WEEK 3

From our farm to your table this week …

Bok ChoyBroccoli
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mizuna
Sweet Potatoes
Tatsoi
Tips for using and/or preserving your produce…

Bok ChoyIf you haven’t tried the Bok Choy Apple Salad we introduced a few weeks ago, you may want to try it out this week! Alternatively, if you still haven’t found a way to use all of your greens from last week, you might want to consider preserving the Bok Choy in your share this week to stir into soups and stews later.  Here are some preservation tips for greens that I shared with one of our CSA members last week.  We hope you find it helpful.

 

BroccoliWe hope you enjoyed the broccoli last week. If you have a bit leftover, I encourage you to try Broccoli cornbread – recipe at right.  I was skeptical of the 12 oz of cottage cheese but both Ford and I really like this one.  If you’re not in the mood for broccoli now but think you might enjoy it later on, you can use the same technique described above for greens to preserve your broccoli.  Last year I preserved several quart –size freezer bags full of broccoli.  It kept beautifully in the freezer until I used it in casseroles and quiches in the fall and winter. 
Note – Use only fresh produce for preserving.  This produces a higher quality finished product and reduces the risk for foodborne illness. 

Kohlrabi
You may recall from last week that the small round bulbs of Kohlrabi, a member of the cabbage family, have a spicy, cabbage flavor.  We’ve been eating “Quick Kohlrabi Pickles” this week made from the recipe with shared with you last week.  We use them as a side dish and on sandwiches.  If pickles aren’t your thing, you may also enjoy adding raw, shredded kohlrabi to salads and slaws.   

Lettuce
Enjoy our healthy lettuces in your favorite cold salad and rest easy knowing those delicious leaves are free of chemicals!  Finley loves looking at the lettuce growing in the raised beds beside our house and even “picking” handfuls of leaves.  He’s still not quite interested in eating it, despite enthusiastic demonstrations by his mom and dad!  Note – this week you will be receiving the first harvest of Romaine lettuce – yum!

Mizuna

Mizuna, sometimes called Japanese mustard, is a tender green with long feathery leaves, white stems and a distinct but relatively mild flavor.  This is the green with long, spikey leaves that might remind you of the leaves on a Red Oak tree.     It is sometimes used in Asian soups and stir-fries but it is also an excellent accompaniment to lettuce and other tender
Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes probably don’t need an introduction.  These delicious veggies were harvested in the fall of 2011 and preserved in cold storage throughout the winter.  Both white and sweet potatoes were a winter-time staple for farming families in this region for years.  My grandparents kept potatoes through the winter by digging holes in the floors of their barns.  If you are accustomed to sweet potatoes only in casseroles, pies or baked individually, you might enjoy trying one of our favorites – sweet potato oven fries.  Cut the potatoes length-wise into strips that are a bit larger than French fries, give them a light coating of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a dash of red pepper or paprika.  Bake at about 375 F for 30-45 minutes, turning at least once in the middle.  These make an excellent accompaniment to burgers or, if you make them very thin, you can use them as a crispy topping for a salad of greens with toasted walnuts and feta cheese.
Tatsoi

We sang the praises of this versatile green in your first CSA guide.  This week I’ll just remind you that tatsoi as relatively small, oval leaves that are dark green and glossy.  The stems are long, slender and white.  This green is mild but has a hint of spice similar to the flavor of bok choy.  We love to use it along with our lettuce in cold salads but it is also great steamed or boiled and incorporated into other dishes.

As always, please feel free to contact me for clarification, further information, or to share your own adventures in cooking local, USDA certified organic produce.  amanda.waterstrat@gmail.com