Full Sun Farm Newsletter May 1, 2024

News from the farm...

It was dahlia planting day today. We are doing a few less dahlias this year but still hauled out close to 100 crates of dahlias from the root cellar this morning. While some folks were grouping the varieties by color, others were digging holes and dressing them with compost. We grow about 35 different varieties of dahlias with about 5 different forms. That might seem like a lot but it is hardly a drop in the bucket! There are at least 12 different dahlia flower types (dinner plate, lily, ball, collared etc etc) and hundreds of varieties. Our "limited" selection is actually a reflection of considerable restraint on my part. Planted in early May, they will start blooming in July and keep on blooming until frost. In fact, as all the other flowers start getting tired towards the middle of September, the dahlias really start to take off. They love the cool nights and the heavy dews of late fall.

We have some extra dahlia tubers of Cafe au Lait, Cornel Bronze and Linda's Baby. We'll be bringing a few crates to market on Saturday and selling the tubers for $10 each. Email me if you are interested.

Also, this coming Saturday is the pick up day for the plants you ordered back in February and March. We'll have another pick up day next Wednesday for those of you who chose to pick up at the River Arts District Farmers Market.

And PLEASE NOTE: next week Saturday May 11 is graduation day at UNC Asheville. The NATM will move to Salvage Station for that day only. Market hours are the same 8am to noon. I'll send out a reminder next week as well.

What's Available This Week

It is strawberry time on the farm. We've spent several hours picking strawberries this week and have several more to go before market on Saturday. Don't miss out! We have more greens this week, tender Swiss chard, and green and lacinato kales. Pretty, pretty lettuce mix and lush heads of lettuce, green oak, red butter, romaine and red leaf. We'll have the last of our turnips this week and almost the last of the spring onions. We have vegetable, flower and herbs starts for your garden and beautiful coral charm peonies, snapdragons, ranunculus and mixed bouquets for your home.

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John's Recipe of the Week

John Loyd is our dear friend, neighbor, CSA worker member and a gourmet Southern cook. His delightful observations on gardening and cooking appear here each week.

“No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.” Julia Child

MANDOLINES – These slicers are wonderful kitchen tools for Full Sun veggies. They also work very well on finger tips! The mandolin is, maybe, the most dangerous tool you will find in your kitchen. In cooking school, my two team mates cut their fingertips off within ten minutes so beware. Use the cutting guards, and you may consider cut gloves too. This thing cuts way faster than you’d think. And don’t let children use a mandoline.

GREEN GARLIC – Green garlic is simply immature garlic. It can be used wherever mature garlic is called for and as a substitute for onions and leeks. You’ll want to taste it as you go. I cut some recently and found it to be a lot stronger than I expected. Generally, both greens and bulbs are used together.

Use for:
adding to salads,
adding to soup,
puree and add to dressing,
pickle,
slow roast in a bit of butter,
add to omelets,
chop and rub on roasted meat,
stir fry,
sprinkle on pizza.

Here is a dressing recipe for green or mature garlic.
CREAMY GARLIC AND PARMESAN DRESSING
2 garlic cloves or equivalent green garlic finely chopped. Taste as you go.
1 cup olive oil
¼ c red wine vinegar
½ c grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp. black pepper or more to taste
1 tsp. salt
½ cup of 2% milk
Combine all ingredients in a blender/processor adding the milk last as you puree or process.
Whirl for 30 to 45 seconds until the dressing is like a light mayonnaise.
NOTE – Whole milk or half and half can be substituted. Watch carefully as you add it to the dressing while it is mixing. And thanks to the Moosewood Collective for this recipe.