FEB24 (W2): Celebrating Parsley & Bok Choy
Dear Farm Community -
This week we saw some temps in the high 50’s and low 60’s which meant we could fully open up our hoop houses and high tunnels and let those plants breathe! And it wouldn’t be a winter week at Diamond Hill Farm without some weeding and transplanting. Happy to report our flower fields are looking top-notch and we got some lettuce seedlings and spring flower seedlings in the ground. Reid was busy with tractor work and made some major progress on drainage projects and field prep. Welcome new additions Bekkah and Gemma are knocking it outa the park in flower world with Alex & Morgan. The veg crew is putting in the (currently slightly muddy and unglamorous) work to make springtime abundant (and glamorous). It’s a test of patience this time of year, with lots of babies planted holding promise of harvests to come, and much of our day-to-day revolving around preparation. We did have two harvest victories this week - newly-mature plantings of bok choy and parsley were harvested and headed to our Atlanta markets. We’ll be harvesting more of both on Tuesday for your CSA’s this week!
Speaking of CSA’s… THANKS, y’all, for a successful first week! We hope you enjoyed all your delicious produce & are eager for more. This week’s share features some other winter favorites, like the aforementioned bok choy. If you were part of our CSA last year you are likely familiar with bok choy’s crunchy bright savory goodness and how to cook it, but if not have no fear and get ready to celebrate this modest star! While it is bitter raw, cooking it up in a stir fry or simply sautéed with garlic will mellow out the bitterness and bring out a rich flavor, making for a delicious main or side. You can even add it to a soup! (In a pinch I’ll sub it in for celery when I’m making chili and short on ingredients) Nutritionally, bok choy is packed with calcium, phosphorous, iron, magnesium, and vitamin K. What’s not to love??
For some other inspiration with this week’s share, check out this chicken soup recipe that calls for celery, carrots, and parsley - three items you’ll be seeing this week. For a vegetarian version swap out the chicken broth with vegetable broth and add some potatoes or mushrooms! If you still find yourself with leftover parsley, I will share my personal favorite super special super easy Green Goddess Dressing recipe:
1 avocado, peeled & pitted
1/4 cup water (or more to your desired consistency)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup packed fresh parsley leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
Blend until smooth and enjoy on salads, tacos, fajitas, fries, grain bowls, and more!
Happy Eating :)
Diamond Hill Farmers
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P.S. Full discounted shares still available until the last week in February! Check out our spring veggie share, spring flower share, three season veggie share, and three season flower share options. We have expanded pickup options and home delivery available this year! Weekly-paid options will be available the last week of February for the start of our Spring session. Questions? Head on over to our CSA FAQ page for general CSA questions or this blog post for specifics on this year’s sessions! Any other questions feel free to reply directly to this email :)
This week’s share: carrots, bok choy, microgreens, head lettuce, watermelon radish, celery, parsley