It is the end of the month, the end of a period, and the end of the season and many new beginnings ๐
Look how beautifull!ย Do you recognize?
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Changes โ in the garden and in the office!
First messages and then to the office and then to the garden:
Messages:
The month of April is over and we charged your cc for this monthโs shopping.
Iโm reminding you that you receive 2 invoices. One is for fruits and vegetables and sprouts that are exempt from VAT. The second is for the delivery fee and dry produce that require tax.
You can see details of all your ordering and payments by entering into your account in our website, under the tab โjnโ. Please make sure that your balance at the bottom of the page is 0. if it is not 0, we may not have managed to charge your cc, so please contact us to settle it.
If you received two invoices (heshboniot mas that are not heshboniot mas kabala) it means either that you are listed as non credit card customers, or that we donโt have your cc details. In this case, please contact us so you can settle this in whatever manner you prefer.
We are always busy at work and we always count on you to help us. ๐ thanks!!
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This week we say goodbye to Michelle. She is leaving the office and Tal will be taking her place. Tal will help us take care of any issue you want or needโฆ. You should always feel free to contact us regarding any matter!
I and everyone here thanks Michelle for the time she was with us, for her loyalty and love and we wish her success in the future :(. We love you tons!!! And I will miss youโฆ.
From Michelle:
Dear Veggie Lovers
Four seasons have past, sweet summer fruits have turned into wonderful citrus fruit and back again. I've come to work dressed in sweaters and boots and walked around the garden barefoot. I've spoken to so many of you that I feel if we were to meet on the street, I'd recognize you by your voices. I am leaving Maggie's Garden and want to wish you all health and good cheer, a peaceful and quiet Israel, and to Maggie and her family, a long success in a wonderful endeavor whose main concern is to keep us healthy and help out Mother Nature; she's a bit overworked ๐
Warmly, Michelle
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And to the garden:
In the last weeks many new arrivals joined us — melons, watermelons, peaches, nectarines, gourds, zucchini, different kinds of tomatoesโฆ..These are all a sign that summer is here, because nature is producing lots of juicy fruits.
Even the children of Israel walking in the dessert that received manna from heaven โ food that changed its taste on demand — (what more could you wish for?!) still asked for something more. Remember the passage โwe remembered the fish and other good things we ate in Egypt, juicy fruits, zucchini, onions, watermelonโฆโ
The winter crops are leaving us, some already gone and some gradually disappearing and we should grab them right now before nature reminds us what is most suitable for our bodies. However, now is a time of abundance of crops from all seasons โ but just for a short time. There are lots of greens and beautiful cruciferea alongside juicy summer fruits (yes, tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, cucumbers are actually fruits from the botanical standpoint.)
You probably already noticed the changesโฆโฆ at the head of the winter crops stands the distinguished cruciferea family, the first of which to disappear are the broccoli and cauliflowerโฆ
A lovely cauliflower
It looks like this after only two hot days (like we had last week)
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I felt the conditions were no longer suitable for it to grow. The days are too long, the heat and the solar radiation make it difficult for it so it does what it is meant to do: produce the next generation.
The flower heads (thatโs the part we want to eat) turn into buds, and they open. What typically also changes is the color โ from white to more yellowish or pinkish. In order to keep our cauliflower white white we try to prevent sun light from reaching the flowers. Some growers even wrap and tie the large leaves (those that are too big to send to you because they would fill an entire box) over the head in order to shield it from the suns effect and help it stay white.
The cabbage, a member of the same family, is more resistant to heat. That is why we eat it for a longer duration during the year. It too knows to identify conditions less good and does what is shown in this photo.
Lettuces typically like cold, and there is only one species that we know to grow year round: Romaine (936) lettuce. All the other lettuces are disappearing. They too feel the bad conditions and grow a flower column.
Regarding the heat, I keep thinking about the best way to cool the van in order to lessen the heat burden on the freshly picked produce while on its way to you. Even if they look a little wilted, the vitality and nutrients are still far better than those that have had all kinds of โtreatmentsโ. A lettuce that was just picked but exposed to heat of even two hours will look raggedy. A really fresh cucumber will begin to wilt after a very short time of heavy heat.
Accordingly, when you receive your produce, you should take good good care of it. Iโm reminding that a cool shower or ice bath will refreshen everything after its trip to you. For most plants, a chilly blast of water and then DRY storage in a bag in the fridge is enough. That will do it.
Here are links to previous mails about storing vegetables, more.
In any event, we always always want to hear from you and know everything. We take everything you say into consideration and we are always learning and adjustingโฆ
So, have a good week!! A week of new beginnings. A week of missing those that we know will be gone, but only temporarily and then come back to usโฆ.
Yours,
Maggie and the garden staff
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And we can expect in our weekly baskets (draft only) :
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Swiss Chard
Fennel
Artichokes
Lettuce
Celery root
Coriander
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Ramiro Peppers
Black radish
Round zucchini
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Larger ones also:
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Curly Lettuce
Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Parsley
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Fruit baskets:
Oranges
Sweeties
Melon
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Larger ones also:
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Hermon Apples
Bananas
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