Spent the early morning harvesting a few CSA shares for a Monday drop-off. This is the first week of shares, and they’re still small, mainly greens… There are many tiny farming routines, things you’d probably never do in a bigger operation, that I find extremely relaxing and fun: the final rinsing and putting together of a handful of shares is one of them (it’s not really economical to separately harvest and drop off less than 10 shares or so, this is an…exception). There’s something deeply satisfying about this final post-harvest step, with the veggies together at their finest, the memory of the different quick individual harvests—picking, cutting, pulling—still fresh, that’s…cool! The spinach (above) was quickly dunked in cold well water to rinse off dirt splashed up from recent rain, then allowed to drip dry for a bit on the screen table.
Picked two types of beet greens, Golden Detroit and Scarlet Supreme. The stems are a little long on these—it all depends on the density of the rows, the weather, the harvest timing, leaf size is the luck of the draw since these are really thinnings, they’re not being grown just for the greens. Still young and tender, the baby beets and all can be cooked up, or the leaves used raw in salad (or as a salad!). Really tasty…
And mesclun, of course. This all-lettuce salad mix is a staple crop this year as usual, always on my mind! This cut’s nice and clean! Unrinsed—I let the morning dew dry off a bit on the screen table… More simple pleasures for the simple of mind! ;)
I love the look of your greens! I tried growing my own for years, but they would never quite fill in and then they’d bolt. When you have a moment, could you tell us about how to grow salad greens, and how you harvest them – i.e. do you pick the whole head or do you cut them individual leaves at a time? I have always wanted to have a pot of salad greens outside my kitchen, but it just never works for me. Thanks!
What a great idea on the baby beets. Get the greens (delicious) and gnaw the little beets!
The heading for that spinach pic oughta be Food Porn; what a gorgeous crop!
Your beets look great. I tried to grow the golden ones last yea but had no success with them so well done!
I’ve had a bunch of the all salad mesclun come in this year as well. The first time Iv’e tried growing it, I relaly have enjoyed it. I was wondering however, how you process (clean) your lettuce greens to keep them in the best condition? I’ve been soaking them in water and gently agitating them, then running through a salad spinner to remove excess water. It works well, but I get a lot of bruised and bent leafs. Any suggestions?
I found your blog a few weeks ago and have really enjoyed reading it. I would love to do what you are doing and may just give it a go one day. Your beets look wonderful, mine have leaf miner so needles to say mine aren’t looking so hot.
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