4/16/25 CSA Logistics & Getting Ready for Winter
We’re thrilled to be starting our main season CSA and we have 30 new members joining us this week and next plus more coming in our next round May 1st and the last June 1st. As such, a couple notes on logistics:
Farmhand vs the Farm: Farmhand will be helping us with the software, billing and also is there to help with basic logistics. Don’t hesitate to reach out to this team of real, friendly folks based here in Sonoma County. Reply to any CSA email (hello@gofarmhand.com) or reach out by text 707-595-9859 for any subscription level questions.
We are still here at the farm, but the less time we spend doing logistics, the more time we can spend growing you food and flowers. If you have any question specifically for us (Farmhand won’t be able to answer your question about the Chicory Mix) or if you have an urgent question “I’m at my pick-up site and can’t find my box” please email or call/text Farmer Elizabeth charlie@singingfrogsfarm.com or 707-536-7170.
Communication from the Farm & Farmhand:
This is much the same as before, it just looks different.
1) Friday mid-day you’ll get an email titled “Fresh from Singing Frogs Farm” with anticipated harvest and extra add-ons you can purchase if you’re on schedule for an order. Plus we’ll start putting a recipe or two in there! 2) Monday you’ll receive a reminder via text and email about your order deadline (Monday 11pm). 3) Wednesday morning you’ll receive a pick-up reminder with instructions Wednesday morning via text or email. 4) Wednesday afternoon all members receive an email with link to our newsletter blog plus photos from the week!
I can’t emphasize enough that the Handbook goes over a lot of details. You should see a link to it at the bottom of most emails. We’ll keep sending you little notes on Logistics and always feel free to reach out!
You’re getting ready for spring… we’re getting ready for winter.
On the farm, we’re living both in the present, the near future, and the far future. In the present, we’re harvesting today’s boxes and bouquets today! For the near future, we just finished planting out our first round of summer crops: over half our field Tomatoes are in the ground, we harvested our first Summer Squash this weekend (coming to CSA boxes soon), we trellised our first crop of Cucumbers, planted our second and seeded our third, and our first successions of Basil, Peppers and Eggplant are growing in the hoop houses. Plus we’re excited that we seeded our first succession of Sweet Corn yesterday! In the far future, we just seeded our first Winter Squash yesterday (which won’t make it into boxes for 6 months) and today we’ll be ordering our Brussels sprouts seeds (9 months to CSA boxes). It’s one of the joys of farming, it keeps us on our toes and we’re never bored.
It has been a beautiful week and we’re really grateful to have a full and passionate crew that is truly rocking the farm. Sean, Sarah, Bobby, Maddie, Leo, Julie, Amaia, Sam, Sharon and David have been seeding, prepping, planting, weeding, tending, and harvesting your food in the fields as Farmer Elizabeth is in the background providing support. Thank’s for being a part of our farm! We love our CSA Members.
Different Share Types: This Week’s Box
You’ll note our “This Week’s Box” we have the items listed that are in the Classic Box, then the additions that are in the larger Family Box and then what is included in the additional Lettuce and Greens Shares. Flower Share is not listed as we have so many varieties that go into our seasonal bouquet (this week Iris, Icelandic Poppy, Ranunculus focused with 5 other varieties supporting). If you ever want to change your order, just let us know by reaching out to Farmhand.
Produce Notes & Recipes
This Week’s Box
Panisse Oak Leaf Lettuce
Chicory Mix
Pea Shoots
Carrots
Asian Green
Oregano (Santa Rosa) OR Mint (West County)
Meyer Lemons (Pretty Mike Farm)
Family Share: Broccoli & Hakurei Turnips
Lettuce Share: Red Butter, Little Gems
Greens Share: Rainbow Chard
Spring is Lettuce and other Greens Season and this box definitely reflects that… plus then the Easter Bunny is dropping in some over wintered Carrots!
We have one change … the Asian Green. Only Family Boxes have Baby Bok Choi as it did not grow as expected AND the Napa Cabbage is starting to bolt (although still great!) so Classic Boxes can enjoy them. These two Asian Greens/Cabbages are in the same family and honestly we use them very similarly. If you prepped for it you could certainly use the Napa Cabbage in the salad recipe in Friday’s email but I might cook or ferment.
Sautéed Napa Cabbage with Onions & Carrots (AGoodDish)
2 Tbs neutral cooking oil, like avocado or grape seed
1 large onion, peeled, halved and sliced
3-4 large carrots, cut in thick matchsticks
1 small or 1/2 large Napa cabbage, cut in squares (make 2-3 lengthwise slices and then slice crosswise)
2 TBs tamari or soy sauce
1-2 tsps dark sesame oil
1-2 TBs toasted sesame seeds or gomasio (sesame salt)(optional)
Heat the oil in a large high sided skillet or wide stockpot.
Add onions and cook until wilted but don’t brown.
Add carrots and cook 3-4 minutes more.
Add Napa and tamari, stir, cover and cook about 4-5 minutes until wilted but still some bright green evident.
Turn off heat, add sesame oil and toss. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Put in serving dish and top with sesame seeds.
Serves 4-6 and stores 2-3 days refrigerated.
The Chicory Mix today is a mix of Escarole, Frisée and Radicchio… check out our write up in the 3/5/25 newsletter (on our newsletter blog) for a chicory write up and salad recipe. They make really great hearty and healthy salads with a little bitterness. This is a healthy bitterness, our modern diet has moved us away from liking these healthy compounds… once you get a taste for them you you can’t go back. But if it’s not your thing, add a little heat and it melts away. Chicories are divine and soft when sautéed, added to soups and pastas.
We love our Pea Shoots over winter and into spring. Having the energy of a young plant (and you’re getting all of the plant except the roots). They are an excellent source of micronutrients.
Here are Pea Shoot some eating ideas:
Topping salads: goes great with some citrus but any salad will do,
With Napa Cabbage or Bok Choi as a salad, you could try your stir-fry mix as a salad with them,
On sandwiches: I often make my kids cream cheese and pea shoot bagels for lunch or add them to a deli sandwich,
In smoothies: in our house add pea shoots to both fruit smoothie or green smoothies (some of our favorite greens are bok choi, tokyo bekana and tat soi so if you wanted to, you could turn your stir fry mix into a smoothie mix).
They can be stir-fried but they reduce down tremendously,
Add to pasta with veggie broth, peas, garlic, lemon juice and parmesan,
Top warm dishes including lentil dishes, stir-fries, soups and more!
Pea Shoot Mint Pesto (Farm Friend Andrea J)
She says: I adapted it from a similar recipe, and served it on pasta with asparagus, shallots and lemon. So yummy!
1/2 cup walnuts
3 cups pea shoots
½ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup grated Parmesan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
This week we have an herb rotation in Oregano OR Mint. Next week we’ll do the opposite. We try to get a fresh herb in most boxes throughout the year and these are some of the spring herbs that do best. A hint… treat them like flowers, take off the band, cut a 1/2” off the stem and put them in a cup of water at your kitchen sink, that way they’re ready to grab and add to whatever you’re cooking!
Oregano is highly anti-viral and nutrient dense. We add fresh or dried oregano to our scrambled eggs whenever anyone is sick in our family. It is great with Mediterranean and Mexican cuisines, add to chicken, bread if you’re making, mix into ground meat if you’re making burgers or add a few Tbs chopped to a pot of home cooked beans. You need 2-3 times more fresh than dried oregano. Some members have enjoyed Oregano tea or a few leaves throw into water.
Lastly, we have our last round of Meyer Lemons from our friends at Pretty Mike Farm in Freestone. Make a Lemon Vinaigrette, add to your water or make a desert from them.