Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of green in your share? Its all part of the evolution of the season! I like to imagine a bear emerging from winter slumber to start off the summer with tender greens before the fruits and roots develop. Consider balancing out the heaping piles of salad with nuts and chick peas or rounding out the cooking greens by putting them in bean soups or cashew stir-fries. We promise, the season will advance with heavier crops as we go along:)
Bok Choi This cruciferous Asian type of cabbage only grows well in cooler temperatures, so this week be the last week of it until Fall. Braise or stir-fry it lightly for a gorgeous balance of crisp, light stalks and dark green leaves. You can also marinate after finely chopping both leaves and stalks for a raw salad. Lettuce Heads You each have two varieties to keep your salads diverse. There may be some dirt on the interior of the heads to wash off. Salad Mix This mix of baby greens is sharp thanks to the arugula in it. If it is too sharp for you, you can try a sweet salad dressing to tone it down. It has been triple washed. Rainbow Chard These young leaves are tender enough for raw salads and also delicious cooked. They are interchangeable with spinach in recipes as they are in the same plant family and have similar flavor profiles. Consider combining with this week’s spinach for a big batch of homemade saag (an Indian style creamed spinach dish). Like spinach, it cooks down a ton, so while it may seem like you have some giant bunches, you may be surprised at how it shrinks. Cilantro This herb pairs well with bean dishes or curries. Try making a cilantro salad dressing or a cilantro pesto. Consider drying it if you don’t think you’ll use this week. Hakurei Turnips These juicy turnips are different from a typical European style storage turnip. Both sharp and sweet, they are juicy and delicious when eaten raw. Slice right before eating as they sometimes get a bitter flavor if sliced too far in advance. Roast or sautée to sweeten. The greens should not be overlooked as they are fabulous raw in salad or tossed into a soup, stir fry, pot of pasta, or casserole. French Breakfast Radishes Might as well put these beauties next to your peonies for decor instead of eating them! But then you’d miss out on their crunchy, sharp eating quality. Chop them up for salads or try roasting or sautéing to sweeten them up and bring out a rich flavor. The greens are too tough for some people but others like to sauté or steam them for eating. Peonies! What? Flowers in my vegetable share? These are not edible, they are just pretty! We happen to have access to a huge planting of gorgeous peonies and we couldn’t help but share them with you to celebrate this first week of the CSA. Keep in clean water to ensure a long vase life. Sungold Cherry Tomato Plants We’ll be harvesting plenty of these orange cherry tomatoes for your shares this summer, but we thought the gardeners among you (as well as the new or aspiring gardeners!) might enjoy growing one of your own. Use plenty of compost when preparing the space, fully cover the block of soil from the pot with garden soil when you plant, and keep well watered after planting. Make sure your plant gets plenty of sun, has some support to grow as large as it will want to grow, and is kept clear of weeds. Spinach This spinach got quite big due to the recent heat so it might be best cooked rather than raw. Comments are closed.
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