CSA 2026 - Week #7 (A)

Welcome to our new members this week! This outbreak has made us all look more carefully at our food source. Suddenly those bagged greens at Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s don’t seem like such a great deal. They’re private labeled and grown on industrial scale farms thousands of miles away. Eating in this way makes us vulnerable to a food source with questionable growing and food safety practices. It’s ALWAYS better to buy food from a farmer you know and trust. Food grown on a farm where we prioritize careful cultivation, nutrient density, and we believe that food safety is integral to every step of our growing process. We’re honored to feed you and your family.

Update from the farm fields! The summer crops are really getting going this time of year. Crops like cucumbers and zucchini produce non-stop until the end of their planting cycle. This usually lasts 2-3 weeks each. That’s why you’ll see these same items in the boxes on repeat for a while. We usually schedule successive plantings with a several week break to give you, and our team, a break! Our field crew has to harvest zucchini and cucumbers daily or they will grow too large to put in the boxes. In our fertile soils, they can grow up to 3 inches per day! Yikes!

Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants are coming along nicely. In our climate (grown outdoors, not under plastic) they ripen early-mid August. I saw a few nearly ripe ones, so it’s going to start soon! The sweet corn in the shares this week is sweet and tender, so eat it right away. Did you know that sweet corn is one of the most heavily sprayed vegetable crops if it’s not grown organically? Super toxic insecticides are used to kill off these pests. Since organic farms don’t use these chemicals, you may find a corn earworm or borer inside. While this is not a huge surprise, please let us know if you get a damaged ear and we will happily refund you.

In other news, Matt has been racing to get the last of the fall carrots and other root crops in the ground this week before the rain. Even though it’s only July, we’re already planting for October and November.

I hope you’re all doing well. Please be in touch with any questions/concerns or you just want to chat with your farmer!

Warmly,
Maggie & Matt

P.S. Fruit Shares begin this week. If you are a fruit share member and it says “FRUIT” next to your name on the check-in sheet, please take 1 PINT of PLUMS. If you didn’t sign up for the fruit, please do not touch the fruit. Thank you!

What’s in season this week?

Sweetheart Cabbage
This week we’re harvesting sweetheart cabbage — the pointed, conical heads that are the tender aristocrats of the cabbage family! This variety is very popular in Europe and its leaves are thinner and sweeter than standard green cabbage. Slice it thin for a delicate slaw, or cut into wedges and sear hard in a cast-iron pan with olive oil until the edges caramelize.
Storage: refrigerate whole in the crisper drawer for up to two weeks; once cut, wrap tightly and use within the week.

Radicchio
Radicchio is a chicory, prized in Italy for its pleasant bitterness. If you pair it with the right ingredients, this bitterness is balanced and lends a fantastic flavor to salads. It’s delicious grilled until the edges char and the bitterness mellows into something almost nutty. A drizzle of balsamic afterward is perfection. Radicchio is a great source of vitamin K and antioxidants.
Storage: refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer for up to a week.

Zucchini
The zucchini keep coming, and we’re not sorry! Grill thick planks until charred and tender, shave raw ribbons into salads with lemon and parmesan, or grate it into fritters with parsley and a little feta. Sautéed with sweet corn and cipollini onions, it becomes the base of a perfect summer succotash. Storage: refrigerate unwashed in a plastic bag for up to a week.

Cucumbers
Cool, crisp, and endlessly refreshing. At over 95% water, cucumbers are summer hydration in vegetable form. I’m loving cucumber water this time of year when the abundance is too much. Fill a pitcher with water, lemon slices and cucumber slices. Keep in the fridge! Storage: refrigerate in the crisper drawer and use within a week.

Parsley
Parsley is so much more than a garnish — this week, let it be the star. Chop a big bunch with garlic, lemon zest, and olive oil for a gremolata to spoon over grilled zucchini and corn, or blend it into a chimichurri for anything off the grill. Tossed by the handful into salads, it acts like a salad green in its own right, bright and peppery. It’s also one of the most nutrient-dense herbs we grow — exceptionally rich in vitamins K and C. Storage: In an airtight bag in the fridge.

Kohlrabi
Our favorite sputnik-shaped vegetable is back! Peel away the tough outer skin to reveal the crisp, juicy interior — like a broccoli stem crossed with a mild radish. In this heat, keep it raw: cut into sticks for dipping, dice it into salads, or julienne it with cabbage for a slaw with serious crunch. It’s an outstanding source of vitamin C — more per serving than an orange!
Storage: remove any leaves and refrigerate the bulb in the crisper drawer, where it will keep for several weeks.

Cipollini Onions
These small, flat Italian onions are one of the sweetest members of the allium family, and they’re built for caramelizing. Roast or pan-glaze them whole with butter and a splash of balsamic until they turn soft, golden, and jammy — an unforgettable side for anything grilled. They’re also wonderful skewered whole on kebabs, where their natural sugars char beautifully. A quick tip: blanch them for 30 seconds and the skins slip right off.
Storage: keep in a cool, dry, dark spot with good air circulation — no refrigeration needed. Use within 3 days.

Baby Bok Choi
Tender heads of baby bok choi, perfect for the quickest of summer cooking. Halve them lengthwise and sear cut-side down in a hot pan with garlic and a splash of soy sauce. Also a great addition to a stir-fry dinner!
Storage: refrigerate in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer and use within a few days for the best texture.

Sweet Corn
The sweet corn harvest rolls on, and it’s tasting spectacular. Keep it simple — boiled 3-4 minutes or grilled in the husk, with butter and salt. Beyond the cob, cut the kernels off raw for salads (they need no cooking at this sweetness), or sauté them with zucchini and cipollini onions for a summer succotash finished with parsley.
Storage: keep in the husk in the refrigerator and eat as soon as you can — the sweetness fades day by day.