Thanks everyone for a wonderful first week! Felt great to see you all and get this season started. This week we are bringing the COLOR.
Harvest List: Scarlet turnips Mustard greens Tatsoi Lettuce mix Chard Please note this list is dependent on weather and crop conditions, not guaranteed or comprehensive.
Our Wednesday pickup location, Warren Village, is not just a spot to set up our CSA distribution. Warren Village is a nonprofit that offers transitional housing for single parents experiencing homelessness, as well as a support program to launch families into a sustainable future after they move on. Noelle is currently a resident, moving in when her daughter was a 30 week old bump, and in her wildest farming dreams never expected to be able to give back to this community that has given her family incredible opportunities and support. It is a diverse community that has expressed a strong desire for fresh, local produce, which too often can’t be acquired because of a number of barriers. Each week we bring free produce for residents, and any produce not picked up at distribution goes to a fridge inside for people to pick up regardless of the hour. By supporting Common Name, you are also helping to support this community, the hardworking, ass-kicking single moms at Warren Village. We have partnered with Denver Botanic Gardens and Chatfield Farms to get produce from Phil's old farm donated as well. Importantly, this initiative comes from within the community of residents, and Noelle is available on a daily basis to talk recipes, nutrition, varieties, etc. Asking how to prepare an unfamiliar vegetable may seem commonplace but can be a fraught interaction to a single mom balancing a tight food budget, especially if the circumstances surrounding the interaction are not comfortable or familiar. All too often well-intentioned food access oriented efforts wind up perpetuating an inherently toxic cycle of classism in food that we seek to shatter. Our efforts this season and donations of produce from our current growing space is but a pilot for a larger program we are working on in collaboration with Warren Village.
Recipe: This week's recipe comes from CSA member Johanna: This is my best guess at how I cooked your lovely and tender turnips and greens: INGREDIENTS 1 bunch baby hakurei turnips, cleaned, dried, trimmed, greens reserved 2-1/2 T unsalted butter 2 T sugar Large pinch of Kosher Salt PREPARATION Cut turnips into equal size pieces (small turnips in half, medium in quarters, large in sixths.) Place turnips in a medium-sized skillet; add water to cover turnips halfway. Add butter, sugar, and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until liquid is syrupy and turnips are tender, about 10 minutes. Add turnip greens to skillet and cook until just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Enjoy!