It’s July, ya’ll! More variety- fewer repeats

Written By Clover Bee

Hello Clover Bee Members!

Box 2

Box 3 Pickup/Delivery – August 1

This month's box tells the story of our fields.

June brought some interesting weather. We lucked out with only a little hail while some neighboring farms took much bigger hits. Then the heat arrived. It pushed our lettuce to bolt almost overnight, which meant plenty for the compost pile—but not for your CSA box. Instead, we're officially in cabbage and kale salad season!

If you're looking for easy summer meals, try:

  • Shaved zucchini and thinly sliced cucumbers with vinegar and red onion

  • Kale or cabbage salads

  • Grilled or roasted cabbage (seriously—it's so good!)

A small harvest of broccoli also made it into the boxes, along with some beautiful herbs.

Andrew also made a batch of vegan kimchi for everyone! Keep it refrigerated—fermented vegetables keep fermenting if they stay warm.

What's in Your Box

Storage stars (these will keep for several weeks):

  • 4 cured garlic bulbs

  • 1.75 lbs red radishes

  • 1.25 lbs beets

  • 1 large + 1 small Napa cabbage

  • 1–3 Caraflex cabbages

Use within the first two weeks or freeze/preserve:

  • 4 fennel bulbs

  • 1 bunch Dino kale

  • 1 bunch curly kale

  • 1 bunch chard

  • 1 bunch parsley

  • 1 bunch celery

  • 1 bunch scallions

  • 1–2 heads broccoli

  • 4 cucumbers

  • 2–3 summer squash

  • 1 bunch basil

  • 1 pint vegan kimchi

Stretching Your Box for Four Weeks

Remember, this CSA box is designed to feed you over the next four weeks, not all at once.

The long-lasting vegetables—garlic, beets, radishes, and cabbages—will happily wait their turn when stored properly. Start with the basil, cucumbers, broccoli, greens, and summer squash during the first week or two, then work your way through the sturdier vegetables as the month goes on.

A few ideas:

  • Roast or grill cabbage with olive oil or butter.

  • Stew fennel with tomatoes.

  • Make pesto with the basil and freeze any extra.

  • Freeze celery or broccoli if you won't use them right away—they're perfect for soups and stir-fries.

  • Summer squash, pesto, and red onion make an excellent pizza.

The heat threw us a few curveballs this season, so green beans, cilantro, and several other crops aren't quite where we'd hoped. The upside? The tomatoes loved it. August's box is shaping up to be a tomato lover's dream!

On the Farm: Imperfect Prairie Tour

Tuesday, July 14th • 5:30 PM

Join us for a walk through our "imperfect prairies." If you're sensitive to ticks, bring or wear insect repellent.

Back in 2023–24, we converted the farmhouse front lawn into a prairie by tarping the grass and seeding native plants. The grass wasn't ready to give up, so today it's a mix of lawn grasses and prairie flowers—and honestly, that's part of the charm.

Each year new species appear, the native grasses become more established, and the space supports more pollinators and other beneficial insects. Best of all, we no longer have to mow an area we rarely use.

If you've ever wondered whether you could replace part of your lawn with native plants, this is a great real-world example. It doesn't have to be perfect to make a difference.

Whether you live in town or in the country, consider turning an unused patch of lawn into a pocket prairie. Native plants provide valuable habitat for insects, birds, and bats—and they save on mowing, too.

We'd love to show you what's working (and what we're still learning!).

Need Some Dinner Inspiration?

Here are a few recipes that make great use of this month's box:

As always, thank you for supporting local agriculture. Every season brings a few surprises, and we're grateful to share the harvest with you through all of them. We can't wait for tomato season to kick into high gear!

Clover Bee
Next

June Delivery