Hi Folks,

Happy June! I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend and are ready to kick off summer with a bang. Your farmers have been gearing up for the summer craziness and have been working hard to ensure a bountiful season. The first week in June always feels a little like the calm before the storm. Things feel in control until it is time to pick peas and then things just get crazy. Speaking of peas, the pea shoots are done for the season but the picking peas have formed beautiful white flowers on them which means we don't have far to go before we get fruit. The winter squash and celeriac were just planted for the fall, new potatoes have broke free from their spring soil caves and the resident goats are working on a special weeding project. Baby animals abound on the farm right now. The robin's nest in the tractor shed is full of little peepers, tiny squirrels are chattering at us from the tree tops, and baby bunnies are hiding under EVERYTHING. The one baby we could do without right now are the recent hatch of the mosquitoes, but alas, one must take the good with the bad.

You all know how much Native Hill likes their greens and now is the perfect time for new and interesting ones to come off the farm. We often take our cue about what is trendy based on our seed catalog. We've been wanting to try to grow red garnet dandelion greens on the farm for some years now, but it has been hard to get seed (hard to imagine, I know). We finally got our hands on the seed and this week the greens will make their debut at the stand. Although similar in appearance to the dandelions that grow in your yard, these guys are bred for production and taste. As with most cooking greens, they are great lightly sautéed with some garlic and salt. Juicers love them because they have tons of vitamin A and really pack a nutrient punch with every serving. Frisee is the fastest growing of chicories that we plant on the farm. It is one of my favorite spring treats and can be eaten in many different ways. I love it lightly sautéed with mushrooms and garlic and a poached egg. Nic likes to grill his. Simply wash well and cut the head down the middle. Brush with olive oil and salt and grill on high, about a min or 2 on each side. Cut it up and serve as a salad with dried cranberries, feta cheese, your favorite sweet vinaigrette. C'est tres magnefique!

Ever curious about where this mysterious food comes from? Realize you have been a CSA member for years but never been to the farm? This year we are excited to announce the Native Hill Summer Farm Tour Series! Once a month we will be hosting farm tours for CSA and PVCF members to come out and learn about where their food comes from. This month's tour will be June 23rd starting at 5:30pm. If you and your family are interested in coming out, please email me to reserve a spot. The tour is absolutely free, but we will be capping the group size each month to keep things manageable.

Looking forward to seeing you all real soon!
Katie

This Week's Harvest
Kale
Collards
Chard
Salad Mix
Arugula
Spicy Mix
Spinach
Broccoli Rabe
Dandelion Greens
Hakurei Salad Turnips
Radishes

Farmer's Journal