Happy roadside stand opening weekend!
I love this time of year. We had some nicely mild weather last week followed by an awful lot of rain this week, and the good news is that it has really pushed the garden forward. It seems that we've caught up with last year's schedule! I love this time of year; suddenly everything is bright green and I sense my body craving chlorophyll-rich veggies instead of the rich cream-based pastas and low and slow roasts of winter. It's amazing to follow the seasons as we do.
Sorry to announce that our daffodil season has come to a close. They are such a welcome sight and a signal of spring finally arriving, but now we can look forward to late spring and early summer goodies.
We still have blue muscari available and will for another few weeks. Market price is about $0.50 per stem, but come to our farm stand and we have it 3/$1. It looks beautiful on its own in a half-pint mason jar with a natural-colored jute or raffia bow!
Lilac is here and smelling exquisite! I will have it at the stand for $2/stem. The blooms will be unopened so they'll last a long while in your vase.
I'm excited to share that there will definitely be some rhubarb available starting this weekend! $3/lb for stems only (leaves removed). I've heard that some grocers sell it for $12.99/lb but it is hard to know how long it has been since that has been harvested. Note: I had someone ask me if they could prepare rhubarb leaves like they do kale or spinach by sauteing with garlic and olive oil. The answer is NO!!! They are extremely poisonous whether you cook them or not.
We will also have some young field onions for $1/bunch. The white parts (the bulb) are small and mild and can be used like scallions. The green parts are quite tender and we like to use them in place of chives in potato dishes.
Keep an eye out as we will have fresh veggies in another two weeks or so. This year's baby brassica mix includes red mustard, mizuna, tatsoi, kale, and arugula - equally delicious in raw and cooked preparations. Try it as a different green with caeser dressing or wilted into dishes like pasta aglio e olio, chicken soup, or spring vegetable stir fry. We will also have baby buttercrunch lettuce, baby spinach, and French Breakfast radishes around the same time. It will be another month or so until we have any early kohlrabi or carrots.
We got snap beans and soup beans in the ground last weekend, and we will get all of the cucurbits in this weekend.
Hope to see you soon!