First season with the team

Hi everyone! It's about time I introduced myself. I'm Julie, the newest member of the Spring Tide team. I can't tell you how excited I am to be part of this well-managed, and productive group of women dedicated to bringing you all the best part of any summer: fresh grown veggies! I've been lucky enough to have my own homestead for many years, and when the opportunity to expand my community impact with Spring Tide popped up, I jumped at the chance. So, I'm here to tell you about how my first weeks at the farm have been going. 

the team harvesting garlic scapes (check out the recipe below)

Jessie, Rebecca and Raph had made me feel so welcome and supported since I started, and have made sure that I feel at home. Jessie does such a wonderful job making sure the seeding and transplants are organized, watered and ready to go when we need them. Rebecca takes time everyday to make sure we have our tasks organized and we understand our responsibilities. Raph is the master of irrigation and is always willing to teach me her craft when something new comes up. I am in the process of finding my niche, but I feel like small building projects and repairs will be my forte. 

Every morning we have a team meeting, where we address the plan for the week and the day, address safety concerns, discuss crop health and productivity, and make sure everyone is having a good time. I truly appreciate the communication, and we even got walkie talkies to make it easier to ask questions from the other side of the farm. One thing I enjoy about our organization efforts is the ability to add more projects and tasks to our list with an extra person working. Hopefully, with all 4 of us around, we will have more time available to tackle things that might not be top priorities, but really need to be done. For example, we have been really good at mowing and weed whacking between the tunnels, which makes everything look and feel tidier. 

the whole crew out mowing! feeling fresh!

This time of year we are patiently waiting for the hot crops to ripen. Tomatoes, peppers and squash are all growing so fast, and I can't wait to be able to add them to the CSAs and market table for a lovely splash colour. One of my favourite things has been meeting all the customers, either at market or CSA pick ups. I'm working really hard on memorizing all your names, but your excitement about our hard work is really energizing. I appreciate how enthusiastic and appreciative you all are, and it makes me enjoy my job even more. The market has been a whirlwind of activity, and the lineups at our table have been a true testament to how much our community enjoys the summer abundance. 

With all that being said, here are a few recipes for the crops that are available currently. Garlic scapes and napa cabbage are in season, so get some while you can! These recipes will help you enjoy both for the rest of the summer. Enjoy!

Garlic scape Pesto recipe

• 1 pound garlic scapes, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 1 ¼ cups grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 cup olive oil

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• ground black pepper to taste

Blend garlic scapes, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper together in a food processor until smooth. Substitute pine nuts for parmesan cheese, if you like. Keep in the fridge in jars, or even freeze it for later in ice cube trays.

Kimchi recipe

Ingredients:

• 10 pounds napa cabbage

• 1 cup kosher salt

• ¼ cup sugar

• water

• 1 cup of crushed garlic

• 1 to 2 tbs ginger, minced

• 1 cup onion, minced

• 1 cup fish sauce

• salty, fermented squid (see FAQ, above)

• 2½ cups Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru) (to taste)

• 2 cups leek, chopped

• 10 green onions (diagonally sliced)

• ¼ cup of carrot, julienned

instructions:

• Cut the cabbage lengthwise into quarters and remove the cores. Chop it up into bite size pieces.

• Soak the pieces of cabbage in cold water and put the soaked cabbage into a large basin. Sprinkle salt.

• Every 30 minutes, turn the cabbage over to salt evenly (total salting time will be 1½ hours).1½ hours later, rinse the cabbage in cold water 3 times to clean it thoroughly.        Drain the cabbage and set aside.

• Add sugar, fish sauce, hot pepper flakes, crushed garlic, minced ginger, and minced onion  *tip: it’s much easier to use a food processor!                                                               

• Add green onions, chopped leek, Korean radish, and carrot in a separate bowl, with the puree.                                                                                                                              

• Mix all ingredients well and your kimchi paste is done                                                    

• Put the kimchi paste in a large bowl and add all the cabbage. Mix it by hand.               

• Put the kimchi into an air-tight sealed plastic container or glass jar.                              

• You can eat it fresh right after making or wait until it’s fermented.