What’s Inside This Week?
May 14, 2026
Essentials Box
- Broccoli, 2lbs, $6.00
- Beets, bunch, $3.00
- Arugula, 8oz, $5.00
- Cilantro, bunch, $3.00
- Radish, bunch, $3.00
- Avocado, 2lbs, $7.00
Original Box
- Essentials Box, plus:
- Zucchini, 2lbs, $7.00
- Kale, bunch, $3.00
- Scallopini Squash, 2lbs, $6.00
- Oranges, 2lbs, $8.00
Hearty Box
- Original Box, plus:
- Cabbage, head, $3.00
- Yellow Crookneck, 2lbs, $6.00
- Chard, bunch, $3.00
- Cauliflower, heads, $4.00
We have eggs! Fresh farm eggs available as an add-on to your CSA subscription. Email us at customerservice@dare2dreamfarms.com to add them to your next delivery.
Weekly pickup at Vandenberg Space Force Base
Vandenberg Space Force Base Visitors Center parking lot — every Thursday at 11:00am. Know someone on base? Spread the word!
Field Notes
This week, our team met early to draft a plan before the Raffs head out for a two-week family vacation. We sat down and mapped out the next stretch of work — weeding priorities, tilling schedules, what gets planted where and when.
From there, things moved quickly! Irrigation was pulled out to prepare rows for planting, empty rows were fertilized, bunching onions went in the ground, and gophers were trapped. We warred with slugs in the eggplant, the strawberries got acidifier worked into the soil, and the squash rows were weeded. Our WWOOFer, Franklin, from Los Angeles, has been steadily learning through all of it.
Frank working on acidifying the strawberry soil. Attention to detail that pays off at harvest.
This week’s radishes. They are really just as beautiful in person.
The tomatoes and cucumbers have been getting extra attention — as they’re the long-term plants that set us up for summer, right now every detail matters. The zucchini is starting to come in really nicely. The variety looks a little different this year because we’re using an Italian heirloom called Costata Romanesco. The pollinator garden is buzzing with life. More flowers are blooming daily, and the plan is to continue expanding our pollinator habitat as part of our June family project when Jeremy’s mom visits. It’s becoming one of the most alive corners of the farm.
Looking ahead: we’re planning to harvest what’s ready and get the next round of brassicas and flowers in the ground.
The cucumbers are climbing. Won’t be long now.
The pollinator garden is popping off. One of the most alive places on the farm right now.
Storage Tips
Roots: beets, radish → fridge crisper, bagged; remove radish greens and beet greens if attached — store greens separately, both are edible.
Greens: arugula, kale, chard → wrap in a towel, bag in the fridge; use within 5–7 days.
Brassicas: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage → fridge crisper, loosely bagged; broccoli best within 3–5 days.
Squash: zucchini, scallopini, yellow crookneck → fridge crisper, unwashed, loosely bagged; best within 4–5 days.
Herbs: cilantro → stems in a jar of water in the fridge, loosely covered; keeps up to a week. Or wrap in a damp paper towel and bag.
Fruit: avocado → counter to ripen, then fridge. Oranges → counter for several days or fridge for longer.
Zucchini & Cilantro Fritters
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, grated (about 2 cups)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 green onions or radish greens, sliced
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup flour (all-purpose or chickpea)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or feta
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil for frying
- To serve:
- Plain yogurt or sour cream
- Sliced radish & fresh cilantro
- Squeeze of orange or lime
Instructions
- Grate zucchini and place in a clean kitchen towel. Squeeze hard to remove as much moisture as possible — this step is the difference between crispy and soggy.
- In a large bowl, combine drained zucchini, cilantro, green onions, eggs, flour, cheese, cumin, salt, and pepper. Mix until a loose batter forms.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Scoop heaping tablespoons of batter and flatten slightly. Cook 3–4 minutes per side until deep golden and cooked through.
- Drain briefly on a paper towel. Serve warm with yogurt, fresh radish slices, extra cilantro, and a squeeze of citrus.
The fritter formula — and how to use it all summer
A fritter is one of the most useful things you can make with a farm box because the formula stays the same while the ingredients rotate with whatever’s in season. Grated or finely chopped vegetable + egg + a little flour to bind + seasoning + hot pan. That’s it. Once you have it down, you’ll find yourself reaching for it every week.
This week it’s zucchini and cilantro, but the same formula works with grated beet and feta, shredded chard and Parmesan, mashed cauliflower and scallion, or corn and jalapeño later in summer. The key variables to manage are moisture content and thickness. Watery vegetables — zucchini, summer squash, grated potato — need to be squeezed dry first. Denser vegetables like beet or cauliflower can go straight in. Keep the fritters about half an inch thick so they cook through before the outside burns.
Cilantro is the herb that defines this version — bright, grassy, and slightly citrusy, it balances the mild sweetness of zucchini beautifully. If you have cilantro skeptics at the table, flat-leaf parsley is a perfect substitute. The cumin adds warmth without heat and pairs naturally with both cilantro and the yogurt dipping sauce. A squeeze of orange at the end — especially with this week’s navel oranges — lifts the whole plate.
