Please return your boxes each week!

Bittersweet Gardens

June 18, 2019 Issue No. 7

News from Bittersweet Gardens

Dear CSA customer,

As our Spring harvest season is drawing to our close, we wish to express our gratitude towards our shared partnership with you. Your support of Bitter-sweet Farms and our Gardens team is making dreams come true as people are learning and developing new skills each day!

Please be aware that next week (June 25) is our final week of Spring pick-up. Our Summer CSA will begin the week of July 9th. (There are still a few openings!) Please take note that there will be a week off between Spring and Summer with no CSA pick-up the week of July 4.

Today brings a special add-on item to your box: a handcrafted ceramic pot created by the talented artists in our Creative Arts program planted with succulents propagated and tended to by our Horticulture and Gardens team. These succulents were grown from leaves and cuttings donated to us by Bensell Greenhouse, a strong partnership we are thankful for.

Alexis and Thomas harvested the swiss chard for you this week! Connor and Austin H just had their first lessons in harvesting cucumbers, and Alexis learned how to harvest hot peppers for the first time this week! The Hungar-ian hot wax pepper in your box today is about as hot as a jalapeño--definite-ly spicier than a sweet banana pepper. It would be a great fresh kick of heat in salsa, tacos, salad, or toned down a bit in soup.

Today, Mike harvested the scarlet kale for your boxes while Darin prepared the boxes to fill. Donnie harvested his all-time favorite: Genovese basil and also parsley for you! Keerston harvested Bandit leeks and carefully pre-pared them for your enjoyment! We are enjoying this sunny day and hoping the summer will bring more sunny days and less rainy ones!

Have a wonderful week enjoying the bounty,

Beth Kuntz-Wineland & Gardens TeamBittersweet Gardens Specialist bkuntzwineland@bittersweetfarms.org419 875 6986, ext. 1205

Continued on backFollow Bittersweet Gardens on Pinterest for more delicious recipes using your CSA Produce!http://www.pinterest.com/bsf1983

CSA NEWSLETTER

This Week’s Harvest BroccoliLeeks

Swiss ChardCucumber

BasilLettuce

KaleHot Wax Pepper

GarlicParsley

Potted Succulent

Watermelon Feta SaladIngredients1 mini watermelon cut into bite-size pieces1/2 cucumber, chopped1 tablespoon fresh mint chopped finely1 tablespoon fresh basil torn/chopped finelyCrumbled feta to tasteBalsamic vinegar to tasteOlive oil to tasteSalt & pepper to taste

Instructions 1. Prep your watermelon, cucumber, mint, and basil, and add them to a salad bowl. Add the feta as well.2. You can either add the vinegar and oil to a jar and shake it up or just drizzle a bit on top of the salad and toss like I did. I didn’t put quanti-ties because everyone’s tastes vary, but I would start with 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of olive oil and go from there.3. Season with salt & pepper as needed (feta is pretty salty so you may be able to skip the salt) and serve immediately.

Source:https://www.saltandlavender.com/watermelon-feta-salad/

The mission of Bittersweet, Inc. is to positively impact the lives of individuals with autism and those whose lives they touch.

Bittersweet Gardens RecipesBroccoli Leek Soup

Ingredients1 & ½ Tbsp. olive oil4 garlic cloves1 large leek, rinsed, and chopped (use white part only and discard the green part)1 whole head of fresh broccoli, cleaned, trimmed, florets and stalks cut into large chunks2 cups vegetable broth2 cups water, and extra⅓ cup freshly chopped parsley (throw in a good handful)dash of cayenne peppersalt to taste

Instructions1. n a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat and add the garlic cloves and chopped leeks. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened, about 3 minutes.2. Add the chopped broccoli, vegetable broth, water, fresh parsley and cayenne pepper. Make sure the liquid is leveled or even slightly above the ingredients. Here is where you can add more water or broth to be leveled if needed.3. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to the lowest setting, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season the broth with salt to taste. Optional: you can season with black pepper to your preference, but not required.4. Turn off heat and puree in a few batches in your blender or use a handheld immersion to blend and puree the soup.

Source:https://2sistersrecipes.com/easy-broccoli-leek-soup/