You made it! 8 whole weeks of eating fresh, locally and organically grown produce (mostly leaves!). It may have sometimes felt like a lot of greens, but eating seasonally will very often fill your table with abundance. Celebrating that abundance with creative recipes or the simple conviction that you are going to eat what can be grown in your region during a given season can make meals special. Plus, nothing tastes better than fresh!

You can celebrate your graduation from the spring CSA with Harvey, who graduated pre-school last Thursday. After the ceremony we came back to the farm to check in and Harvey spent a few moments looking for the biggest tomato in the high tunnel. So far the biggest one is only about 1.5" in diameter, but they are coming along . . . I'm guessing 4 weeks until the first ripe tomatoes.

This is a passive greenhouse, too! We don't add any supplemental heat. I get why some farmers want to be the first to market and plant tomatoes in February, but I just think it defeats the whole point of local. It's not just about fresh but also about reduced environmental impact, and it takes a lot of fossil fuel to heat a greenhouse to 60 degrees in February and March.

We do love managing greenhouses, and we are working on a grant to help us put up 4 more high tunnels in addition to the one we have laying on the ground, waiting to be put up. We are thinking about how to diversify the spring share in the future, and one of the ways we might do this is by moving some crops, like early carrots and peas, into an unheated greenhouse to get them a few weeks early. The asparagus really helped to have something special and different each week.

Anyway, we hope you enjoyed the spring share as it was, it definitely came as advertised:

"Now 8 weeks! Our Spring Share (now slightly smaller each week, but for a longer season) is an abundance of fresh greens, herbs, tender roots and asparagus! Grown in our greenhouses and under cover in the field, these tender vegetables are a great way to kick-start a season a fresh eating!"

We hope you felt like you got your value. The standard price for the spring share is $160 for the whole season, which comes out to $20/week. I think an abundance of fresh food for $20 bucks is a pretty great deal, when I think of all the other things I might buy for $20.
Our plan this weekend was just to relax (we get two weekends between seedling sale and the start of farmers market to have two days off, and we revel in them). But then the sweet potato slips showed up at 4pm on Friday, so I spend Saturday morning prepping beds and doing regular chores while Harvey and Kev when shoe shopping, then my mom and dad came over to help transplant (you can't see him, but my dad drove!). It was a beautiful day and it was a fun, family affair.

4000+ slips got planted, and Harvey had his first transplanter ride. I can't upload videos to this platform (I'm sure it's possible, but I don't know how and I don't have time to learn!). It's really safe, the tractor drives really slowly, like as slow as the big momma snapping turtle I saw in the farm road earlier this week.!

So, what's in the share?

Spinach: 1 bag
Lettuce: 1 head
Choose 3: (with some limits) kale, chard, collards, arugula, mustard greens, bok choym frisee, radishes, turnips, beets
Choose 2: cilantro, thyme, oregano, garlic chives, scallions
Recipes

Don't forget to check out the other recipe pages on the Upswing website if you need some other ideas!

This is a fantastic way to use up tons of greens all at once. I made this last week and I doubled the recipe (to use a pound of pasta) and it used up 1.5 bags of spinach, 2 heads of kale and a couple generous handfuls of arugula (not called for in the recipe but I had some extra).

This is like a Greek chicken salad wrapped in a lettuce leaf. It's served with pita as well so if you can't get behind the whole lettuce wrap idea, just serve it in the pita with the lettuce stuffed in there too or with the lettuce on the side drizzled with some of that amazing pistachio-basil goddess sauce.

This calls for watercress but I usually just use whatever salad greens I have on hand. I love the grapefruit vinaigrette!

LETS TALK ABOUT BEETS
Not everyone loves them. In my house I’m pretty much the lone beet-lover but I still love seeing them in the share. I boil them up and keep them on hand to toss into a salad or I make a little snack of beets with crumbled goat, feta or burrata cheese. If I’m feeling fancy, I squeeze an orange over the top and grate in a little of the zest and a quick drizzle of goat cheese. Boiling your own takes very little effort but they’re SO much better than the over-cooked ones you get in a can.

These savory pancakes make a delicious and quick dinner. Hold the syrup!

The cornmeal serves as a thickener in this hearty and creamy soup. Love that there is a short ingredient list too!

Stir-fries are perfect for a quick weeknight meal. This one highlights garlic chives and has a kick of ginger and thai chilis.
Sincerely,

Your Farmers
Brittany and Kevin
Thanks for the spring pic, Melody!
Pick Up Details:

Holliston Community Farm
34 Rogers Rd, Holliston
Tuesday, 1pm-6pm
Park beyond the farm stand (up the hill, past the yellow house)

On Farm, Pepperell
65 Brookline St, Pepperell (parking is more like 50 Brookline on maps)
Wednesday 2pm-6pm
Park in the lot near the greenhouses with the white 'Upswing Farm' sign

Weston Nurseries
93 E Main St Hopkinton (but don't pull into the main entrance!, see parking info below)
Thursday, 1pm-6pm
Just west of the nursery is a traffic light. Turn up the hill onto Legacy Farm Rd North and then take your first right into the back gravel parking lot to park. You will see our truck and tents from the street.

Call 508-215-8378 with questions. If you text, please make sure to include your first and last name in the text.

Email brittany@upswingfarm.com with any planned schedule changes
Storing Spring Produce

Greens: In a plastic bag in the fridge, not near the freezer. (Ideally between 34 and 40 degrees with 98% humidity.) If they don't come in a bag, undo the twist tie when you get them home and put them in a bag. They will wilt without one.

Root veggies: All roots (even potatoes) want to be in the fridge. Onions, shallots will also want to go in the fridge (in paper bags, not plastic) since spring is sprouting season and they will want to grow if left on the counter. If they do sprout, you can still eat them! The whole green stalk is edible and delicious. Think "green onion". Potatoes should go in the fridge in a paper bag. If they sprout you can knock off the sprouts and still eat them.

Herbs and scallions: Unless you are drying them, they can go in a plastic bag in the fridge.