The sight of grass and mud has us in spring mode. And while the snow is sure to return, something else will be arriving on our doorstep: about $1,200 worth of seeds.
Here are a few of the wonders that will spring from Plot Twist Farm soil into your 2019 CSA boxes:
*** Poniente Cucumbers
These cukes were our most expensive seeds. They were about a dollar per seed. However, they’ll be worth every penny. Poniente is a long, European cucumber, with improved disease resistance. Have you ever tasted a fresh-picked cucumber? We’re talking crazy crunch. Wonderful as a snack, on a salad, or, say, diced up and tossed with black beans, feta, and dressing. These will be planted in one of our high tunnels. That means EARLY cucumbers!
*** Sweet Chocolate Bell Peppers
Eye-catching, with a lovely, chocolate flesh, these mild peppers will be ready early.
These are Sweet Chocolate Bell Peppers by Johnny’s Selected Seeds. Johnny’s is one of our favorite seed providers. Don’t these look delicious?
*** Lunchbox Peppers
These cute, sweet peppers are perfect for snacking. Dip in your favorite dressing and crunch away, or stuff with cream cheese, sprinkle with salt, and toss on the grill.
*** Adriana Lettuce
We are especially excited about this lettuce. The dense, dark green heads are packed with flavor. For us, the big deal is that Adriana can take the heat. It’s hard to keep lettuce from burning and bolting in the summer. This variety tolerates the hot temperatures. After some experimentation last year, we decided that growing head lettuce was a more sustainable way of increasing the number of times CSA members have salad in their share box. And more lettuce is one of our main goals this year. We want more in the boxes, and more at our market stands. Jason is even taking a course on lettuce this winter.
We’ll be growing a great deal of Adriana, by Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It’s able to withstand summer heat - a major plus for us, especially since we’re ramping up lettuce production. In past seasons, we’ve used loose leaf lettuce, but this year, we’re converting to lettuce heads.
*** Atomic Fusion Tomato
Every fruit has its own combination of color, but each one is sweet and meaty. The outside flesh is lavender, with multicolored streaks coaxed out by sunlight.
This inviting-looking tomato is Atomic Fusion, which we purchased from Wild Boar Farms.
*** Artisan Tomato Collection
These crisp, little beauties will make a lovely rainbow in your boxes this summer. They’re refreshing with a satisfying crunch.
*** Indigo Apple Tomato
These tomatoes are striking, and they’re sweet tasting. The sun ripens the shoulders to black, with the bottom and inside red.
*** Magic Molly Potatoes
We’ve grown these before. On top of being delicious, they’re good conversation pieces. These potatoes have a dark purple skin, and a beautiful purple flesh. They keep their purple hue even when cooked. Mollies are fun and tasty!
*** Baltisk Rod Purpurkal Curly Kale
Say that 10 times fast. Jason was flipping through a seed catalog when I plopped beside him and spotted this kale. It was breathtaking! How often do you say that about kale? “We have to grow that!” I said. According to Fedco, the company that sells this seed, this kale has a feathery texture that’s enjoyable, and it has a sweet aftertaste.
Baltisk Rod Purpurkal Curly Kale - what a beauty! We ordered this seed from Fedco Seeds, another favorite seed company.
*** Red Ace Beets
Fresh beets are out of this world. You can eat the entire beet, including the greens. Jason has a phenomenal beet and beet greens recipe that we’ll share in our weekly CSA box newsletter when a bouquet of these beauties greets you.
We love root vegetables on this farm, and fresh beets top the list. These are Red Ace by Johnny’s.
These are just a few highlights. A well-rounded selection of seeds will go in the ground this season. And it will all be grown with zero sprays. As we say, “It’s food you can feel great about.”
~ Stella