No Better Season to Get to Know Your Farmers than NOW
We had our first downtown Cedar Rapids farmer market of the season and it was so much fun. We sold completely out of Lamb's Quarter, which says quite a bit about our Cedar Rapids neighbors. You are ready to sustainably rock some culinary exploration, you local foodies! We LOVE being your farmers.
We received a lovely report on how well our asparagus has fared from farm to fork, from one of our Cedar Rapids CSA members, Toni Page Harding:
"We snacked on the radishes while I baked the asparagus last night. So good! Drizzled with a butter, balsamic and soy sauce. :) "
This is likely to be our last week for asparagus so if you are a CSA member, treasure your bundle! If you are coming to market, lace up your sneakers. It will be the final spread of this seasonal stand up and out. We are tucking in the beds and settling them well for next year.
Our Iowa City Market was slamming from the ringing bell and this week we are ready to keep it coming to our tried and true beginnings. As always, we will be there. You will also find us at the NewBo outdoor market on Saturday from now until the next big downtown market, for the Cedar Rapids area.
*NEW DEVELOPMENT*
We are dedicated to our CSA members, farmer market friends/shoppers and New Pioneer patrons. It is a continual blessing to serve our local community that way. Our passion for this is still going strong, as we grow and have added Hy-Vee to our customer base. You can now, yes, right now find us in Cedar Rapids and Marion Hy-Vee stores!
Please don't be a stranger because we treasure the face to face connections that make us who we are, with more diversity to offer. But in a pinch? When us farmers are busy in the fields? You can now find us at Hy-Vee too!
CSA boxes this week will include:
Spinach
Asparagus
Varietal Kale
Lettuce Head
Garlic Scapes
Rapini
Collard Greens
Broccoli
Lamb's Quarter
* And often the element of surprise *
What to do with Scapes? Have FUN!
Pesto is a really easy and simple way to work with this amazing flavor.
GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTO
Makes about 1 cup
10 garlic scapes, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like)
About 1/2 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, 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, by which time tomatoes should be at their juiciest.
COMPLIMENTS OF:
http://www.doriegreenspan.com/2009/06/i-seem-to-be-on.html
Thanks again for farming with us. It is an honor to serve you.
Kindly,
Your Echo Team
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