Weekly Share Item List: June 22, 2010

Hello Everyone,

This week we have 22 varieties in our share.

Small Share:
Baby Kohlrabi
Beet Greens
Blue Kale
Broccoli Raab
Buttercrunch Lettuce
Chinese Snow Broccoli
Cilantro
Garlic Scapes
Shallot Scapes
Green Amaranth Leaf
Italian Dandelion Greens
Oak Leaf Lettuce
Cherry Belle Radishes
Red Leaf Lettuce
Red Orach also known as French Spinach
Shingiku
Sugar Snap Peas
Yellow Snow Peas
English Peas
Walla Walla Onions
Winter Savory
Young Garlic

Medium Share:
All of Small Share
Larger Quanities of Everything

Large Share:
All of Medium Share
Larger Quantities of Everything
2 extra baby kohlrabi
1 extra bag: including herbs, yellow snow peas and sugar snap peas.

HAVING A HARD TIME IDENTIFYING WHAT IS IN YOUR SHARE?

CLICK ABOVE TO ENLARGE IMAGE

Weekly Update from David:

SHARE SIZE: This season is starting out slowly because of the prolonged cold weather we had. But it always starts out slower, then builds, then wanes again in October. There will definitely be more variety and quantity soon: like squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. David, the farmer, tries really hard to make sure that over the course of the season, you receive at least 15% more than the value you paid (based on the prices he sells items at the farmer's market).


PHOTO CLARIFICATION: David said the photo on the site (with cherries and berries) that represents a medium share was probably taken sometime in July. This year, the cherry crop, everyone's favorite, should be ready in the middle of July.

QUALITY: Is the quality of your produce satisfactory when you pick it up? Do you like the varieties you are recieiving? Please email us any of your feedback at produce@zoegarden.com.

UPCOMING WEEKS: Possibilities for next week include baby beets, raspberries and mulberries and honey along with greens, herbs, etc.

HONEY: David's honey is raw with no added water. Also, there are many different shades of honey due to the broad range of pollen that the bees are collecting at Zoe Garden. This helps if you use honey for allergies. Also, David promises that his honey is sustainably harvested. This means that David always leaves enough honey for the hives to survive during winter, and he never feeds the bees liquid sugar in order to take more honey.

MEMBER RECIPES: Thank you Harini for sharing the following recipe.

Barley, Kale and Mushroom Soup (adapted from a few different recipes)


1 bunch kale, rough chopped
5-6 crimini mushrooms (or baby bella), sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pinch herbs de provence
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup barley
1 tbsp of grated parmesan (or parmagiano-reggiano)
plenty of stock (chicken or vegetable) or even just water (the herbs will flavor the soup perfectly even without stock)
salt and pepper

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and garlic, and saute for a few minutes until onions become translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute until the mushrooms lose some liquid and start to brown. Next, add the kale. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add generous amounts of stock/water - about 1.5 inches above the veggies. Rinse the barley in some warm water, drain, and then add the barley to the soup. Add the herbs de provence, bay leaf, salt and pepper, grated parmesan and the thyme leaves. (The thyme stems are woody, so be careful to add only the leaves to the soup.) Bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer on low heat until the barley is tender. (If you use quick-cooking barley, it should be done in about 20 mins or so. Otherwise, it might take up to 45 minutes.) If the liquid evaporates, add more stock. You could make this as thin or dense as you like. If you want less liquid, just simmer for longer so that the liquid evaporates. If you want it soupier, then add more stock and simmer for 5 minutes so that the stock takes the flavor of the herbs and veggies.

Serve with crusty bread. Habanero hot sauce add a great flavor to this soup, if you like heat. Enjoy!


Tomorrow, I will be posting some ideas for how to use your share for breakfasts, lunches, road trips and on-the-go.

From our garden to your kitchen, happy eating.

Jessica