Summer is here!

While driving today I heard the 4 day forecast for Missoula: 92 Friday, 93 Saturday, 96 Sunday, and 98 on Monday.  Whoa!  Summer has arrived!  And while the heat may be oppressive for us the next week or so, there are some advantages, especially in the farming world.  During the next week we will see a boom in the growth of hot weather loving crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash (including zukes and cukes), basil, eggplants, and berries.  Berries you say?  That is right!  Strawberries are on people!  In fact, if you picked up on Thursday you already have some.  Monday CSAers, expect to see some strawberries, as well as peas and beets on Monday!  All this heat is spectacular for many of the crops that have been “waiting” for a good shot of summer to help them grow grow grow.

You will still see things like kale and chard in your CSA’s, so if you are still looking for some great ways to use your greens, here are a few ideas:

Pickle your chard stems!  This is a great way to use a part of the plant you may not be using, delicious and kid friendly!

Saute your kale with bacon fat! Bacon with kale?  Sounds like a winning match to me!