Lettuce Instructions; Orders for 1/5 and 1/6

It is definitely the slowest part of the year for us, and we are doing things like spending some cherished time with family, catching up on reading, and tending to the bookkeeping and taxes. But — inside the new greenhouse, it is a daily buzz of activity.

First priority was salad mix.

See that gorgeous black compost at the base of those plants? Somebody has to spread it.

Nemo, the world’s greatest high school mentee, is now a pro at transplanting into a raised bed. (We have secretly sent letters to Brown, Princeton, and Rice telling them that they may not accept her for next year. A deferrment is what we need. Then she can stay and learn more at the farm next year. Sounds great, eh?)

Individual plants spaced farther apart will grow into heads of lettuce.

Speaking of heads of lettuce, we have received a number of questions about how to best care for these precious leaves once you receive them. So here’s a quick primer on lettuce care:

We prefer to wash a whole head (or two!) at a time, spin it, and then keep it in an air-tight container. Sometimes that is our spinner, sometimes a sealed container, sometimes a plastic bag. (You are more likely to eat it if you have it already prepped for eating, yes?)(We really love this Zyliss spinner. It is the best, by far, that we have ever used. Maybe we’ll have some available for sale in our farm stand next year.) The idea is to allow the leaves to maintain the same amount of moisture inside of them that they had at the moment we cut them. Extra moisture will make the leaves go slimy more quickly. Exposure to dry air will cause moisture to exit the leaves and make them go limp. So you aim for no introduced wet-ness and no introduced dry-ness. That’s why you spin after washing – whether to prep it for eating or storage. Our cut salad mix is dunk-washed in water after cutting and then spun dry and then bagged for sale. We have found this works really well to keep the leaves in great shape for fresh eating. We try to replicate that process with head lettuce – that is why we put them in plastic bags when we put together orders for delivery (despite how much we despise plastic).

Kale is also growing in the greenhouse. We’ll let you know as soon as it’s ready. I promise.

This week’s harvest includes:

Bag o’ Dark Greens (Farmers’ Choice of collards, chard, kale and/or Hon Tsai Tai – $3), Heads of lettuce (red, green bibb, or green romaine, please specify – $2 ea, 3 for $5), Big Bag of Juicing Greens (Get out that juicer! – $5)…and our own Pepper Jelly (mild, medium, or hot – $5), and Multigrain Bread ($7).

Recipes for Holiday Recovery: :: Green Juice Recipes :: Sauteed Greens with Pine Nuts and Raisins

For those who have thought about ordering for pick up at Good Health Herbs but have stopped at the point of wondering “But what would this underground commerce look like?” — Here’s a sneak peek inside the store.

See those bags in the lower left corner? Those are full of our produce! You pick up your order simply by finding the bag with your name (and $ amount total) on it. There’s an envelope on top of the shelving in the middle of the picture. That’s where you leave your exact change or check. Easy peasy, if the hours work out for you.

If you would like to place an order, please email your list of desired items and pick up location to BroadforkFarm@yahoo.com

Delivery Options and Order Deadlines:

Pick up at our farm after 9 am Saturday: Orders due by noon Friday. Pick up your bagged order in the green shed/walk in cooler beside the house. Leave your payment (exact change or check) on the shelf in the walk-in.

Pick up at Good Health Herbs, Saturday 9-12:30 pm: Orders due by noon Friday. Leave your exact change or check in the envelope at the store.

Pick up at First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond (beside Byrd Park), Sunday 9-11 am: Orders due by noon Saturday. Pick up just inside the door facing Douglasdale Road. Janet will be there with your goods, plus a smile! Pay with cash or check.

** Our 2013 CSA Sign up information will be available starting next week. Stay tuned!

** We are currently accepting applications for apprentices for the 2013 season.

Enjoy ~

Broadfork Farm

Certified Naturally Grown vegetables. Organic, Naturally Leavened Bread. ~Chesterfield, VA.

Lettuce Instructions; Orders for 1/5 and 1/6

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