Hi CSA Family,
I feel like it has been a while since I have written a newsletter. I was able to take a week trip to New York City to see my aunt and uncle. During the years of 2016-2019 I was seeing them multiple times a year but I went and lived abroad the 6 months prior to the pandemic and then it was lockdown so I hadn’t seen them in almost 2 years. I was a bit of a nomad before the pandemic hit. In the span of 3.5 years I didn’t stay in one location for very long. I was working in the event industry and bounced around taking different contract jobs. In between those jobs I would find work at horse farms where I would work for my room and board. The longest I stayed in one place during those 3.5 years was a stint of 6 months. My trip to New York was the first time I had traveled since the pandemic. I was so happy to see family, especially after the difficult year we have all had. I was also surprised to find that I felt a sense of home coming back to Houston after.
It’s hard to believe that the season is approaching the last two weeks. What a season it has been. The weather has been a real challenge for us. I am happy we have what we do considering the amount of rain we have gotten the past two months. I have completed my first-year farming and I’ve heard from other farmers that if you can farm in Houston you can farm anywhere. I am starting to believe that.
During my trip to New York I visited the farmer’s markets. The farmers there are growing what we grew in the Winter and Spring. Our seasons are flip flopped. It gets so hot here in the summer that it is the closest thing we have to an off season. It’s really interesting to me to see the difference location and climate has on what and when you can grow produce. You are working within the elements right in front of you and there isn’t anything you can do to change it. You learn how to grow where you are. If I were to move somewhere else, I’d have to learn new seasons and a new way of farming.
I am not sure I had a real understanding of seasonal produce before I started farming. I was so used to going to the grocery store where it felt like everything was in season because everything is available all the time. I didn’t think about the location I was in and what could actually be grown there. It’s been exciting eating with the Houston seasons and I am happy you have joined us on the journey.
Mary
WHAT’S IN THE SHARE
Holy Basil
Holy basil, also known as Tulsi, is a type of basil native to India and is heavily used in Ayurvedic tradition. It is celebrated for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that are thought to alleviate allergies, reduce stress, and boost your metabolism among many other benefits. One of our favorite ways to use Holy basil is by steeping it to make Tulsi water (hot water and chopped Holy basil leaves steeped for 20 min or more). It also brings a subtle sweetness to many thai dishes and stir-fries.
Pepper (Whitehurst Farms)
Enjoy!
Squash
The butternut squash have a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. They have tan-yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp.
Yukon Gold Potato
Developed in Canada, Yukon Golds are a cross between a North American white potato and a wild South American yellow-fleshed one. Their golden flesh is richly flavored and fairly firm and moist, with medium starch content.
Sweet Potato Greens
Sweet potato greens are a great raw and cooking green that is similar in its texture and delicateness to spinach. We love chopping it up and using it in salads as well as sautéing and using it as a bed for a piece of meat or fish.
Nopal
Nopales are the young pads of the Opuntia ficus-indica cactus. You must remove the spines before eating!
NEXT WEEK’S SHARE
This is our best guess for what will be included in the share next week.
Eggplant, Beet, Thai Basil, Potato, Radish, and Roselle!