What’s Inside This Week?
May 6, 2026
Essentials Box
- Beets, bunch, $3.00
- Chard, bunch, $4.00
- Salanova Mix, 8oz, $5.00
- Broccoli, head, $4.00
- Peaches, 2lbs, $8.00
Original Box
- Essentials Box, plus:
- Kale, bunch, $4.00
- Parsnips, 2lbs, $8.00
- Torpedo Onions, $4.00
- Basil, bunch, $4.00
Hearty Box
- Original Box, plus:
- Jalapeños, .25lbs, $3.00
- Artichokes, $6.00
- Grapefruit, 2lbs, $6.00
- Flower Bouquet, $7.00
We have eggs! Fresh farm eggs are available as an add-on to your CSA box subscription. Email us at customerservice@dare2dreamfarms.com to add them to your next delivery.
New pickup location — Vandenberg Space Force Base!
We’re excited to announce a new weekly pickup point at the Vandenberg Space Force Base Visitors Center parking lot, every Thursday at 11:00am. If you or someone you know lives or works on base, this is your chance to get fresh farm box delivery without leaving.
If the Thursday timing doesn’t work, we may be able to arrange a pickup at your home on base — email us at customerservice@dare2dreamfarms.com and we’ll work something out.
Field Notes
This week was defined by one of our favorite things: all hands on deck. We made a massive push on garlic and shallot weeding — everyone out in the field, working through rows that have been growing since winter. The reward at the end of the day was frosty treat Friday: paletas for the whole crew. Earned and delicious.
The tomatoes and cucumbers are staked and twined up, following the trellising work from last week. Watching them climb is one of those quiet signs that summer is actually coming. Rows of basil, arugula, parsley, sunflowers, and carrots were direct sown this week, and new trays of lettuce and brassicas are started in the greenhouse. The cows are in the paddock for halter training — a step toward being able to work with them more closely as the farm continues to grow.
Preston on the tractor, Waylon in the garden — beds getting turned and ready for the next round of planting.
An irrigation leak in action — not ideal, but it did make for a beautiful shot.
The plum trees have fruit developing — tiny and green right now, but there. We killed over 15 gophers this week, which sounds dramatic but is genuinely one of the most important things we do to protect long-term plantings. Perimeter weed whacking ran the full property.
The highlight of the week, hands down: we hosted a kindergarten class from Miguelito Elementary School for a farm tour. They fed carrots to the goats, met the pigs, held baby chicks, and learned about dairy cows and compost. They were curious and enthusiastic and completely delightful. This is exactly why we do what we do.
Hot and bell peppers are making a comeback in the greenhouse — rows of seedlings coming along strong. And plum fruit is already developing on the trees, which is a hopeful sign for what’s ahead this summer.
Waylon feeding chard to the goats — a daily ritual that never gets old.
Cows in the paddock for halter training. A patient process with a big payoff.
Tomatoes staked and twined up — climbing toward summer.
Hot and bell peppers making a comeback in the greenhouse. Good things coming.
Tiny green plums developing on the trees. Summer is coming.
Peppers in the greenhouse — patient and promising.
Storage Tips
Roots: beets, parsnips → fridge crisper, bagged; remove beet greens if attached and store separately.
Greens: salanova mix, chard, kale → wrap in a towel, bag in the fridge; use within 5–7 days.
Brassicas: broccoli → fridge crisper, loosely bagged; best within 3–5 days.
Alliums: torpedo onions → cool, dry, dark place; or fridge if cut. Use greens like scallions.
Herbs: basil → do NOT refrigerate; keep stems in a jar of water on the counter like flowers. Fridge turns it black.
Peppers: jalapeños → fridge in a bag; keeps 1–2 weeks.
Fruit: peaches → counter to ripen; refrigerate once ripe and use within 2–3 days. Grapefruit → counter for several days or fridge for longer.
Other: artichokes → fridge in a bag with a little moisture; use within 3–5 days. Flower bouquet → trim stems at an angle and place in fresh water; change water every 1–2 days.
Fresh Peach & Basil Caprese Salad
Ingredients
- 2 ripe peaches, sliced
- 8oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1 small bunch fresh basil, leaves torn
- 2 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- Flaky sea salt & black pepper
- Optional: 1 tsp honey drizzle
- Optional: handful of arugula as a base
Instructions
- Slice peaches and mozzarella into similar-sized rounds or wedges.
- Arrange on a platter, alternating peach, mozzarella, and basil leaves — the classic caprese pattern works beautifully here.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil and balsamic glaze. Add honey if using.
- Finish with flaky sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Serve immediately.
Why peach & basil work together (and what else to try)
Peach and basil is one of those combinations that sounds unconventional until you taste it, and then feels completely obvious. Both are intensely aromatic — the peach sweet and floral, the basil herbaceous and slightly peppery — and they share enough common ground that they lift each other rather than compete. Add the creaminess of fresh mozzarella and the acid of balsamic and you have a dish that covers every flavor note in one plate.
The key is using fresh basil, not dried. Dried basil has almost none of the same flavor compound that makes fresh basil extraordinary. Tear it rather than chiffonade — cutting basil with a knife bruises the leaves and turns them dark at the edges quickly. Torn leaves hold their bright green color and release flavor more gently.
Once you understand the peach-basil pairing, try it in other ways: blended into a shrub with apple cider vinegar for a summer drink, layered onto flatbread with burrata, or folded into a simple pasta with olive oil and lemon. Fresh peaches also pair beautifully with chard — a quick sauté of chard with sliced peach, a splash of balsamic, and toasted walnuts is one of the best uses of both items in this week’s box.
Store your basil stems-down in a jar of water on the counter, like flowers. Never refrigerate it. Cold turns the leaves black and kills the aroma. At room temperature it will stay fragrant and beautiful for several days.
