This Week's Vegetable Harvest: Wild Ramps - from Harmony Valley Farm, Viroqua, WI Baby Bok Choy Green Oak Leaf Lettuce Red Radishes Overwintered Sunchokes - from Harmony Valley Farm, Viroqua, WI Overwintered Parsnips - from Harmony Valley Farm, Viroqua, WI Wintered Carrots Chives Asparagus - from Mick Klug Farm, St. Joseph, MI This Week's Egg Shares: We are sharing the last of our chicken's pullet eggs (also known as "farmers' eggs") this week. Read more in Notes from the Farm Kitchen about these springtime treats!

Pick Up Site Details Lake Forest *Continued Temporary Relocation* 1020 Meadow Lane, neighbor to the Murleys’ home) The pick up location be within the driveway. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact. Next week onwards: 994 Meadow Lane, Wednesdays, 4:00-7:00pm The pick up location will remain within the inset portion of the Murleys’ front driveway. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact. Grayslake, Prairie Crossing Farm, 560 North Harris Road, Wednesdays, 3:30-7:00pm *We continue to find the best ways to keep everyone safe. Please pick up your share within the barn with one family entering the barn at a time. Please enter the farm at the first farm driveway which is marked with CSA pickup sign. The pick up location will remain at the long white barn with the sign “Prairie Crossing Farm” on top. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. We will have signage to direct members appropriately. Deerfield, First Presbyterian Church, 824 Waukegan Road, Wednesdays, 4:00-7:00pm The pick up location is the same (the back, outdoor vestibule of the First Presbyterian Church). CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.   Northbrook/Highland Park, Cancer Wellness Center, 215 Revere Drive, Wednesdays, 3:00-6:30pm The pick up location now be located within the front entrance vestibule. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.   Evanston, 2719 Asbury, Wednesdays, 4:00-7:00pm The back porch pick up location will remain the same and the gate will be propped open to limit touching. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.   Wilmette: St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, 1140 Wilmette, Wednesdays, 2:00-5:00pm Pick up will be located at the back of the church under the covered, door-free rear entrance. You can access the small parking lot from the alley just north of the church building, which connects Wilmette Ave. & 12th Street. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.    Buffalo Grove, 11 Strathmore Court, Thursdays, 3:30-7:000pm The garage pick up location will remain the same and the door will be open to limit touching. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.   Glenview, 2410 Glenview Road, Thursdays, 3:30-7:00pm The pick up location will move outdoors to the porch of the preschool, which is covered and accessible from the circle drive/parking lot. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.   Libertyville: Pizzeria DeVille, 404 N Milwaukee Ave, Libertyville, IL, Thursdays, 3:30pm-7pm The Advocate Condell Centre Club is closed to deliveries. Pizzeria Deville welcomes Libertyville members as our new spring pick up location. Shares will be placed on the front benches, in front of the restaurant. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.   Oak Park, Buzz Cafe, 905 S Lombard, Thursdays, 4:30-7:00pm  The pick up location will remain outdoors on the back patio of the Buzz Cafe. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. Please park on Flournoy or Harrison and walk into via the alley to the back patio.    Vernon Hills, Wild Lavender Acupuncture, 830 West End Ct, #700, Thursdays, 2:00-7:00pm The pick up location will remain the same, outside of the front doors of Wild Lavender Acupuncture. CSA Shares will be packaged and labeled for your pick up. The site will be self-serve to limit contact.

Farm Journal We hope you've enjoyed these beautiful sunny days. They are a welcomed, warming reward for the chilly Friday and weekend at the farm.

For the past three evenings, we had nightly lows in the 20s and 30s. We've also been visited by a majestic (and lettuce loving) set of deer. So we are keeping young lettuces safely protected under row cover and deer fencing these days!

On Monday, Jeff and Tyler spent time repairing well leaks in our "vintage" well (from the early 1940s!). They took some time to study the different soil layers during their excavation project.

They found it interesting to see the clay-based soil layer that formed in between both the bottom dark soil and the top soil layers.

The rest of us spent time harvesting, washing and bagging for this week's farm shares.

And of course, spring is a time for riding the mechanical transplanter and seeding tractors throughout the farm to plant thousands of plants -- everything from early summer crops to fall crops!

The best part of spring is savoring those flavors we've not had in nearly a year! Jeff's Ramp Focaccia was an amazing addition to the Mother's Day dinner prepared for me from the boys.

We enjoyed beer battered cod, chopped arugula and radish salad, roasted bok choy and ramp focaccia. Yum! Spring is a busy time, so we hope you can also enjoy delicious, relaxing spring meals from your kitchen! Your farmers, Jeff, Jen, Tyler, Abbey, Arlet, Kim and Cayla

Notes from the Farm Kitchen

Due to their size (and outstanding flavor!), pullet eggs often only make it to our farmhouse kitchen and the plant sale. However this week, CSA members are receiving these "farmer's eggs," a true springtime treat. Every spring, we collect smaller-than-normal sized eggs from the nest boxes of our pullets, or young hens. Because these are among the first eggs ever laid by the young hens, typically less than 4 months old, they produce medium eggs -- medium eggs are defined by the USDA as weighing 21 to 24 ounces per dozen, versus between 24 and 27 ounces per dozen for large eggs – every couple of days during the first month or so of their egg-laying careers. Research shows that ounce for ounce, the nutritional content of the yolks and the whites of pullet eggs is identical to that of large eggs. The pullet egg yolks are generally that same size as ones found in large eggs, but there is typically less white, which in the end, makes them richer in flavor. Chefs love their rich yolks and round sizes. Pullet eggs are perfect for baking, deviling, or simply frying (over easy alongside a spring salad!).

Carrots and Parsnips are closely related, though parsnips have a nutty-sweet taste and hearty texture all their own. This week, you're receiving the final carrots, parsnips and sunchokes of the storage season so hold on to them! They will store well for weeks wrapped in plastic in your refrigerator. Here's a great piece to inspire your root cooking when you're ready to enjoy!

With last week's warm temperatures, the first green asparagus are emerging from their winter slumber. Our partner farmers and friends, Mick Klug Farm, are sharing their bountiful asparagus harvest with us this week while we give our asparagus time to grow.

Seasonal Recipes from the Farm Kitchen Ramp Focaccia - Jeff added the ramps and rosemary before sliding into the oven.   Spring Salad with Roasted Asparagus Simple Carrot and Parsnip Mash

A Note on Packaging Even during challenging times, we try to minimize our plastic packaging for members. To do this, we're combining produce, which we might be normally packaged separately, together. Since most spring vegetables must be refrigerated in a plastic bag, please reuse these plastic packages. Keeping greens items in plastic helps prevent wilting. If arugula or another tender vegetable appears droopy, soak it in cold water for a few minutes, shake off the excess water, and refrigerate in a plastic bag until it perks up. Also, we rinse all the vegetables here at the farm, but you should always wash them thoroughly prior to eating.

How Spring CSA Share Pick Ups Work With the gracious help of our site hosts, all sites are modified to be low/no contact and low touch. As you pick up, please provide social distances to others.  All shares are individually packed and labeled for you. All CSA shares will be packed into recyclable brown paper bags and labeled with your name so you can grab and go. There will be no need to cross names off of the CSA member list. Please take everything home with you and recycle all packaging. We cannot take back any packaging for reuse at this time. Shares must be picked up during designated pickup times. Any unclaimed shares at pickup sites will be donated. Shares will not be available once the pickup has ended. We regret that we are not able to give refunds for shares that have not been claimed by the end of the pickup.

• Tags: Asparagus, Carrots, Parsnips, Ramps, Salad Mix

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