- Carrots from the Hoophouse
- Green Head Lettuce
- Red Head Lettuce
- Fresh Dill
- Kohlrabi or Baby Beets
- Asian Cabbage (Tokyo Bekana)
- White Salad Turnips
- Green Onions
Notes from the Farm Kitchen
This
week's baby carrots were
sown in one of our unheated hoophouses in early March. The heat of the sun was
enough to get the seed to germinate and to keep the plants growing happily
through some pretty cold weather. The carrots you will receive for the rest of
the season will come from outside in the fields. The first field planting should
be ready to harvest in 2 to 3 weeks.
This particular type of Asian Cabbage, called Tokyo Bekana, is a relatively new addition to our crop mix, and we really enjoy it. For those of you unfamiliar with Tokyo Bekana, it is the item in the box that has frilly yellow-green leaves and is banded with a twist tie. It's a great addition to our offerings at this time of year because it grows quickly in cool spring weather, and it matures much sooner than traditional cabbage. Tokyo Bekana's mild cabbage flavor provides a nice contrast to the more familiar flavor of head lettuce. Like head lettuce, it can be used raw in salads and in much the same way as you would use Napa cabbage or bok choy. When sliced thinly and paired with an Asian-inspired or vinegar-based salad dressing, the result is a slaw with a nice delicate crunch.
.
Kohlrabi is a little-known member of the broccoli and cabbage family. Kohlrabi forms when the stem swells to a fat little bulb right about the soil. Some varieties are purple and others are light green or white. The bulb is delicious peeled and eaten raw. Just peel it, slice thinly and serve with or without dip. (Dill dip would be fantastic.) The greens on this batch of kohlrabi are pretty nice too. Use them like you would use kale, collards, and other hearty cooking greens. These types of greens become tender and delicious when simmered over low to medium heat for 30 to 60 minutes. Try sauteeing a little onion and garlic in a pan (a little bacon or salt pork would be the perfect addition) and then adding the greens to the pan along with some type of liquid-- vegetable broth, chicken stock, white wine etc. The key is not to rush things. These greens will taste best when they're nice and tender.
Those of you who don't receive kohlrabi this week will receive a bunch of baby beets. In a typical year the beets aren't ready to harvest until mid-June, but everything seems to be about 3 weeks ahead this year. Beets are closely related to Swiss chard. Like Swiss chard, beet greens can be used in place of spinach in many recipes. I've read that beet greens are even more nutritious than spinach. They should be stored in a plastic bag and used within a week. The baby beets themselves are so wonderful and tasty that you don't need to do a whole lot to them. I recommend boiling them whole, then slicing in half and making of salad of baby beets, carrots, olive oil, salt & pepper, a tiny bit of crumbled feta or goat cheese and a sprinkle of chopped green onions and dill. Enjoy!
This Week's Featured Recipes
Quick Kohlrabi Pickles with Dill
2-3 medium kohlrabi bulbs, trimmed, peeled, and sliced thinly
good olive oil
rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper
Place the kohlrabi slices in an airtight container with a lid. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and a good splash of vinegar. Add the dill and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Replace the lid and shake well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place in fridge, shaking occasionally. They are best after they have marinated for a day, and will last about a week.
Asian Cabbage Salad with Peanut-Sesame Dressing
adapted from The Real Food Daily Cookbook by Ann Gentry
4 cups thinly sliced Asian cabbage (including stems)
3 cups torn lettuce leaves
4 small carrots peeled and sliced into matchsticks (julienned)
1 cup thinly sliced hakurei turnips
3-4 green onions (white and green parts) sliced thin (julienned)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup peanut-sesame dressing (recipe follows)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Toss the Asian cabbage, lettuce, carrots, turnips, cilantro and green onions in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Mound the salad onto plates and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
Feel free to add chopped marinated tofu or chicken to this salad. Soba noodles would also taste great!
for the dressing:
2/3 cup creamy peanut or almond butter
1/3 cup brown rice vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 clove fresh garlic
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves
Blend the peanut/almond butter, vinegar, maple syrup, water, tamari, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and chili flakes in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the cilantro and blend just until it's finely chopped.
A Memorial Day Rememberance
The 3-day weekend gave us the chance to get up to the Brodhead farm to do some planting. We took our whole crew up there and planted peppers, eggplant and tomatoes on Monday. We were working so hard that I admit I didn't give much thought to the meaning of the holiday. Sitting here now, I have a moment to reflect on why we observe the Memorial Day in the first place. Between us, Matt and I have 3 grandfathers who served in WWII. Howard Vieth, the last of the living grandfathers, passed away last summer. Howard grew up near the town of Norwalk in southwestern Wisconsin. He lived on a small farm with his parents, Harry and Verna Vieth, and his siblings Myrtle and Ivan. I had the pleasure of helping him with his memoirs shortly before he died. The book we put together is filled with interesting anecdotes about growing up on the farm, including how he loved to ride around on a special calf he named Bonnie Babe. The little boy pictured below grew up to be Matt's grandfather. Though he never returned to live on the farm after he went to college, he talked often about how much he treasured his childhood on the farm. When Matt decided to go into farming, Howard was enthusiastic from the start and always inquired about the lastest news from the farm. He was a great supporter of Sandhill Organics and we miss him. |
| Myrtle and Howard ride Bonnie Babe. |
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| The business card of Matt's great-grandfather. |
Announcements
4th of July Week
We will be operating on our regular CSA delivery schedule during the week of July 4th. If you are going to be out of town, please ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your share. If you prefer, you may contact us and we will donate your share to the Avon Township Food Pantry.
Important Changes to the Fruit Share
Several days ago I sent an email to all members regarding changes to this year's fruit share. The email outlines several adjustments we've had to make as a result of major frost damage to peaches, cherries, and other tree fruits this spring. One important change is that the Fruit Share will start two weeks earlier than planned in order to take advantage of Mick's abundant strawberry crop (which was not damaged by the frost). This means that the Fruit Share and the Summer Vegetable Share will both start on June 13th/14th. Please contact me if you didn't receive my email and I will send you the details.
Summer Egg Shares Available
Next week is the final week for spring vegetables and eggs. While we are sold out of summer vegetable shares, we still have a few summer egg shares left. These shares are available for members who have already purchased a summer vegetable share. The cost is $85. Please email me if you are interested.
Fun Photo of the Week
While we were up in Wisconsin this past weekend we made a quick visit to the farm of our friends John and Jackie Gates. Walking down the lane in the late afternoon sun, I was struck by this sweet Jersey heifer. Isn't she a beauty?
