  It is advisable to just take a couple minutes right when you get home and divide them up into piles– “to use now” and “able to wait.”
4. Cabbage -OR- Kohlrabi
5. Broccoli
6. Zucchini / Summer Squash
7. Cucumbers
8. Onions
9. Beans

It’s a FULL 3/4 bushel box this week, the first of the season.  A classic Minnesota box too, one full of crops you probably grew up eating.  All you need are some brats and you have a perfect backyard party!  It’s been a hot couple of days, but lovely too.  Working member Maggie and I stuck it out throughout the heat of the day yesterday, weeding, harvesting, mowing and sweating.  (We  didn’t sing any rounds together like we have on other days, it was just too hot.)  This morning we had less than half of the crops left to harvest, and we started early to avoid the heat.  It was lovely to dig potatoes and watch the fog burn off the pond while the sun rose higher.  We had a couple of Sand Hill Cranes fly low over our heads, and a little later a Bald Eagle was circling nearby too.  We actually finished with the harvesting by 9:30am!  Definitely a new record!  We spent the rest of the morning packing the boxes, and then hosted some special guests for lunch.  I arrived in Minneapolis a little earlier than usual, so went down to the kiddie pool in Powderhorn Park and sat in the shade with my feet in the water.  In the end, it was a really nice few days!  As usual, it is an honor to grow your food, and we hope you enjoy it.

Sincerely,
Chris.

In your box this week:

1. NEW!  Tomatoes: two little balls of sunshine — it’s the start of tomato season!
2. NEW!  Carrots: Try eating the greens too!  (cooked)
3. NEW!  Beets:  With these too, you can eat both root and (cooked) leaves.
4. NEW!  Rat-tail Radish:  The seed pods of the radish.  Eat them raw.
5. NEW!  Basil:  Best stored room temperature in a vase.  (Wet leaves turn black in the fridge.)
6. Beans
7. Broccoli
8. Cucumbers
9. Zuchinni / Summer Squash
10. Arugula & Mizuna greens
11. Hakurei Turnips: LAST of the year!
12. Mint:  It’s too hot to boil water for tea.  Just stick a few sprigs in your water bottle and you’re good to go.
13. Thyme
14. Coriander: The fresh green seed balls of cilantro.  Keep them in your fridge, since they aren’t ripe enough to dry for winter storage.

These are the Rat-Tail Radishes. They are a variety of radish from India, bred for the crunchy edible seed pod instead of for the root like other radishes. The seed pods are best when eaten raw, but before they get fat and bumpy they can be cooked too. You can eat the flowers as well (they were part of your edible flower mix last week.)

Three beautiful varieties of Beets!

Welcome to August!

In your box this week:  

1. CUCUMBERS!
2. KOHLRABI! Eat it like an apple, shred it for slaw, eat it cooked or eat it raw!  More vitamin C than an orange!
3. Zucchini / Summer Squash
4. Arugula & Mizuna mix
5. Broccoli
6. String Beans (Green and Yellow)
7. Cauliflower
8. Cabbage
9. Onions:  eat the green leaves and the bulbs
10. Cilantro/Coriander: enjoy the leaves, flowers, and the green seed balls (which are the fresh coriander)
11. Edible Flowers:  in a bag.  A mix of gem marigolds, radish flowers, oregano flowers, and a few nasturiums too.
12. Chamomile: Pop off the flower heads (yellow middle, perhaps with white petals still attached) and make some tea.
13. Hakurei Turnips:  Next week is probably the last week for these, so enjoy the roots and leaves while you can!

When warned about the caterpillar damage on the cauliflower, CSA member Tonya said, "Worms don't weird me out, CHEMICALS weird me out. I am happy to share some of my cauliflower with those little guys." Thank you, Tonya, for your graciousness when faced with less-than-perfect cauliflower!

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A summer evening with CSA members past and present. Many thanks for the lovely company last week to Amy (blue), Tri (standing), Reid w/Lillian, Duane, Tonya, and Kat.

Kat and Max, former CSA members (but still current friends!). Max had been playing hard with his tricycle, and arrived at the table ready for the serious business of eating corn.

Lillian and Reid, current CSA members, laugh and smile at all my funny jokes. This was Lillian's second day crawling, and her dad teared up a little when he told me that it was her first day playing under the table during dinner!

Both Max and Lillian have in the past enjoyed the title of youngest CSA member.  The current winner is Heidi and Brian’s new baby girl born a couple weeks ago — congratulations again you two!  However, you better get a trophy made for that kiddo while you can, because fellow CSA members (and beekeepers) Jim and Thea have a baby on the way any day now.  

I remember back years ago when Adina announced her pregnancy with Kian, and how touched I was by the thought of OUR food growing and nourishing this little developing person.  This feeling continues with each new baby that joins our CSA  — I feel so lucky, and I take my job of providing healthy, safe, and nutritious food very seriously!  I feel honored that our vegetables are helping these little people get a good start on life.  (To be honest, I feel honored to feed all of you, no matter how old you are…)