VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
WWW.BURROAKGARDENS.COM
BURR OAK GARDENS, LLC
To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves- Mohondas Gandhi
If this is your first week picking up your box, please check out the Week 1 newsletter to find
information about tote return, plastics, and other policy info that will make your CSA experience
run more smoothly. Copies of our newsletters can be found on our website
www.burroakgardens.com on our “Shares” page.
This Week on the Farm
In last week’s newsletter I wrote about how we hadn’t had any rain in about two and a half weeks. We made up
for that in a hurry last week as we accumulated over five inches in a two day period. This rainfall event tested
our new swales, and although they performed as designed, we are going to have to make adjustments. When we
installed the swales we had hoped that they would retain enough water that a five to seven inch rain event
would not cause the swales to release water at the relief points. However, the rain we had last week was large
enough over a short enough time frame that the water did escape at the designed relief points. So, it is back to
the drawing board.
Our friend (and CSA member Drew) is helping us out on this project. He is going to do some additional
calculations to see if the swales need to be deeper/wider/longer/ or a combination of all three to withstand a
large rain event. It isn’t that uncommon for us to have a five to seven inch rain event over the course of a few
days, so we want to make sure the swales can capture that amount of water. On the positive side, we were able
to walk in the fields today, something that we were not able to do last year after a similar rain event. So the
swales are helping, they just haven’t totally solved the problem.
With all of the rain this past week we have been limited to hand
weeding and mowing the roads as far as field work is concerned.
Tyler’s father, Don, has been busy mowing the roads and fallow
fields. It is amazing how quickly the farm looks back under
control once he mows. We have a very nice 3 pt mower that we
purchased two years ago and it works really well. As far as hand
weeding we have been spending the majority of the time
working in the onion field to get that under control. We only
have a few more rows to go and we will be done weeding in the
bulb onions. Once the soil dries out enough we can cultivate with
the tractor and we will probably get by for the rest of the season
without having to do more weeding in that field.
Oftentimes when our members come out to visit we get asked why we do not grow anything in black plastic. We
are in the very small minority of farms that do not use black plastic as a weed suppressant. Although black
plastic may save a lot of time by not having to weed as often, we just do not like the idea of using plastic that is
costly, difficult to completely remove from the field without leaving debris, and non-recyclable. There are farms
that use acres and acres of black plastic and that idea never appealed to us. We would rather deal with the
weeds and spend time weeding than grow using plastic.
Two years ago we had an outbreak of cutworms that knocked out our cabbage and cauliflower stands. This year
we had another outbreak of them and the damage is widespread. Two years ago the cutworms were limited to
one field. This year we have found them in every single field under cultivation.
They are the nastiest pest that we deal with because they only come out at night
to feed. Small transplants are especially susceptible since cutworms eat by
wrapping their bodies around the tender stem and taking two to three bits out of
!1
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
WWW.BURROAKGARDENS.COM
the stem right at the soil line. This is enough damage that the plants cannot
recover. They are like mini loggers that can cut down a field seemingly
overnight. When plants are larger and more established they will feed on the
leaves, which while stressful on the plants, is not fatal.
This year we have seen damage in the following crops: lettuce, basil, parsley,
tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, kohlrabi, kale, cabbages, cucumbers, melons,
winter squash, and summer squash. Although some pockets have been
decimated (mainly the cucumbers), most plantings have been able to
withstand the damage and keep growing.
So, with all of this damage and stress on our plants, you may be wondering
what we as farmers can do about it. The short answer is not much. Even
conventional farmers with an arsenal of chemicals at their disposal are hard
pressed to get decent control over cutworms when there is a large outbreak.
The main weapons that we are able to utilize are placing barriers, planting
ridiculous amounts of plants so that enough survive, and releasing parasitoid
wasps that lay their eggs in the cutworm eggs.
We noticed the outbreak early enough that right
after we transplanted our tomato plants we went
out and placed red solo cups around each plant.
The cup acts as a little fortress around the plant,
preventing the cutworm from gaining access to
the plant. This is very time consuming since each
plant needs a cup, but well worth it for higher
value, longer season crops like tomatoes.
In the kohlrabi and cabbages, we did nothing to
try to prevent this generation from doing damage.
We had planted enough plants that we have
enough for our CSA members and will be making
successional plantings for the rest of the season. In the cucumbers, we have
more plants in the greenhouse that we will be planting either later today or on
Wednesday. Since we do not have very many plants left over, each of these
will be getting a red solo cup barrier to prevent more losses.
Our main method of control are the
beneficial wasps that we release
once a week. These wasps not only
help control cutworms, but they
also help control imported cabbage
moths as well. The wasps find
cutworm/imported cabbage moth
egg masses and deposit their eggs
inside. As the wasp eggs hatch they
use the original eggs as a food
source, thus preventing those eggs
from hatching and starting a new
generation of problem pests. Just one more way that nature is awesome!
!
Recipe Drawing
For every recipe you send us that utilizes the veggies in your box, you will
be entered into a drawing to win one of two free storage boxes this fall.
Send recipes to us via email, on our Facebook page, or by snail mail.
Your Box This
Week
Kohlrabi- Trim the leaves
from the kohlrabi bulb and
store separately in a plastic
bag. Store bulb in the
fridge.
!Romaine Lettuce- Wash
the lettuce and spin or pat
dry with paper towel.
Spread evenly on a paper
towel and loosely roll the
paper towel. Place rolled
towel in a plastic bag and
place in the fridge.
!Green Garlic- Place in a
jar with the roots covered in
water. Place a plastic bag
over the top. Will not store
as long as bulb garlic.
!Dinosaur Kale- Same as
lettuce.
!Arugula- Same as lettuce.
!French Breakfast
RadishesStore tops and bottoms in
separate plastic bags in the
fridge.
!Beauty Radish Mix-
Same as French Breakfast
radishes.
!Snow Peas- Store
unwashed in the fridge in a
plastic bag.
!Herb Packs (Every
Other Week Members)Check out the following
page for herb care
information. Once you
transplant them, trim them
back so they keep
producing the whole
summer.
!2
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
WWW.BURROAKGARDENS.COM
Garlic Sesame Snow Peas
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or other mild flavored
oil)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 bulb green garlic, minced
8 ounces snow peas
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons soy sauce
salt to taste
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the coconut
oil to melt, followed by the sesame oil. Saute the garlic,
1 minute, until fragrant, but not brown. Add the snow
peas and sesame seeds and continue to saute, stirring
and tossing frequently, about 3 more minutes. Pour in
the soy sauce and toss until well coated. Season with
salt to taste (if needed). Remove peas from heat and
pour into a serving dish. Serve promptly while hot (can
add more sesame seeds on top prior to serving).
(www.alaskafromscratch.com
Spaghetti w/ Green Garlic
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 heads green garlic (or 4 cloves regular garlic),
thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
small pinch of red pepper flakes
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add the
spaghetti. Cook until al dente, reserving 1 cup of pasta
cooking water before draining.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large (3-quart)
saucepan over medium heat until shimming. Add the
garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 cup of water.
Cover and sweat, stirring occasionally, until soft,
adding more water if necessary to keep the garlic from
caramelizing too much.
Add the cooked pasta to the garlic mixture and toss
well to combine. Add some pasta cooking water if
necessary to bring the dish to a creamy consistency.
Serve with more olive oil and the minced tops of the
green garlic, if desired. (www.seriouseats.com)
Sausage & Arugula Skillet Pizza
2 sweet Italian sausages or 6 ounces sweet
Italian sausage
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive
oil
3/4 pound store bought or homemade pizza
dough
3 whole peeled canned tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
fresh mozzarella cheese - thinly sliced
arugula
Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Remove sausages from their casings. All you have to
do to remove the sausage from it's casing is to cut a
slit down the length of the sausage and then peel it
open and remove the sausage. You are going to
literally push and tear it out of it's casing. You might
have some casing left on the sausage, but it doesn't
matter.
Sauté the sausage over high heat until just cooked
through, about 3 to 4 minutes, breaking it up into bitesize pieces.
Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon and
set aside on a paper towel lined plate to absorb the
grease.
Slice up your mozzarella, mince up your garlic & toss
up your arugula with a splash of olive oil and set aside.
Put the 3 peeled tomatoes into a small bowl.
Crush the tomatoes with a fork and your fingers if
needed. Don't be afraid to get your hands messy.
Add the 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 minced garlic
cloves, 1-tablespoon olive oil, 1/4-teaspoon salt and
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the crushed
tomatoes, mix them all together.
Brush a 12-inch cast iron skillet with 1-teaspoon olive
oil. Press dough flat in the skillet, spreading to the
edge.
Spread the tomato mixture over the dough.
Cook over medium-high heat until the bottom of dough
is golden brown. The recipe called for 3-4 minutes but
mine took more like 5 minutes. We like ours a bit more
browned. To check the dough, just take a spatula and
lift up the side of the dough to see the bottom.
Once the pizza crust is browned on the bottom,
transfer the pizza to the preheated oven and bake for 3
minutes.
After 3 minutes, remove the pizza from the oven and
scatter the mozzarella and sausage on top.
REMEMBER TO WEAR AN OVEN MITT WHEN
TOUCHING THE CAST IRON PAN AS ITS HOT! Pop
the pizza back in the oven.
Cook the pizza for about 8-10 more minutes until the
edge of the crust is golden brown.
Slide the pizza out of the cast iron skillet onto a cutting
board.
Garnish pizza with the fresh arugula.
Cut into individual slices. (marinmamacooks.com)
Lacinato Kale Salad
1 bunch lacinato kale, de-stemmed,thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon (approximately 3 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of fine sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Wash, de-stem and thinly slice your kale.
Throw your kale slices into a large bowl.
Whisk together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup
the following: juice of 1 lemon (3 tablespoons), 3
tablespoons olive oil, 2-3 cloves minced garlic, pinch of
fine sea salt, pinch of freshly ground black pepper,
pinch of red pepper flakes.
Make sure to whisk the ingredients together well.
Pour the dressing over the kale and make sure to
massage it well so that all the kale absorbs the
dressing. When I say, "massage" your kale, I literally
mean, get your hands in there and massage it.
After your kale is massaged, add the 2/3 cups of
parmesan cheese and toss again.
Let the kale rest for at least 5 minutes to an hour. This
salad can be made hours ahead of time or even the
!3
day before. (marinmamacooks.com)
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
WWW.BURROAKGARDENS.COM
Every Other Week Shares: You received 11 different herbs and one mystery
repeat in your box.
Where to plant: All of these herbs can be grown in the soil or in a large
container on a deck or patio. Soil should be well drained, so those of you
whose native soil is heavy clay should probably consider using a large
container.
How/When to water: Knuckle trick: Unsure how much you need to water?
Afraid of overwatering? Put your finger into the potting soil/soil up to the
Marjoram
first knuckle on your index finger. If it feels very moist to moist, you don’t
Full sun, well drained soil
need to water. If it is slightly moist to dry, you need to water.
Cut full plants just before flower set
Fertilizing: Over the course of the summer it is a good idea to fertilize your
herbs, especially if they are growing in a container. Check out your local garden store for common fertilizers. If
you are concerned about using synthetic chemicals, look for the OMRI label that certifies that the fertilizer is
approved for Organic use. Fertilize according to the directions on the label.
Summer Savory
Full sun, well drained soil
Likes regular water
Primarily harvested when
flower buds begin to form
Sage:
Full sun, well drained soil
Harvest leaves prior to
flowering
Parsley
Full sun, well drained soil
Harvest all summer
Chives & Garlic Chives:
Full sun, well drained soil
Use leaves as they grow
Can multiply rapidly
Differentiate by taste
Thyme:
Full sun, well drained soil
Harvest just before flowering,
midsummer
Cilantro
Full sun, well drained soil
Harvest as leaves and wait to
harvest seeds as coriander.
Basil:
Full sun, well drained soil
Harvest just above a node (above where
the leaves meet the stem)
Cut off flowers to maintain quality
Lemon Basil:
Full sun, well drained soil
Harvest just above a node (above
where the leaves meet the stem)
Oregano:
Full sun, well drained soil
Use leaves as they grow
When you plant cut it back to
about a 1/2” from the center to
stimulate bushier growth
!4