by Amy Swanson
Rinsing the lettuce
Working: Pilgrim, First Baptist, Lexington Catholic Community, St. Nicholas and an extra volunteer from Isaiah.
Weather: Sun and lots of early dampness
Delivered: 61 pounds total including cucumbers (2 varieties totaling 17.5 pounds), yellow squash, zucchini, broad beans, green beans, kale, swiss chard, basil, garlic, tomatoes (2 varieties), lettuce and flowers.
Tomatoes: All I can say is that before long the garden will be swimming in tomatoes. We were sent to see what could be harvested. Most of the cherry tomatoes appeared to have been harvested, but we still found some to deliver along with the first of another variety that looked like the very first wave of Italian plum tomatoes.
Cucumbers: Do you know the difference between Armenian and regular cucumbers? Armenians are smaller, generally skinnier and have a smooth skin. I am much more familiar with regular cucumbers and their bumpy, somewhat spiky skin. Thankfully, we had another volunteer who explained to the rest of us the difference so we knew that the smaller variety was indeed ready for picking.
Zucchini and squash: Definitely THE place for bees! Lots of squash blooms to attract our pollinating friends.
Beans: Did you know that you beans should not be picked if the plants are wet? When I arrived, there was heavy morning dew so we opted to wait til the end to see if the plants had dried sufficiently to pick. Not quite, so very few were added to what Carla had already picked previously for us to deliver.
Kale: Last week I wondered how to use kale without heating up the kitchen. My repertoire of kale recipes was limited to sautéing, roasting and parboiling…all methods to transform the slight bitterness of the green to a sweeter flavor. Turns out that kale can be a great salad foundation green, provided you dress the greens well in advance with acidic ingredients. At the last farmer’s market, I picked up a “sweet kale” variety and chard and made a tasty Greek-inspired salad using a lemon juice and oil dressing. Can’t wait for a redo!
Loading the wheelbarrow
Lettuce: Couldn’t quite fit our lettuce haul in the big garden cart with the rest of the goods. 10 pounds of lettuce takes up a lot of room! So our lettuce got wheeled over to the pantry in its own wheelbarrow.
10 pounds of lettuce merits its own ride