today's harvest

BAG RETURN: If you are returning your bag, thank you and congratulations. For those of you who haven't been, you've had an epic week. We are now missing even more bags than last week. Which makes more work for us. So please make a better effort — you can do this.

FULL SHARES:

bunch couve (collards)

bunch scallions

snap and snow peas

bunch salad turnips

bunch carrots*

1 1/4 lb new potatoes

head napa**

2 bulbs fresh garlic+

cutting garden

SMALL SHARES:

bunch couve (collards)

bunch chard

small bunch scallions

snap peas

2 bulbs fresh garlic

1 1/4 lb new potatoes

bunch salad turnips

cutting garden

*The carrots are Paris Market carrots. They are an early season quick crop, due to their short and stout shape. If you don't eat them soon, cut off the greens. The greens can be frozen and used for veg stock.

**Napa cabbage provides many hiding places for insects and slugs. We'd recommend cutting it and washing thoroughly before eating. Sometimes the inner stems, which we can't see without cutting, are damaged — if your napa cabbage is too damaged to use, let us know and we'll put something extra in your bag next week.

+fresh garlic has not been cured, so will not keep as long as storage garlic. The fresh taste and juiciness are a July treat.

CUTTING GARDEN: There is an abundance of flat-leaf parsley and cilantro, so please snip a bunch of both. You may also take small bunches of oregano, marjoram, thyme, tarragon, chives and basil. There are enough flowers beginning to bloom for a small bouquet. Please snip more generously within the two yarrow patches and the daisy patch. Reminder: the cutting garden accounts for a portion of your share value — please take advantage of it. You are welcome to come any time during the week. If you are physically incapable of walking to the cutting garden, please let us know and we'll cut for you.

In general, most herbs and flowers can be snipped back to where you can see new growth or blooms emerging further down on the stem. Cilantro and chives can be cut down to about an inch tall, and will grow back. With parsley, you harvest the lower leaves, leaving the crown intact.

today's harvest

BAG RETURN: is going poorly. We're already missing at least 50 bags. Please remember to return them, and if you forget, do make an effort to come later in the week, or to the farmer's market in Portsmouth and return them. Please open your returned bag on the shelf so it has a chance to air out.

CSA PLANT GIVE-AWAY: Any plants barricaded with orange tape are off-limits. Please feel free to walk through the greenhouses this week and take any plants that aren't restricted.

RECIPES: If you are ever unsure what to do with anything in your share, there are recipes on our website. Also, please send us any recipes that you'd like to share.

FULL SHARES:

bunch kale

bunch collard

1-2 heads lettuce (size-dependent)

1-2 heads napa cabbage (size-dependent)*

1 head bok choi

snap and snow peas

cutting garden

SMALL SHARES:

bunch kale

1-2 heads lettuce (size-dependent)

1 head napa cabbage*

1 head bok choi

snap peas

cutting garden

*Napa cabbage provides many hiding places for insects and slugs. We'd recommend cutting it and washing thoroughly before eating. Sometimes the inner stems, which we can't see without cutting, are damaged — if your napa cabbage is too damaged to use, let us know and we'll put something extra in your bag next week.

CUTTING GARDEN: There is an abundance of flat-leaf parsley, so please snip a bunch. You may also take small bunches of cilantro, and little snips of oregano, marjoram, thyme, and basil. There are enough flowers beginning to bloom for a very small bouquet. Please snip more generously within the two yarrow patches.

In general, most herbs and flowers can be snipped back to where you can see new growth or blooms emerging further down on the stem. Cilantro and chives can be cut down to about an inch tall, and will grow back. With parsley, you harvest the lower leaves, leaving the crown intact.

today's harvest

Please remember to bring back your bags.

FULL SHARES:

10 oz lettuce mix

bunch kale

bunch salad turnip

bunch collards

8 oz snap peas

handful snow peas

cutting garden*

p.y.o. strawberries**

SMALL SHARES:

8 oz lettuce mix

bunch kale

bunch salad turnip

bunch chard or collard

8 oz snap or snow peas

cutting garden*

p.y.o. strawberries**

*CUTTING GARDEN: This week, in addition to the perennial herbs that are still available, you may cut a few sprigs of parsley. The parsley is just a little further down the hill in the cutting garden. You cut the bottom leaves of the parsley, leaving the new growth and crown intact. The parsley is still relatively small, so go easy on them! Also, please be very mindful not to step on the other beds in the garden as there are many small herbs planted in them.

**PYO STRAWBERRIES:

We still have some strawberries in the two beds located just below the perennial herbs. You may pick up to a pint. The pint containers are next to the sign-off sheet in the barn. You may pick your pint of strawberries at any time this week (until next Monday). If the plants have already been picked over by the time you get to them, feel free to come back a day or two later.

EXCHANGE CRATE: Today we will have a crate in the cooler. If you'd like to trade something from your share, for what is already in the crate, you may do so. If you take something from the crate, you have to put something from your share back in the crate.

CSA Friends and Family Plant Sale

WHAT: Plant Sale--Everything must go: annuals, limited selection of perennials, Dahlias, and hanging baskets!
WHEN: This Sunday June 26th, 10:00 am-2:00 pm
WHERE: Touching Earth Farm
WHO:  Our CSA members, their friends and family.  Please spread the word!

today's harvest

Please remember to bring back your bags and place them on the shelf in the cooler where your share name is posted.

FULL SHARES:

10 oz mesclun

2-3 heads bok choi (size dependent)

bunch couve (Portuguese collards)+

2 heads lettuce

bunch kale+

garlic scapes

some bags will have strawberries*

SMALL SHARES:

8 oz mesclun

bunch couve (Portuguese collards)+

2 heads lettuce

garlic scapes

strawberries**

*Some full shares are getting strawberries this week. If we have strawberries next week, we will put those in the full shares that did not get them this week. If the strawberries are done, we will make sure you get other berries later in the summer.

** The small shares that did not get strawberries last week, are getting them this week.

+The kale and couve had some aphids on them in the field. They have been washed off, but we would suggest washing them again just to make sure they're clean. We had a difficult year with aphids in the greenhouses and it seems some of them made it out into the field. We are using organic methods to control them, and now that the plants are actually uncovered, the natural predators will be able to eat the aphids as well.

CUTTING GARDEN: This week, in addition to the perennial herbs that are still available, you may cut a few sprigs of parsley. The parsley is just a little further down the hill in the cutting garden. You cut the bottom leaves of the parsley, leaving the new growth and crown intact. The parsley is still relatively small, so go easy on them! Also, please be very mindful not to step on the other beds in the garden as there are many small herbs planted in them.

today's harvest

Please remember to bring back your bag from last week. Please place it in your space on the shelving.

FULL SHARES:

3 heads lettuce

10 oz lettuce mix

8 oz mesclun

2 heads bok choi

garlic scapes

strawberries

cutting garden+

SMALL SHARES:

2 heads lettuce

6 oz lettuce mix

1 head bok choi

bunch spring raab

garlic scapes

some bags will have strawberries*

cutting garden+

*We don't have enough strawberries for all the small shares this week. We're keeping track of who received them, and will give strawberries to the half shares that did not receive them next week.

+CUTTING GARDEN: Herbs only today. The cutting garden is in the middle of the field, below the big black mat.

You are welcome to visit our bed of perennial herbs and cut a few small sprigs for yourself (.25 cent value). We have chives (flowers are also edible), sage, thyme, tarragon, and oregano. Please bring your own snips. You can visit the cutting garden at any point during the week. There is a sign in the field illustrating how to cut the herbs.

Reminder: the cooler is shut off Wednesday night. We recommend picking up your share before then.

today's harvest

Today, you will find your shares pre-bagged for you in the cooler. Full shares are on shelves around the perimeter of the room and small shares are on the shelves clustered in the middle.

EACH SHARE IS LABELED WITH YOUR SHARE NAME. PLEASE DON'T TAKE A BAG THAT ISN'T YOURS. (Sorry for the capitalization, but we've had problems with this in the past.)

Please take your bag, and bring it back next week when you come to pick up again. Please remember to check off your name on the clipboard outside of the cooler.

*If you are sharing a full share, it is your responsibility to split the full share bag. You do not have a small share.*

FULL SHARES:

4 heads lettuce

bunch spring raab*

bunch salad turnip**

cutting garden#

SMALL SHARES:

2 heads lettuce

bunch salad turnip** -or- 4 oz bag of spinach

cutting garden#

* The stems, leaf and flower of raab are edible. They are great sauteed w/ garlic and olive oil.

** The salad turnips can be eaten raw, or sauteed w/ butter. The greens are also edible. (recipes on our website)

Both the raab and turnips also fell victim to our unexpected surge in flea beetle population. Neither are as pretty as we desire, but are still delicious. Damage on the turnips can be cut away.

Please remember to wash all your vegetables before eating! We do wash them, but there's bound to be some grit, weeds, or bugs that make their way into your bags.

#CUTTING GARDEN: Herbs only today. The cutting garden is in the middle of the field, below the big black mat.

You are welcome to visit our bed of perennial herbs and cut a few small sprigs for yourself (.25 cent value). We have chives (flowers are also edible), sage, thyme, tarragon, and oregano. Please bring your own snips. You can visit the cutting garden at any point during the week. I'll try and get a sign out there describing how you cut the herbs.