Tuesdays
Choice Style
3:00pm - 6:30pm
Pre-Boxed
3:00pm - 7:00pm
Farmer Dave's Farm
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA
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Farm Notes: Garlic Scapes & New Farmers!
Last week was the first week of our main season CSA shares. The once calm pace of planting and weeding, "Get-it-done-today-or-tomorrow" attitude quickly changed to "Cut, pick, harvest. Spinach, lettuce, radishes, greens and more. Pick fast, pick often, pick on time!" The pace has quickened on the farm.
Yet, this fast pace is tempered by the sight of the garlic scapes.
To walk through the garlic patch and see all the garlic pushing up their flower stalks and then making their balletic curves. As you walk amongst them, you can almost hear their angelic voices as the breeze whistles through their leaves, as the scape attempts to make a visible G-clef, sharing their beauty together in harmony. The garlic, planted last fall, and now producing the beautiful curly scape, is yet one more herald of the fruitful harvest ahead.
Enjoy,
Farmer Dave
Farmer Dave and Jane welcomed twins on Thursday, June 9. We are so excited to announce the birth of our newest farm hands, Elizabeth and John!
Congratulations!
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You're A Good Apple!
Farmer Dave's thinks our members are the best and to show our appreciation we like to make sure that there are lots of benefits to being a CSA member. This week we'll be distributing our CSA Member's Guide with tips and tricks for making your CSA experience the best possible.
Along with the CSA Member's Guide you will receive a "Good Apple" card. Presenting the Good Apple card at any of our Farmers Markets booths or Farm Stands (Brox Farm Stand in Dracut, East Street Farm Stand in Tewksbury & Hill Orchard in Westford) entitles you to:
- 10% off your farm stand or farmers market purchase!
- 25% off Apple picking at Hill Orchard!
You can find a list of the Farmers Markets that we participate in on our website.
Thank you for being a member of Farmer Dave's CSA!
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CSA FAQs:
What happens if I can't pick up my share?
If you won't be able to pick up your share at your regular pick-up location (vacation? long weekend? appointment?), you can switch to a different location for that week,
as long as we have enough notice from you and enough truck capacity at that pick-up location. You can have up to 3 pick-up location switches per season.
Want to make a one-time pick-up location switch? Here's what you need to do:
- Notify us by e-mail at least 3 business days before your regular pick-up day, or 3 business days before the pick-up day you'd like to switch to, whichever is earlier. Let us know the primary shareholder's name, and the date and pick-up location where you'd like to pick up.
- We will respond to your e-mail, letting you know if we have space at that pick-up location on that day.
- Once we let you know that your pick-up switch is arranged, just show up at the new pick-up location during the designated time, and give your name to the pick-up staff. They will orient you to the new location and answer any questions you may have.
If you are unable to pick up your CSA share, you may have a friend or family member pick up your share; just have them say that they are picking it up for you. If you are unable to get someone else to pick up your share, we cannot keep the shares past the distribution time, and will donate the produce to our hunger relief partners.
Check out our hunger relief partners
Have more questions? Check out more FAQs.
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In Your Share: Week 2
The first few weeks of every New England CSA share will always have a great assortment of delicious, nutritious and tender greens. These greens grow well in the cool Spring weather. As the weather warms into summer, you can expect the number of greens to decrease as the weather continues to warm and more variety begins to be able to be harvested from the fields.
- Lettuce
- Beets or Radishes
- Scallions
- Garlic Scapes
- Kousa Squash
- Arugula
- Broccoli Rabe, Kale or Swiss Chard
- Cilantro or sorrel
- and more!
Fruit Share:
This is what we are planning and hoping to harvest this week. Ultimately Mother Nature has the last word so the actual contents of your share will vary.
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Vegetable Spotlight:
Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes are the green curlicue flower stalks that grow up from the garlic bulb in the spring. They are harvested before the garlic flowers, forcing the energy of the plant back down into the bulb, creating larger heads for the fall harvest. Garlic scapes are really beautiful, arrange them in a vase with water until you use them and enjoy their unique shape! See our garlic scape and almond pesto recipe below for a fantastic way to use your garlic scapes...
Handling and Storage
Store in refrigerator, unwashed in plastic bag for up to three weeks. Or in a vase on your counter! Change the water every day.
Uses
- Sauté in pan, replacing garlic cloves
- Add to your favorite stir-fry dishes
- Steam and dress with a bit of lemon juice
- Chop and add to guacamole or fresh salsa
- Use like a garlic-flavored scallion
- Substitute in recipes for green onions
Recipes
Sauteed Garlic Scapes with Sesame Oil
Recipe by Tory Dolben
Serves 2
A caramel-sweet nutty savory side dish, great inside a sandwich, or on top of cooked fish! The intensity of the garlic mellows after cooking into a comforting yum! If you want you can cut the scapes into pieces, or cook whole enjoying the Suess-ical shapes...
Ingredients:
- 8 garlic scapes
- Toasted sesame oil
- Small piece of unsalted butter
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
- Heat skillet, add sesame oil to lightly cover bottom of pan.
- Add garlic scapes, then butter. Saute on medium heat till tender and caramelized, 20 to 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Garlic Scape and Almond Pesto
Recipe by Tory Dolben inspired by doriegreenspan.com
Once you try this recipe you'll be hooked. Great spread on crackers!
Ingredients:
- 10 garlic scapes, chopped
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds (try toasting them lightly)
- About 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
- Small piece of unsalted butter
- Salt
Directions:
- Place garlic scapes in a food processor and blend. Add almonds and blend until smooth.
- Add cheese, half the olive oil, and butter.
- Add the remainder of the oil and, if desired, more cheese until desired consistency is achieved.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Use additional oil for a thinner pesto. If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, pour a small amount of olive oil over the top of the pesto and press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months.
For another nuttier flavored alternative, substitute half of the garlic scapes with a bunch of arugula!
Have a great tip or recipe to share?
Email it to us to have it included in our newsletter and recipe blog!
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Groundwork Share-a-Share:
Please consider helping us in our efforts to make the CSA accessible to more families by
donating to Groundwork Share-A-Share. With the help of CSA members like you, Groundwork has been able to help subsidize the cost of CSA shares for families who would otherwise be unable to afford participation.
To learn more about the program, click here.
Thank you all for helping us keep this program going in 2016!
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C
ontact Us:
Farmer Dave's CSA
437 Parker Road
Dracut, MA 01826
(978) 349-1952
farm@farmerdaves.net
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