The weather has taken a turn for the warm over the past couple of weeks.  Consistent warmth, especially when it persists through the night time (24 hour warmth) means that we start to see pest spikes out in the field.  Aphids, leaf hoppers, mites and white fly all thrive and reproduce at much faster rate in warmer temperatures.  Even 5 degrees can make a big difference.  Luckily we haven't had any truly big pest problems yet, but we are on the look out and if the weather continues to stay warm we'll have our hands full for the remainder of the growing season.  In a nut shell, party's over...

The good news is that Michael Borek has grown a beautiful crop of white cauliflower that we'll get to enjoy this week.  When in doubt about what to do with a vegetable check out www.101cookbooks.com.  Heidi Swansen writes and photographs for this awesome food blog and she always shares the best recipes (with the best instructional photos) for people who like to cook simple, quick and healthy meals.  I like to search her site by ingredient which pulls up all of the recipes she's ever posted that feature that vegetable. 

We've noticed fennel is not a crowd pleaser, but why?  The unique anise flavor of raw fennel is a bit strong and unusual for most people.  Cooked fennel however is much more mild and we think most of you would really like it if you tried a cooked fennel recipe.  It can be as simple as roasting it with oil salt and pepper, but why not try a fennel confit!  Our tomato confit has been really popular at the farmers market and this week Tiffany is making a batch of fennel confit that we're really excited about.  Confit is an old french word for a classic method of food preservation.  It basically means food that has been slowly cooked in oil and salt for long term preservation.  Duck confit is a famous example, but vegetables and garlic are really common too.  Check out this recipe to see how truly simple it is to prepare.  With the fennel in your share this week you can make a pretty big batch and have it handy for the next few weeks to season all sorts of future meals.

Small shares:
Savoy cabbage from French Farm
Radishes from French Farm
Fennel bulbs from French Farm
Salad mix from French Farm
Cauliflower from Micheal Borek Farm
Ruby grapefruit from Central Florida

Large shares:
Savoy cabbage from French Farm
Radishes from French Farm
Fennel bulbs from French Farm
Salad mix from French Farm
Cauliflower from Micheal Borek Farm
Ruby grapefruit from Central Florida
Spring onions from French Farm
Lettuce head from French Farm
Extra grapefruit!