CSA Box #4 - July 2026
Summer has officially settled into the garden, and this week's CSA box feels like the beginning of the season we've been waiting for. The harvest baskets are getting heavier, the colors are becoming more vibrant, and we're finally seeing many of our warm-season crops come into their own.
One of the biggest milestones this week is our garlic harvest. Last fall, we tucked each clove into the ground with hopes of a successful crop, and months later we're excited to share the results with you. This week's box includes freshly harvested garlic that hasn't been cured yet, meaning it's especially juicy, fragrant, and full of flavor. We love cooking with fresh garlic, and we can't wait to share our cured bulbs later this season.
In This Week's Box
Fresh Music Garlic
One of the harvests we've been anticipating since last fall! Music garlic is a hardneck variety prized for its large, easy-to-peel cloves and rich flavor. The oversized cloves mean less peeling and more fun cooking. Since this garlic has not yet been cured, it's especially juicy and aromatic.
Storage: Refrigerate until ready to use.
Blue Curled Scotch Kale
This classic heirloom kale produces beautifully curled leaves with excellent texture and flavor. It's sturdy enough for cooking yet tender enough for salads when thinly sliced.
Storage: Refrigerate and use within a week or two. Kale is remarkably long-lasting and often stays crisp longer than many other leafy greens.
Lettuce Mix
This week's mix includes Chinese Narrow Leaf lettuce and Benefine Endive (Frisée). Together they create a crisp, refreshing blend, with the frisée adding texture and a pleasantly bitter note that pairs beautifully with vinaigrettes.
Storage: Refrigerate and rinse before enjoying.
Tokiwa 'Tokyo Green' Cucumbers
A Japanese cucumber variety known for its thin skin, crisp texture, and mild flavor. These cucumbers are excellent fresh and rarely need peeling.
Storage: Refrigerate.
Try it: Add sliced cucumbers and fresh mint to a pitcher of cold water for an easy summer refresher.
Fresh Red Potatoes
Freshly dug potatoes have delicate skins and a creamy texture that needs very little dressing up. Toss them with rosemary, olive oil, and a few cloves of this week’s fresh garlic for an easy sheet-pan side dish.
Storage: Store in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate if your kitchen is especially warm.
Try it: Roast with herbs and garlic, boil for potato salad, or grill in foil packets. We made the best mashed potatoes by adding cream and a healthy chunk of our garlic scape herb butter.
Danvers Carrots
A dependable heirloom favorite known for its sweet flavor and strong tops. A few lucky members also received some beautiful Cosmic Purple carrots mixed in with their bunches.
Storage: Remove tops and refrigerate.
Beets
This week's assortment may include Touchstone Gold, Cylindra, Czerwona Kula (Red Ball), and Guardsmark Chioggia beets.
Storage: Remove greens before refrigerating.
Try it: Roast the roots and save the greens for a simple sauté with garlic, or use both in a traditional Polish botwinka (summer beet soup), where nothing goes to waste.
Bonus Harvest
As certain crops begin producing, a few boxes also included some fun surprises from the garden. Select members received kohlrabi, green peppers, our very first head of broccoli of the season, or a mix of jade and yellow wax green beans. We expect to see more of these summer favorites making their way into everyone's boxes in the weeks ahead.
Herbs
Thai Basil, Rosemary & Mint
Three herbs with endless summer possibilities.
Thai Basil adds a subtle licorice note to curries, noodle dishes, and stir-fries. Avoid refrigeration if possible.
Rosemary pairs beautifully with potatoes and roasted vegetables.
Mint brightens beverages, fruit salads, and summer desserts.
Farm Made Goodies
Refrigerator Pickles
Made from our Chicago Pickling and Tokiwa cucumbers using a cold-brine refrigerator method that helps preserve their signature crunch.
Storage: Keep refrigerated.
Perfect for burgers, sandwiches, charcuterie boards, or straight from the jar.
Basil Pesto with Pine Nuts
Made with fresh basil, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and garlic.
Storage: Refrigerate. Freeze any extra for later in the season.
Toss with warm pasta, spread on sandwiches, drizzle over roasted vegetables, or swirl into soups.
Red Peper Jam
Made with sweet pimento peppers, jalapeños, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, gelatin, and salt for the perfect balance of sweet and mild heat.
Storage: Refrigerate after opening.
We love it on breakfast sandwiches or paired with your favorite cheese on a charcuterie board.
Note: Not every box included the same farm-made items this week, but don't worry—we're making additional batches and hope everyone will have an opportunity to sample them throughout the season.
On the Farm
Behind the scenes, we've continued expanding our low caterpillar tunnels with insect netting to help protect crops from deer, rabbits, birds, and other hungry visitors. While no solution is perfect, these additions have made a noticeable difference and are helping more of what we grow make it from the field to your table.
With our final succession plantings heading into the ground and the last rounds of seeding close behind, we're officially about halfway through the CSA season. Thank you for joining us on this journey and supporting small-scale, regenerative agriculture here in northern Illinois. We can't wait to share what's still to come.
This Week’s Bouquet
This week's bouquets capture the garden as it begins its transition into peak summer. Most bouquets featured Black-eyed Susans, statice, feverfew, flowering mint, zinnias, marigolds, and purple coneflower, while a handful also included one-off stems of our first dahlias of the season, along with sunflowers, Bells of Ireland, snapdragons, yarrow, cosmos, nigella, poppy pods, and strawflower.
We're just one good soaking rain away from the garden bursting into a riot of colorful blooms, and we can't wait to share what's still to come.
Bouquet Care
Trim stems before placing in fresh water. Change water every 1–2 days for the longest vase life. Zinnias are sometimes called a “dirty flower” because they can contribute more bacteria to vase water than some other blooms — frequent water changes will help keep your bouquet fresh.