Any share changes must be submitted to lucsa@theurbancanopy.org by Monday at noon!!!
In your box this week:
- TOMATOES - SWEET POTATOES
- YELLOW ONIONS - RAMPS -
- APPLES - MUSHROOMS -
- MICROGREENS or LETTUCE -
- SPARKLING TEA - EGGS -
WEEKLY ADD-ONS FOR YOUR BOX
Locally-sourced food and home goods to round out your CSA box! Save trips to the grocery store and get what you need delivered inside your LUCSA share.
For returning LUCSA members, we’re doing Add-Ons a little differently these days… you will access the Shop through your very own member portal! Link below…
Add-On Order form must be submitted by noon on Monday!
NOTES FROM THE FARM:
Our farm gets many non-human visitors: we have coyotes that stop by in the evenings, migrating geese that stop to rest, a lone deer that left prints in one of our beds, falcons that watch us from above, and, most recently, a semipalmated plover couple. We first noticed the plovers last week when they were busily scurrying around the farm. This week, they built a nest in one of our wood-chipped pathways, and have been guarding it carefully. They will have plenty of worms and other invertebrates to eat, and hopefully in a month or so we will have a few plover chicks on our farm!
ADD-ON ITEM SPOTLIGHT:
FOCACCIA: CARAMELIZED ONIONS
Another new flavor combination for the focaccias from the processing kitchen!
Natural sourdough, hand-rolled and beautiful.
Fully cooked and amazing. Just toss it is the oven still frozen and will be crispy and ready in like 20-25 minutes.
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
If you missed a week and want to see what was in a previous share, we archive a PDF of all our previous newsletters here.
You can also use it to look at previous seasons if you are interested to see what crops are coming!
VENDOR HIGHLIGHT: Wind Ridge Herb Farm
ITEM HIGHLIGHT: RAMPS
Ramps are a type of wild allium closely related to spring onions and leeks with a signature garlicky onion flavor. Ramps are a Midwest native, found typically in moist soils in the Eastern and Midwestern United States from April till June, making them a perfect springtime inclusion to our shares!
Although ramps are a bit of a hidden treasure, their variability in the kitchen is staggering. Ramps can be incorporated into butter, ramp greens can be made into pesto, ramp bulbs can be pickled for a later day. Ramps are even delicious simply sautéed. Look out for ramps in your next LUCSA share and enjoy all the aromatic flavor they have to offer!
Recipe Links: ~ Ramp Butter ~ Ramp Pesto ~ Pickled Ramps ~
VENDOR HIGHLIGHT: MightyVine
Tomato season comes early this year thanks to Mightyvine! Although tomatoes are typically a late spring treat, by partnering with Mightyvine we’re able to include them in our shares earlier in the season.
Mightyvine is based in Rochelle, IL where their 30 acre glasshouse is located (That’s over 20 football fields!). The structure uses diffused glass and radiated heat to keep their tomato plants at the perfect temperature to be able to produce tomatoes all year-round!
Share Contents
Refer back to this page for updated share contents and photos to help you identify produce!
Please keep in mind that share contents may vary due to market availability so contents may vary slightly from this list. Farming is never 100% predictable. We appreciate your flexibility!!!
Pro-tip: When your share arrives, immediately unpack your produce and move into proper storage containers!
ALWAYS wash produce before eating!
Remember to return your wax box, egg cartons, and pint containers during your next delivery…we re-use all of these items!
Beverage:
Sparkling Tea - Rishi Tea & Botanicals (Milwaukee, WI)
Storage Tip - Store in the refrigerator.
Bread:
Wednesday: Multigrain FranHer Bakery (Pilsen, Chicago, IL)
Thursday: Honey Whole Wheat Zeitlin’s Delicatessen (Chicago, IL)
Friday: Baguette Publican Quality Bread (Fulton Market, Chicago, IL) Storage Tip - Use baguettes quickly to avoid them going stale. Keep your bread cut side down in a bag on your counter for two to three days. At that point you will want to slice or rip/cut your bread into pieces and freeze for future toast, croutons, or panzanella! If it’s particularly hot, you may want to move it to the refrigerator after a day or two (the only time we will tell you to refrigerate bread).
Mushrooms:
Wednesday: Shiitake River Valley Ranch (Burlington, WI)
Thursday: Crimini River Valley Ranch (Burlington, WI)
Friday: Crimini River Valley Ranch (Burlington, WI) Storage Tip - Open the paper bag to reduce moisture, and keep mushrooms out of plastic. Smoke, dehydrate, or par-cook and freeze for longer storage.
Eggs - Finn's Ranch (Buchanan, MI)
Storage Tip - You can freeze your eggs to make them last longer. Crack and scramble in a container, or crack whole into oiled muffin tins, and keep frozen for up to 6 months.
Tomatoes - Mightyvine (Chicago, IL)
Storage Tip - Tomatoes should be kept at room temperature on the counter away from sunlight. Consume within a few days.
Yellow Onions - Second Spring Farm (Cedar, MI)
Storage Tip - Keep cool, dry and out of direct light, on your counter, in a cupboard or in a perforated paper bag, for up to 6 months.
Microgreens or Lettuce - Enhanced Earth (Bolingbrook, IL) / Closed Loop Farms (Back of the Yards, Chicago, IL)
Storage Tip - Your greens will come in a green compostable bag, remove your greens from the bag and store them in a plastic container or bag with a paper towel covering them for up to a week in the fridge.
Ramps - Seedling Orchard (South Haven, MI)
Storage Tip - Keep greens dry and keep in a plastic bag in the fridge. You can also wrap the bulbs with a damp paper towel to keep them for longer.
Apples - Hildebrand Farms (Berrien Springs, MI)
Storage Tip - Keep at a consistent temperature on the counter for up to a week, or in the crisper for up to a month.
Sweet Potatoes - Second Spring Farm (Cedar, MI)
Storage Tip - Sweet potatoes should never be cold til cooked! Keep them dry at a stable temperature out of direct light, on your counter or in a cupboard, for up to 6 months.
Substitutions
Items for those already opting out of beverage, bread, mushrooms, or eggs OR having a conflicting allergy; subject to change, even if specified. Please refer back to this newsletter throughout the week for updates!!!
beets, purple top turnips, Apples, Rutabaga & scallions
Rutabaga - Nichols Farm and Orchard (Marengo, IL)
Storage Tip - Will keep for months in a cool storage place. They store well in plastic bags in a refrigerator or cold cellar.
Beets - Frillman Farms (Berrien Springs, MI)
Storage Tip - Keep dry and tightly sealed in a bag in the crisper for up to a month.
Purple Top Turnips - Frillman Farms (Berrien Springs, MI)
Storage Tip - Remove greens from the root for the root to last in the crisper or a plastic bag in the fridge. Greens should be used within 2 days.
Apples - Hildebrand Farms (Berrien Springs, MI)
Storage Tip - Keep at a consistent temperature on the counter for up to a week, or in the crisper for up to a month.
Scallions - Epiphany Farms (Downs, IL)
Storage Tip - Stand upright in an inch of water in a jar or glass, cover tips with a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. Change the water if it starts to discolor.
Carrots - Frillman Farms (Berrien Springs, MI)
Storage Tip - Remove greens to preserve the root longer. Greens can be used within a week and the carrot itself can be stored in the crisper or in a plastic bag for a few weeks.
Thyme - Wind Ridge Herb Farm (Caledonia, IL)
Storage Tip - Keep dry in a plastic bag in the crisper for a week for thyme, two weeks for rosemary and a month for lemongrass. Also great dried!
For more recipe ideas, follow us on Instagram! Our recipe reels provide additional information on how to use produce and processing items each week!
