SCVWD - First Basket February 20, 2012

What's in the Bag?

Dancy Tangerines, Eggs, lots of greens:  Vivid Choy (a very mild mustard suitable for salads), Scarlet Ohno Revival (an almost lost turnip green, a little sharp, good for stir fry or soup),
Arugula, Upland Cress, Asian Stir Fry Greens, Purple Passion Asparagus,
Mixed Broccoli, a few cauliflower and maybe a mini cabbage, Misticanza - Italian for lots of greens (lettuce, endive, escarole, and radicchio.)

Okay, so we haven't had a winter and everything is ready too early.  The tangerines did not get enough rain this year, so although they have good flavor, they are not very juicy.  But they make a nice salad dressing.

The vivid choi and the Scarlet Ohno look very similary.  The Scarlet Ohno is more pink and the Vivid Choi more purple.  I really like the Scarlet Ohno lightly sauteed.  I've been mixing the Scarlet Ohno with the Misticanza as a salad.

Note:  The Italians like bitter greens, and Radicchio and endive are bitter.  If you're not wild about bitter, try them with a vinegar dressing.  It seems to mellow them some. 

What's happening on the farm?

Weeding!  Seeding,  Feeding, hunting gophers, ordering seeds and supplies and getting ready for the season.  Nanook is patrolling the garlic, looking for voles.

The tomatoes, peppers and eggplants have all been seeded.   And the first tomato to show itself is Rose de Berne, a beautiful pink tomato from Switzerland, that my dear friend from Solstice Seeds, Sylvia Davatz sent me.  I think there's 19 kinds of tomatoes out there.  So, we will have tomatoes.   The Sprout House is almost bursting with seed starts.  The broccoli and cauliflower has come on so quickly here, that I have restarted them!  The asparagus is the first of the season, and pretty soon it will come on like gangbusters.  Leo and I are thinking of increasing the asparagus plantings by another 3 rows.  We shall see.  I think it's going to be too warm this year, and we may wait till next year.

This has been the most exciting year for me ever.  This winter I got to order apples and pears for the new orchard.  Next year we'll order peaches, plums, cherries, apricots and many other fruits.  I'll tell you all about them when they arrive.    The next bag will be in March, but on Wednesday, your regular day.  Enjoy the greens.  Have a great week.