This Week's Share: Greens, Strawberries + RSVP for the Kale Cook Off!

This week's photo is from CSA Member Zach who snapped a photo at last week's pick-up.  Get your photo featured here by emailing it to us or by using the hashtag #ClagettFarm if you share your photos on Instagram!

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS 

RSVP for the Kale Cook Off on June 7: Over the weekend we announced that we'll be holding a kale cook off at the farm on June 7. It's shaping up to be a great even, and we'd love for you to join us! If you plan to come, please help us plan by RSVPing now!  

Call for volunteers: We can still use extra hands on the farm if you'd like to help out! More info here.

 

THIS WEEK'S SHARE

• 1/2 pound total combination kale, collards, spicy mix, arugula + Swiss chard
• 1/4 pound total combination lettuce + spinach
• 1/2 pound total combination turnips, radishes + scapes
• 1 pint strawberries*
• Also, we still have a variety of seedlings. They're first come, first served!

* If you can, please bring something to put your strawberries in -- we're running low on pint baskets!

 

WHAT'S ON U-PICK:

• Strawberries! Come pick all you want -- any day, any field, as much as you'd like. (Note: We will restrict some fields on Saturday morning while we pick for that day's share. Don't worry; we'll post signs in the fields.) Open to CSA members and workshare members who have worked this week.
• Mulberries: We have lots of mulberry trees on the farm, and a few of them have begun ripening. To spot a ripe tree, look for one with ripe berries that have fallen to the ground beneath it.
• Herbs: Sorrel, sage, cilantro, onion chives, garlic chives, summer savory, thyme, dill, oregano, anise hyssop, mint, parsley, celery leaf, stevia, chamomile, marjoram, lavender and five types of basil (Thai, opal, cinnamon, holy and lime basil)
• Flowers -- if you see flowers, they're yours to pick!
• Stinging Nettle -- growing all over the farm 

 

COMING UP:

Here's our best guess about what you can expect in the next couple weeks: 

• Carrots
• Zucchini 
• Peas 
• Chinese Cabbage 
• Kholrabi 

 

Let us know if you have any questions!

Kale Cook Off! Sunday June 7th

Ever feel like you have enough kale to fill a bathtub?  No?  Just us?  

After all these years of swimming in kale, we thought it would be fun to find out which kale recipes really knock our socks off.  And we know that many of YOU have favorite kale recipes.  Since we'll use anything as an excuse for a party, let's have a kale party.  

RSVP NOW

What?  KALE PARTY!

Who? Everyone!  People who don't know how to cook kale.  People who need some new ideas for preparing kale.  And people who already have some great ideas for cooking kale.  You can invite your friends, neighbors, co-workers, the people who brought that great kale salad to the pot luck last year...

When?  Sunday June 7, 2015, 3:00pm - 6:00pm

Where?  Clagett Farm, of course.  11904 Old Marlboro Pike, Upper Marlboro MD 20772.  If the weather is nice, we'll be in the Washing Station area, outside.  If it's raining, we'll move into the Education Barn, which is the largest of the 3 barns in a row--can't miss it.  

Price?  Free, for any household who brings a kale dish and the recipe.  $5 per person if you don't.  Reservations are required for all (paying or not) by Friday noon, June 5th.  Friday afternoon we'll send a note to everyone signed up to let you know how many servings or ounces we need you to bring of  your dish.  

Kale Rules?  The main ingredient of your dish must be kale.  Other than that, you can do as you please.  We welcome kale salads, stews, soups, chips, smoothies, and even desserts.   We'll expect you to prepare enough so every attendee can sample a few ounces.  You can include meat, dairy, eggs, or other allergens, as long as we know what's in it.  Also, please bring a serving utensil, if needed (such as a soup spoon or tongs). 

Recipe Rules?  Everyone who brings a kale dish should also bring the recipe for that dish.  Please print it on a 5"x7" card (or a half sheet of office paper).  Credit the source, if it was published.  If you have adjusted the recipe from the original, then the source is you.   

Can I keep get copies of the recipes I like most?  After the event, we'll scan the recipes into a booklet, which we can mail you at a discount if you give us advanced payment at the event (enough to cover printing and mailing costs--probably $5).  We'll also have copies at the CSA pick-ups.    

Prizes?  We'll vote on our favorites, and there will be multiple categories.  Winners will get a free copy of the recipe book (and bragging rights, of course).  Don't be intimidated--the point of this occasion is to have fun and try new foods, so the more dishes the merrier.    

What if the dish needs to be hot?  We'll have a few camping stoves and some chafing dishes that can keep food warm, as long as it's hot when you bring it.    

Dress?  This is a very relaxed, informal event.  

Kids welcome?  Yes!  In fact, kids will get their own special ballot. 

Dogs welcome?  Sorry, not this time.  

OK, start practicing folks.  There's lots of kale to harvest soon, and we want your best ideas!

 

This Week's Share: Seedlings, Greens and Strawberries

This week's photo is from Instagram user Bea_Winn, who recently volunteered at the farm. Get your photo featured here by emailing it to us or by using the hashtag #ClagettFarm if you share your photos on Instagram. 

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS 

The Dupont Pick-Up is Staying Put. We thought that we might have to find a new spot for the Dupont pick-up, but the doctor's office that hosts the pick-up notified us this week that we're good to go for this season. Thanks to all of you who shared ideas with us. 

 

THIS WEEK'S SHARE

• 3 seedlings (lots of variety)
• 1/2 pound total combination garlic scallions plus baby hakurei turnips
• 3/4 pound total of various greens (spinach, spicy mix, collards, kale, tatsoi, arugula, baby bok choy, basil)
• 1 pint strawberries*

* If you can, please bring something to put your strawberries in -- we're running low on pint baskets!

 

WHAT'S ON U-PICK:

• Herbs: Sorrel, sage, cilantro, onion chives, garlic chives, summer savory, thyme, dill, oregano, anise hyssop and mint
• Flowers -- if you see flowers, they're good pick -- there are lots are in bloom right now
• Stinging Nettle -- growing all over the farm 

 

COMING UP:

In general, the plants in the fields are looking fantastic. The rain has been great for the farm. Here's our best guess about what you can expect in the next few weeks: 

• Strawberries will likely be on u-pick next week
• We should have more of the same greens that are on offer this week, maybe with lettuces instead of spinach
• Chard and little zucchini should begin to show up soon
• Bok choy will likely leave the share after this week
• Garlic scapes will replace garlic scallions
• Peas should come in the next few weeks
• Chinese Cabbage should appear by week #4
• Kholrabi is likely about 3 weeks away from being harvested

Let us know if you have any questions!

 

 

This Week's Share: The First Share of the Season!

Here's a photo of the Clagett harvest crew decked out in special t-shirts to celebrate Dave's 40th birthday. Happy birthday, Dave! And happy first harvest, everyone!

 

ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS 

Welcome to the 2015 harvest season! Thanks to everyone who came out to the farm this weekend for our open house kick-off to the new season! If you need any reminders about how the pick-up process works-- where and when to get your share, what to expect, etc. -- you can find all the details here.

Looking for a new drop-off space. As we emailed over the weekend, we're looking for a new location in Dupont Circle to serve as our pick-up locale. We'd like some thing within about 3 blocks of our current location, and it should be able to accommodate: one parking space for our delivery van; space for 5 folding tables, each 6 feet by 3 feet, and walking space around them; be available from 4:45-8:15pm on Wednesdays from now until November 11th. We could use a lobby, a loading dock, a sidewalk area, a parking lot, an alley, or any other flat space you can think of that's a reasonable distance from where we can unload our van. Got any suggestions? Let us know!

We love your photos! Send us your own photos of what you see at the farm or what you're cooking with your weekly share, or post them to Instagram with hashtag #ClagettFarm. We'll feature them here!

 

THIS WEEK'S SHARE

• 3/4 lbs total combination tat soi, arugula, spicy mix, bok choy, collards and kale
• 1/2 lb total combination garlic scallions, rhubarb and radishes
• 3 seedlings. We'll have a variety of seedlings for you to choose from, including kale, lettuce, broccoli, strawberries, basil and more

 

WHAT'S ON U-PICK:

• Herbs: Sorrel, sage, cilantro, onion chives, garlic chives, summer savory, thyme, dill, oregano, anise hyssop and mint

 

SPECIAL NOTE: HOW TO USE GARLIC SCALLIONS. We've harvested a lot of garlic scallions, but not everyone's familiar with them. Here's a post from a couple years ago with some ideas for how to cook with garlic scallions. Let us know what you come up with!

 

Join Us at the Farm Tomorrow! Plus Info about the First Share

We hope you can join us tomorrow for our Spring Open House! It's 1-4 p.m. at the farm. All the details about what to expect are up on the blog. 

Also, we can confirm that the first shares of the season will begin this week, on Wednesday, May 13 (farm and Dupont pick-ups) and Saturday, May 16 (at the farm). All the info you need about the CSA can be found on our Details for the 2015 Season Page. And of course if you have other questions, let us know. 

Look forward to seeing you this week!