This week your basket contains: NEW POTATOES, green elephant garlic, garlic scapes, spinach, snow pears (half shares) or snap peas (full shares), lettuce mix, turnips, dill, and cilantro.

I think everyone is aware that this spring the weather has been a bit . . . unusual.  We’ve been struggling to even get garden beds prepped much less planted.  Additionally, of the crops that we have planted some are doing well and some not so much.  On the downside is broccoli.  Cabbage family crops in general are very sensitive to day length and will pretty much go to flower based primarily on that factor.  When temperatures don’t match day length (which they haven’t this year) broccoli makes tiny heads.  This has happened mostly with our earliest maturing variety.  We’ll be cutting out these small heads and will distribute them along with our Asian broccoli.  Remember that on the Asian broccoli the stems, leaves and head are all delicious.  If you don’t have one this week, you will next week.  In the past, cutting out the small heads of this variety prompted them to make good sized side shoots later, and we will hope this happens again.  Our later maturing broccoli looks somewhat better, and we have hopes for a more normal harvest as the weather gets better.  On the upside, is spinach.  We are pleased with our harvests over the past couple of weeks.  Combined with the turnip greens, spinach is perfect in this recipe.  This makes a lot of food and can be reduced.  You can also use chicken instead of lamb, or leave out the meat all together.

LAMB SAAG

4 lamb shanks

2-3 Lbs. spinach

1 onion, chopped

4 Tbs. ghee (or butter and oil mixed)

1 tsp. brown mustard seed

1/8 tsp. asafetida

1/8 tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg

¼ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. ground cumin

3 Tbs. water

3 Tbs. cream (or use sour cream or yogurt)

2 tsp. salt

Cover lamb shanks with water in a large pot.  Add 1 tsp. salt and bring to a boil.  Simmer until the lamb is starting to loosen from the bone.  If you have time, put boiled lamb shanks onto the grill to brown.  Chop lamb and set aside.

Meanwhile, wash spinach and strip leaves off of stems.  Chop coarsely.  Combine cayenne, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, turmeric and cumin in a small bowl, add water, and stir well.  Melt the butter and oil (or ghee) in a 5-quart pan over moderate heat.  Add mustard seed and cook until it starts to pop.  Add asafetida and let it sizzle, then add spice mixture and onion.  Fry for about 2 minutes.

Add spinach to pan, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt.  Cover and reduce heat.  Stir occasionally until spinach is all bright green and very wilted.  Add water if necessary.  At this point, the saag can be removed from heat and can sit if necessary.  Before serving, put spinach in a food processor and puree.  Return it to the pan, add chopped lamb, stir in cream and reheat briefly.  Adapted from The Best of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine by Yamuna Devi.

We love new potatoes.  The sweet little gems are harvested while the tubers are still growing so their skins are thin and soft and the flesh is as sweet as a potato can be.  These beauties are excellent steamed and dressed with butter and chopped fresh herbs.  You can also use them in the recipe below which is infinitely adaptable to any veggies you have on hand.

INDIAN MEDLEY

3 new potatoes

1 c. snap peas

1 kohlrabi or peeled broccoli stems

2 turnips

small head of broccoli

1 apple

¼ cabbage

2 Tbsp.vegetable oil

tamari

fresh lemon juice

1 15-ounce jar of Curry Simmer Sauce

Chop all the vegetables and saute in vegetable oil.  Season with tamari and lemon juice.  Add simmer sauce.  Serve with fresh cilantro and cashews.

We are planning a SUBSCRIBER DAY POTLUCK ON THE FARM SUNDAY, JULY 10^TH.  We will be firing up the pizza oven, giving farm tours, and hanging out with you and other subscribers.  More details will be in future notes.

FLOWER BOUQUETS AND VEGETABLE STARTS ARE AVAILABLE for delivery with your veggies.  Email to order flowers.  Garden starts can be purchased at PumpkinRidgeGardens.square.site.