- Mix of Lettuce and Baby Spinach
- Sweet Potatoes (from Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, WI)
- Parsnips (from Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, WI)
- Baby White Salad Turnips
- Broccoli
- Curly Parsley
- Swiss Chard
- Beauty Heart Radishes (white/pale green exterior with bright pink interior)
- Tomatoes (yes, they're still ripening in the hoophouse!)
In celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary, Matt and I flew to Washington D.C. on Saturday morning for a long weekend away. The weather was beautiful so we spent much of the weekend outside taking in the sights. No matter where we go, whether it's Milwaukee or Paris or Washington D.C., we tend to want to see two things--gardens and farmers markets. So in addition to the Smithsonian, the Capitol building, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives, we made time to visit a farmers market and a number of different gardens.
We spent Sunday morning walking around Eastern Market, shopping for apples and pears and snacking on crab cakes.
One of the first gardens we visited in Washington was the U.S. Botanic Garden on the National Mall. It has been open to the public since 1850 and it is a real treasure.
The next stop on our Washington D.C. garden tour was the White House. Much has been made of the White House vegetable garden, and we were curious to see what kind of garden one can create when all of the resources of the federal government are brought to bear. We also wondered if the Obamas might be interested in some advice from a couple of professionals...
So we walked up to the gate and rang the doorbell--it says "Welcome to the White House"-- but no one answered. Too bad. We had to content ourselves with viewing the garden through the wrought iron bars of the fence.
The final stop on our garden tour was The People's Garden in front of the U.S. Department of Agriculture building. Here is shot of Matt in the garden:
Below is another picture of the People's Garden. We are standing in front of two hoophouses. They are smaller versions of the hoophouses at our farm. Unlike the hoophouses at our farm, which are filled with lettuce and tomatoes, these hoophouses were empty. What a shame! (Maybe we really could teach those folks in Washington a thing or two...)
As we were walking away from the USDA building, I looked up and spied a quote from Abraham Lincoln etched in the side of the building. Lincoln created the USDA, which he referred to as the People's Department, in 1862. Here is what Lincoln had to say about my chosen profession: "No other human occupation opens so wide a field for the profitable and agreeable combination of labor with cultivated thought as agriculture." I couldn't agree more. Have a great week! -Peg
Parsnips are closely related to carrots. In fact, they sort of look like big yellowish-white carrots. Although they can be eaten raw, their fibrous texture means that they are best when cooked. They are sweet and nutty and are particularly well suited to roasting and mashing. I also use them in place of carrots when making carrot cake.
A good sweet potato crop is such a blessing since they are not especially easy to grow in our cold northern climate and sometimes don't produce very large yields. I'm not a huge fan of sweet dishes made from sweet potatoes (the thought of combining them with marshmallows makes me shudder), but I ADORE them in savory and spicy dishes. One of the easiest ways to prepare them is to slice them into wedges, coat them with a little olive oil, season them with your favorite spices and roast them in the oven. One of my favorites is a barbeque rub that is smoky and spicy. It's a perfect way to balance the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Another easy favorite is to bake them and then serve them with bowls of various toppings such as black beans, cilantro, onions, sour cream cheddar cheese and salsa. Each person then gets to top his or her own potato. This meal is a big hit in our family.
Beauty Heart Radishes, also known as Watermelon Radishes, are rather ugly in the outside but beautiful on the inside. They got their name because of the brilliant pink color of the interior. Beauty hearts are in a class of radishes called storage radishes. They are meant to grow to a much larger size than spring radishes. When stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator they will keep for months. I use beauty heart radishes much like traditional spring radishes. They can be peeled and grated or sliced for use on sandwiches, in salads and on crudité platters.
This Week's Recipes
Broccoli with Parsley, Olives and Feta
Sweet and Sour Broccoli-Radish Salad
Gremolata (a parsley-lemon condiment)
Next Week's Vegetable Harvest: lettuce, bok choy, baby carrots, baby beets, butternut squash and more!
