277 CSA boxes. Last week, my husband and I (and our dyno farm team) packed 277 CSA boxes. Last week, five vans from an amazing local courier service pulled up to our pack shed to load their vehicles to the brim with goods from our farm and local area partners. They delivered 277 CSA shares (and 100+ add-on share boxes) to some 300 families (a handful of our CSA shares are split between two families) in the greater Madison area.

Last week, our little farm fed fresh, healthy, local organic food to 600, 800, or maybe even 1000 people. For some reason, the gravity of that really hit me last week.

It’s been a hard, emotional, difficult spring for everyone and all of a sudden as those delivery trucks rolled out I was struck with an energy of absolute joy and celebration. I realized how many people had been looking forward to this for weeks, how many families signed up in a panic when food felt scarce and hard to come by, and how many local friends needed a bright spot– a box of produce– to look forward to.

I was reminded about the true beauty and power of a small farm, of the hope and resiliency that springs forward each and every single year regardless of what life (or Mother Natures) throws at us, and how the hard work we do and the long days we pull are about something so much bigger than us.

Upwards of 1000 people have spent the last week eating food we grew for them. Hundreds of people are cooking with our produce and sharing the goodies they’re creating. Over the past week, our farm’s private Facebook group has been overrun with joy. CSA members from all across our community are sharing recipes, photos and tips with one another. It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.

So today we celebrate all that’s good around us by keeping things incredibly simple. Today we enjoy some fresh lettuce mix tossed with a garlicky lemon cream, a handful of fresh herbs, and a little something crunchy because summer has begun, the seasons are moving forward, and though 2020 has been hard, it is also so wonderfully delicious.

Happy Solstice friends. May you all have something beautiful to look forward to.

Love,
Your Leek

SPRING SALAD WITH LEMON CREAM & CHIVES
Adapted from Joshua McFadden’s Six Seasons

Serves 2-4

½ bunch green garlic, very finely minced
½ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound lettuce mix or 1 head lettuce, roughly chopped
½ bunch chives (or other tender herbs- cilantro, mint, basil), thinly sliced
½ cup toasted freshly toasted breadcrumbs
¼ cup toasted salted sunflower seeds

1. In a small bowl, combine green garlic, heavy cream, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Whisk until it begins to thicken then add lemon juice and olive oil. Keep whisking until it is light and airy.
2. Place lettuce and herbs in a large bowl. Add the lemon cream dressing you just made and toss well to evenly coat. You may not use all of it. I suggest starting with 1/3 to a ½. Taste and then season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired.
3. Add breadcrumbs and sunflower seeds (you can toast them together in a pan for 5 minutes right before you serve) and eat right away.