Week #3. Big berry week.

The crew picks your strawberries.  It’s a beautiful patch this year.

All your berries are ripe, even if one side is white and the other colored. This is normal for the ‘Cavendish’ variety.  Eat one that looks like this and you will understand that they are ripe.

Happy u-pickers this past weekend. I gotta say, I like our reservation system. It keeps our u-picks calm and manageable with a small staff.

Strawberry u-picks

We expect to host an organic strawberry u-pick in coming days. 
RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED.
U-pick price: $4.00/lb
Tipi CSA members, follow instructions in an email that I sent you this week.  Non-members, if we have enough capacity, we will offer reservations directly to our email list and (perhaps) on our berry page.  Join our email list for direct notification.

Veggie List & Veggie Notes
Week #3, June 12, 2025

– Weekly shares
– BiWeekly/ A group

Strawberries, 2 quarts
Asparagus, ~2/3 lb
Button mushrooms, 12 oz
Baby bok choy
Zucchini, 2 or 3 ct.
Spinach, 1 bunch
Romaine lettuce
White salad turnips, 1 bunch
Salad radishes, 1 bunch
Scallions, 1 bunch

Next week’s box will probably contain strawberries, zucchini &/or summer squash, leafy greens, scallions and more.

Strawberries – Eat soon.  Strawberries are perishable and these are delicious right now.  I encourage you to avoid washing these berries.  Rinse any berries that have soil on them, but the rest do not need washing.  It only shortens their storage life.
Storage: Refrigerate.

Button mushrooms – These organic mushrooms are from Hidden Valley Mushrooms from Wisconsin Dells.  We buy mushrooms from Mary and Ed every spring because they combine so perfectly with our spring vegetables, for salads, quiches, etc.  
Storage: Here are Mary’s suggestions for storing the mushrooms:
– Store separate from leafy greens, which hasten mushroom aging.  
– If storing for more than a few days, remove from the box and refrigerate in a paper bag with holes punched in the side.  Keep dry.  
– Don’t wash to clean, just wipe with a damp cloth.

Baby bok choy – We continue experimenting with adorable baby bok choy.  My favorite preparation is to slice lengthwise into quarters (or sixths or eighths depending on size).  Steam in a steamer basket until tender.  Dress with a simple vinaigrette of rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and hot pepper flakes.  There are lots of recipes online with steamed mushrooms and baby choy. 
Storage: Cover and refrigerate.

Scallions (bundle of green onions) – These are useful raw or cooked.  Thinly-sliced raw scallions can be folded into biscuit dough or sprinkled on top of soups or salads.  Terrific garnish for pasta dishes.  Think pad thai. 

Notes and storage for these vegetables in previous newsletters.  Info will be under “Veggie List and Veggie Notes”.
Asparagus
Spinach
White salad turnips
Salad radishes
How to wash lettuce and other greens efficiently

RECIPES by DEB

Spring Vegetable Stir Fry

From Making Thyme for Health

This recipe calls for half a pound each of mushrooms and asparagus, and a cup of sliced radishes, all of which we have in the box, and the notes point out you should feel free to sub what you like. This means the zucchini, bok choy, and salad turnips would all be nice additions. Personally, I think salad turnips are very tasty in stir fry’s.
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Red Radish Crostini with Lemon Ricotta

From Vanilla Bean Cuisine

Here’s a fun appetizer to use up some of our supply of radishes – that could also be lunch with maybe some fruit or a salad. Pairing radishes with something creamy, like ricotta, is always a hit. Try spreading halved radishes with a little cream cheese and sprinkling with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper for another easy snack.
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Banh Mi Sandwich Recipe

From Love and Lemons

The pickled veggies that fill this Bahn Mi sandwich include Daikon, cucumber, and carrots, but you can sub red radishes for the Daikon (the recipe suggests this) and turnips for the cucumber. Add carrots if you have them, or simply use more radishes and turnips. You’ll probably have extra pickled veggies that are good on avocado toast or in tacos.
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Easy Brown Rice Risotto with Mushrooms

From Cookie and Kate

Here’s a way to make risotto without stirring! And the recipe is very forgiving. The first time I made it, I had a friend visiting who doesn’t eat onions or pepper, so I left both out, and didn’t miss them. Similarly, omitting the fresh oregano will not decrease the flavor of the dish. Thinly sliced scallions from this week’s box would be a nice garnish, along with some asparagus on the side. The short-grain brown rice that’s called for in the recipe is delicious, but if you don’t have it, long grain will work.
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Fresh Turnip & Greens Quiche with Almond Crust

From Dishing Up the Dirt

This quiche has a patted-in almond flour crust that’s gluten free, but you could sub your favorite rolled crust if you like. The recipe calls for turnip greens, but you could also use spinach from the box, and sub scallions for green garlic.
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Easy Asparagus Egg Bake with Mushroom and Swiss Cheese

From Honey and Birch

Combine the asparagus and mushrooms from this week’s box with eggs and cheese to make this brunch dish. A handful of spinach and/or some chopped zucchini would also be a nice addition.
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Roberta’s Romaine Salad with Candied Walnuts and Pecorino

From Serious Eats

Photo by Dave Potez

Roberta’s is a wood-fired pizza place in Brooklyn NY, know for its salads as well as its pizza. This recipe make A LOT of dressing and candied walnuts, more than is needed for one head of Romaine, but they’re good leftovers to have. As the recipe points out, you can serve the walnuts as part of a cheese board, and the dressing is good on any salad made with sturdy greens, like the spinach in this week’s box.