Dear Farm Community -

Allium season is here! Perhaps the stinkiest of seasons, we are incredibly stoked to be pulling up big leeks, beautiful onions, and fat bulbs of garlic. Fortunately, we are stinky farmers, so we love it all the same ;)

We spend the spring listening for the onions to tell us they’re ready, and a few weeks ago they finally hollered. Of course, onion communication is a subtle thing. A holler looks like their green tops getting a little tired and ratty, yellowing, and falling over at the neck as the bulbs reach maturity. Once we saw the sure signs, we began harvesting and pulled up about half of our field for curing. We also kept a close eye on the forecast, because onions cure best when they come out of the field dry. Working around the rain gives them the best chance at drying down properly, storing longer, and avoiding the sad, goopy fate of spoilage.

Curing onions is the simple but important process of letting freshly harvested onions dry down so they can store well. After onions are pulled from the field, their outer skins, necks, and roots need time to dry and tighten. This helps seal the bulb, protect it from rot, and turn it from a fresh, perishable crop into something that can sit on your counter or in your pantry for weeks.

Once all the onions have been yoinked out of the soil, we bring them to the pole barn and lay them out in a single layer on drying racks, under the cover of shade, with plenty of airflow moving around them. They hang out there for about two weeks, or until the greens are fully dry. Then we cut off the tops, trim the roots, clean off the dirt, “and that’s your onion.” ~ quote, Farmer Isaac

Now that they’ve had time to cure, the first batch is cleaned up and ready to head out into the world. Large share members will see these onions in their CSA shares this week, and all CSA members will see them in their shares soon!

Take a peek into the process that leaves us stinking like sweet sweet onions.

Last week, we were so happy to welcome a few CSA member volunteers out to the farm to help process our first batch of onions. A big thank you to everyone who came out! We had such a sweet time hanging with y’all, getting some work done together, and walking around the farm afterward. Once we have another round ready to process, we’ll extend another invite, so keep your eyes peeled for the next onion party :-)

As you may well realize, this is the last week of Spring CSA! Next week begins our Summer session and all the abundance that comes along with our hot hot Georgia summer. If you haven’t yet hopped on board for our CSA, be sure to sign up this week! We’re already getting huge harvests of summer squash, zucchini, and cucumbers, tomatoes are right around the corner, and so many summer fruits are right around the bend!

Weekly-Pay Members - no action needed!
3-Season & 4-Season Members - no action needed!
Spring Full Season Members - Sign up for a discounted Summer Share by May 31st!
Not a CSA Member yet - Oy! It’s time to get on board! Sign up for a discounted Summer Share by May 31st or sign up for Weekly-Pay anytime! :-)

Any questions please reach out to us!

This week in your CSA we’re packing another delightful little allium ~ Scallions! The icing on top of the cake of any recipe, scallions add a certain j’ne’ces cois (or however you spell it) that takes a dish to the next level. Of course we have to include a recipe here for scallion pancakes, an incredibly delicious way to use a ton of scallions in one sitting and fantastic side dish to any asian-inspired meal. But beyond the obvious, there’s actually a whole host of ways to incorporate scallions into your meals. Searing whole scallions in the pan is a deliciously savory way to top off fish or chicken. Add your oil of choice, make sure to exercise patience to get that caramelized char on them, and sprinkle with salt before adding to your plate! You can also sear them as the first step in this recipe for seared scallion salsa verde, which can make a great dip for chips or sauce for drizzling onto steak. If dips are your thing, you could also check out this NYT recipe for charred scallion dip with lemon and herbs ~ perfect for a crinkled potato chip ;) Or, preparing scallion oil (Mỡ Hành) will leave you with an incredibly versatile, vibrant garnish used to add a savory pop of flavor to everything from meats to seafood and rice dishes. It is usually spooned generously over the finished dish and lends itself to delicious Vietnamese recipes like sticky rice and roast chicken.

We’re All-ium This Together,
Diamond Hill Farmers

Happy Eating,
Diamond Hill Farmers

it just tastes better, straight up:

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