2021 CSA Farm Update: Week 3

Welcome everyone to week three of the Katchkie Farm CSA! Summer has very much arrived at the farm, with most of the week showing temperatures in the 90’s. Not the best week to be a lettuce, but just right for those peppers.

The new arrival to this week’s shares is the carrot. This vegetable is one of my favorite ones to grow. There is nothing quite so satisfying as pulling a carrot from the ground and meeting that bright orange(usually) color and that flowery, sweet earthy fragrance. In all the years I have been farming, unearthing a carrot has never ceased to amaze me. How is it possible that something so sweet and vivid in color can grow in the earth?

The real treasure of the carrot is found in its culinary adaptiveness. Some like carrots in their raw state, some in a liquid state, some in a cooked, sauteed or roasted state. No matter what way you eat one of these marvels, their sweetness in what characterizes their use. My personal preference is cooking them to bring out that sweetness. Sometimes by themselves, cooked with some butter and a pinch of salt, finding that balance between caramelization and burned! This time of year, they pair so well with other summer vegetables. Their sugar can also bring out other vegetables as well. A carrot and zucchini sauté with a pinch of chili flakes is a real early summer treat. Just wait until you can add those cherry tomatoes!


Until next time,
Farmer Jon