WEATHER ALERT
Monday - July 26, 2021
The week is looking pretty good, but keep those umbrellas handy just in case!

Hazy start to the day!

Another weather change as we move from cool and rainy to hot and humid. This coupled with the smoke from the the wildfires out west reaching the east coast and we're back in the soup again. The air is actually so thick you can smell and almost taste it. Just when you think things can't get any worse for the crew, it's kind of difficult to breathe too.

The good news is we are beginning to dry out from all of the rain that we have received over the last several weeks. They weather we had over the weekend and the warmer temps this week should help things along. To speed up the process we even subsoiled some of the fields so the moisture can sink lower into the ground and it seems to be working.

We lost so many of our crops this season because of weather, but if things stay on track and are consistent, the next settings of vegetables will be ok. On the positive note, our newer setting of broccoli and broccolini are looking great. Sweet corn is coming in fast and furious and we are so thankful for that.

The next time you think about the weather affecting your day, think about it affecting your food and the food supply as well. Climate change is real.

Enjoy the share this week folks!

​Owner Harrison Bardwell

​WHAT TO USE FIRST​

• Kale - you want to eat your greens when they are at their darkest color, especially kale, you will always get the maximum benefit
• Sweet Corn - 1 to 3 days in the refrigerator
• Blueberries - 2 to 4 days on the counter, 1 to 2 weeks, unwashed, in the refrigerator crisper drawer
• Cauliflower - cut florets, 4-7 days in a plastic, refrigerator crisper drawer
• Cucumbers - don't wash until use, refrigerate in a plastic or paper bag keeping the end open, 5 to 7 days shelf life
• Onions - up to 2 weeks, peeled in fridge, several weeks, unpeeled, cool dry place
• Cabbage - up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator crisper drawer

TIP: BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries get their intense blue color from anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant. Blueberries contain different types of antioxidants, which fight the free radicals that cause cell damage. It is believed that blueberries can aid in the fight against cancer, aging, and more.

​LETS GET COOKING

ALTON BROWN MAKES BLUEBERRY BUCKLE
Food Network | YouTube
We we want to wake up to Alton's Blueberry Buckle every day! 

more recipes:

• Lemon Blueberry Biscuits - Taste of Home
• White Balsamic Blueberry, Corn and Feta Salad - Taste of Home
• Grilled Peach, Onion and Bacon Salad - Food & Wine
• Caramelized Onion Dip - Food & Wine
• Sesame-Ginger Cucumber Salad - Taste of Home
• Cheeseburger Bowl - Taste of Home
• Whole Roasted Stuffed Cauliflower - Food Network
• Roasted Cauliflower Lasagna - Food Network

​​​​​WHATS GOING ON AT THE FARM

WEATHER ALERT
Monday - July 19, 2021
The weather is actually looking pretty for this week and who's happy about this?
We are!

Rain rain go away...
​
Welcome to Bardwell Farm Marina, I mean, week 8 everyone! Mother Nature has been throwing everything at us lately from extreme heat to excessive precipitation, over 10+ inches to be exact. The storms have been pretty severe too with dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning and flooding. We really need to dry out and we're hoping this will be the week to do just that.

On-top of the weather the crew has been keeping the good fight battling weeds, trellising tomatoes, planting, working the tent, and farmers' markets. Despite the weather its been getting done and I'm proud of them. It's not easy doing this kind of work in these conditions.

New to the share this week... fresh garlic and more sweet corn :) ENJOY!

Owner Harrison Bardwell

WHAT TO USE FIRST​

• Kale - you want to eat your greens when they are at their darkest color, especially kale, you will always get the maximum benefit
• Sweet Corn - 1 to 3 days in the refrigerator
• Cucumbers - don't wash until use, refrigerate in a plastic or paper bag keeping the end open, 5 to 7 days shelf life
• Lettuce - 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer, do not wash or process until you are ready to use
• Beets - up to 10 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer
• Cabbage - up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator crisper drawer

TIP: GARLIC
The shelf life of garlic can go as long as a year or as short as a few days depending on how you store it. A properly stored whole bulb of garlic can last up to three to five months in the pantry. Once the bulb is broken, you can expect the quality of your garlic to decrease rather quickly. Individual unpeeled garlic cloves can last for seven to ten days in the pantry.

​​​​WHATS GOING ON AT THE FARM

CAN'T MAKE YOUR PICKUP DAY?
If you cannot make your pickup day a friend or family member can pick it up for you or for themselves.

Reminder: pickup days cannot be changed, the day that was chosen on the enrollment form will be your day for the 20 weeks of the program

WEATHER ALERT
Sunday - July 12, 2021
Looks like more inclement weather in the forecast folks, be sure to keep your storm gear handy when picking up your shares!

Saturday sunset with Allis

The rain these past couple of weeks has been insane. By the time we finish today and tomorrow we'll probably be somewhere in the 5+ inch range! Normally we would be asking for rain prayers, but now how about a sun dance? We need to dry out soon and quickly to ward off disease and rot. And, the weeds after the sun peeks out... we don't even want to think about it.

With all of this bad weather it's given us the opportunity to work in the high tunnels trellising peppers and tomatoes. We also continued work in our new wash/pack area. We were able to move our vegetable washing machine, tubs, and tables in there and it felt pretty good. One more step in the process completed.

We're excited to have sweet corn and pickling cukes in this week's share, two of my favorite things! Give me some butter and little salt and pepper and I could live on them all summer long :)

Enjoy!

Owner Harrison Bardwell

WHAT TO USE FIRST​

• Kale - you want to eat your greens when they are at their darkest color, especially kale, you will always get the maximum benefit
• Sweet Corn - 1 to 3 days in the refrigerator
• Bok Choy - 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer
• Pickling Cukes - don't wash until use, refrigerate in a plastic or paper bag keeping the end open, 5 to 7 days shelf life
• Swiss Chard - 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer
  
• Scallions - 7 to 10 days, bagged, in the crisper drawer, longer in a glass of water
• Onions - up to 2 weeks, peeled in fridge, several weeks, unpeeled, cool dry place

​
​DID YOU KNOW: SWEET CORN
There are about 800 kernels on each ear of corn and the silk of sweet corn is actually the stigma (the female part). Surprisingly, there is one strand of silk per grain of corn!

​​LETS GET COOKING

Barefoot Contessa's Fresh Corn Salad
Food Network | YouTube
Looking for an easy summery side dish? Ina's Fresh Corn Salad is super simple and has your name written all over it. 

more recipes:

• Potato Salad with Sweet Corn, Bacon, and Red Onion - Country Living
• Corn-and-Ham Risotto - Country Living
• Cucumber Gin Cocktail - Bon Appetit
• Spicy Lightly Pickled Cucumbers - Bon Appetit
• Swiss Chard Herb Fritters - Epicurious
• Rainbow Chard Quiche - Martha Stewart
• Shrimp & Bok Choy - Spruce Eats
• Bok Choy Chicken Soup - Spruce Eats

​​​WHATS GOING ON AT THE FARM

The farm stand is filling up with all kinds of summer goodies!

Did everyone have a wonderful 4th of July holiday? We hope you did! If you ate too many bad things fear not, you can dive into this weeks share and we'll help you get back on track :)

After scouting the fields over the weekend we are beginning to see eggplant and peppers, and we even picked our first field tomato on Sunday! We've been selling high tunnel heirloom tomatoes for a couple of days now, but there's nothing like eating a warm tomato from the field.

Speaking of field crops, we're monitoring them closely for disease. With almost 3" of rain this past week this opens the door to this kind of thing. We're hoping to dry things out quickly before the next deluge comes. The benefit to all of this is you'll see more summer crops grow quickly with the 2-day heatwave we're supposed to receive. Only time will tell because Mother Nature is in charge.

Looking forward to seeing you all this week!

Owner Harrison Bardwell

WHAT TO USE FIRST​

• Shelling Peas - 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator, do not was until until use
• Cauliflower - cut florets, 4-7 days in a plastic, refrigerator crisper drawer
• Squash - 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer
• Lettuce - 7 to 10 days in the refrigerator crisper drawer, do not wash or process until you are ready to use
• Broccoli - 7 to 14 days, completely dry, plastic bag or air tight container, refrigerator crisper drawer
• Radishes - 10 to 14 days in the refrigerator, trim greens, place in a container with a cup of water

​
​DID YOU KNOW: SHELLING PEAS
The term ‘shelling peas’ refers to varieties of pea that require the pea to be removed from the pod or shell prior to use. Though shelling peas are one of the most popular types of pea plant in which to grow, they are often referred to by many other names. These common names include English peas, garden peas, and even sweet peas. The name sweet peas is especially problematic as true sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) are a toxic ornamental flower and are not edible.

​LETS GET COOKING

HOW TO COOK FRESH PEAS
Well Done | YouTube
This is your window to scoop up fresh green peas, every minute of it by cooking these green glories to their maximum delicious potential. 

more recipes:

• How to Prep Shelling Peas - Jacob Burton
• Simply Fresh Buttered Peas - Unsophisticook
• Roasted Broccolini & Lemon With Parmesan - New York Times
• Sun Dried Tomato Broccolini Pasta - Girl with the Iron Cast
• General Tso's Cauliflower - Food Network
• Garlic & Herb Cauliflower Chips - Food Network
  

​​WHATS GOING ON AT THE FARM