Please be sure to wash your weekly share thoroughly before serving. To preserve freshness, it is NOT ‘table ready’ (i.e., pre-washed). We deliver your Olin-Fox Farms’ produce right from the fields to ensure highest quality.

It is hard to believe that this is the end of the Spring Program, and we are excited that with this week's shares we are getting a nice variety of seasonal produce. Crops have been growing more slowly than last year. For example, the asparagus is one week later than last year.

The weather has been cooperative in the past week, we offer a big thanks to Mother Nature, giving us and the other farms perfect planting conditions during the off week. Last week's OFF week was extremely productive and you will enjoy the fruits of our labors in the coming months. Many beds were tilled and new beds are being solarized under black plastic. Radishes, Arugula, and Carrots seeds were planted. Tomatoes, Kale and Pepper plants were transplanted. The bee area was cleared and planted with bronze fennel, green fennel, and sage.

In light of the amazing amount of work that was done for our CSA in one week, we have decided to combine the make-up winter share with the 1^st week of the Summer Program. Originally we had planned provide this winter share next week, but have decided that combining it with the 1^st week of the Summer Program will work as there is now a great deal more variety of produce coming in.

So, for those who had subscribed to the Winter Program, please mark your calendars that your make-up winter share will be provided along with the 1^st Summer Program share, Wednesday May 16 to Saturday May 19^th.

Speaking of the Summer Program and Fruit Shares, there is still time to sign up for your shares. Visit our website, www.olinfoxfarms.com for the membership form and pricing. It is now possible to sign-up and pay online. Or, you can mail forms and payments to: Olin-Fox Farms, P.O. Box 222, Reedville, VA 22539.

If all goes well, the first Fruit Share (May 16 - May 19) of the season will be strawberries!

The favorable weather conditions have really perked up the crops. Asparagus is now in abundance as well as many other crops, soon to be followed by sugar snap peas, yellow squash and zucchini.

A number of the growers are reporting very slow growth on the broccoli and cauliflower crops this season. It is too soon to tell what the harvest will be for the season.

Asparagus, Spring Onions, Oregano, Cilantro, D'Avignon French Breakfast Radishes,

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

Serves 4

Asparagus gain a depth of flavor from the intense heat of the oven in this preparation. This is magnified if you use a cast-iron frying pan because it holds the heat.

Oven-roasted asparagus can be the basis for a wonderful spring pasta dish: Pasta with Oven-Roasted Asparagus and Cheese. Instead of roasting the asparagus whole, cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces, which will roast in 5 to 8 minutes. While the asparagus pieces roast, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook a pound of pasta (I like gemelli, because they are approximately the same size and shape as the cut asparagus.) After draining the cooked pasta, mix in the roasted asparagus pieces, their juices, some lemon zest, and olive oil. Generously grate Parmesan cheese over all.

1 pound fresh asparagus
2 tablespoons fruity and fragrant olive oil or lemon-infused olive oil
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh lemon zest or freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 500°F, and preheat a cast-iron frying pan or a roasting pan in the oven.

Wash and drain the asparagus, snapping or cutting off any woody ends. Carefully remove the hot frying pan from the oven, and put a little of the olive oil in the pan; it should thin immediately from the heat of the pan. Place the asparagus on top of the oil, and pour the rest of the oil over the asparagus. Toss or shake the pan until all the stalks are coated with oil, and put the pan back in the hot oven. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to make sure the asparagus aren't sticking. After 10 minutes, remove a stalk and see if it is done to your liking (cooking times will vary according to the thickness of the stalks and their freshness). The goal is crisp-tender asparagus with slight char marks.

When the asparagus are done, remove them promptly with tongs, leaving the oil behind in the pan. Serve, grating fresh lemon zest or cheese over the top if desired.

Roasted Asparagus-Orange Salad

Serves 4

Everything for this salad can be done hours ahead, then you dress it just before serving. Show the children how you can bend the tough end of an asparagus stalk gently and it will break just at the point where the stalk becomes tender. A sprinkling of roasted sunflower seeds could be a nice finish to this salad.

Salad

1 pound pencil-slim asparagus 2 large navel oranges

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 handfuls of mixed salad greens

Sweet-Sour Orange Dressing

Juice of 1 orange 1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons coarse mustard About 2 tablespoons each extra-virgin olive oil and cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey, or sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the asparagus and break away the stalks' tough ends. Gently combine the asparagus with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the shredded zest of 1 orange, some salt, and pepper. Spread them on a shallow pan and roast 8 to 10 minutes, or until still somewhat firm when pierced with a knife. Cool.

2. Juice one orange into a big bowl. Peel the other, cutting the flesh into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Rinse and dry the greens by rolling them up in paper towels. In the big bowl, blend all the dressing ingredients into the orange juice and taste for seasoning.

3. Assemble the salad by tossing the greens with the dressing and heaping them on 4 plates. Top with asparagus and pieces of fresh orange. Serve with knives and forks