Seems kinda odd to tell you what you got after you got it–BUT…until we put the shares together we are not sure which item is going into which Share. But–now I can tell you a little about the veggies you got this week…and I can give you an idea of what to expect in the next couple of weeks, too. 🙂
Kale or Swiss chard–first week on the greens from our garden…both small and tender and the bundles small. As the plants grow the size of your bundle will grow, too. Red Russian Kale–good in green drinks for those that have Ninja’s or Vitamixers…roasted in the oven as chips, cut up thinly for your salads, chopped and added to fried potatoes or fried zucchini. Kale is one of those Super Foods high in nutritive value–Chard is #3 on the CDC’s list of Super Foods. Swiss chard is great ribbon cut into tossed salads, or try it is the only green using the recipe 4a. Swiss Chard Salad.
Eggplant or Farao cabbage–first week on the Eggplant: Nadia variety which is an Italian Black…huge, cylindrical shape. Only takes one to make the Baba Ganosh (Eggplant Hummus), recipe #44. Farao cabbage is the best for cabbage burgers–recipe #35–will not cook down as much as the Caraflex which is a more tender, delicate leaf. Because it is a tight head there is less chance for thrip damage. (Sorry you are getting so much cabbage–the weather has messed with the maturing and all the cabbages seem to be ready at the same time!)
Green bunching onions or Sweet Spanish onion bulb–Sweet Spanish is not dried down or cured for storage and should be kept in the fridge. This is a new variety this summer. Bunching onion variety is a scallion with a little bulb.
Antohi &/or Islander Bell Peppers–Antohi Romanian European Frying Peppers are wonderful!–Do not loose their color or shape when cooked. Islander Bell Peppers are purple and light meated….they are best eaten and prepared raw.
Watermelon Radish or Scarlet Queen turnips–Watermelon radishes are not related to watermelons but resemble watermelons–light greenish outside and bright pink inside. They are a type of Daikon and are normally more sweet than hot and spicy. We raise these to sell to high-end restaurants who love them for eye-appeal! Same goes for the Scarlet Queen turnips–they are attractive looking and when chilled in icy water their crispness is enhanced. Pleasant flavor–in the same family as the Hakurei salad turnips.
Cauliflower or bagged Broccoli–more Cauliflower to come! Second planting of Broccoli nearing harvest time.
Zucchini or Summer Squash–we are trying to add more Zucchini this week and next. It has been in short supply with one bed. Two varieties of yellow squash: Zephyr is a little larger with light striping and a green tip, Slick Pick is best when smaller. You will probably see more of the Zephyr–more was planted. I HATE harvesting them–They are huge and prickly and make my skin break out if I don’t wear my gloves and long-sleeves. Even getting my face into the plant to look for the little gems has been painful–The sacrifice we make!
Baby Bok Choi–Bok choi–great in stir-fry, split in half and cooked in olive oil and garlic, or steamed…type of Chinese cabbage. Bok choi was in limited supply and let me tell you why–back in May when we were planting the bok choi the stand was very poor. So, The Farmer took some seed to replant where the bok choi hadn’t come up. In June when we were working the beds, weeding and thinning, we came across this row of beautiful Red Russian Kale with little clusters of Bok Choi sprinkled throughout the bed. This was great because the Red Russian Kale was one we had opted out of this year for the Blue Curly Leaf Kale…which has been slow to grow this season. 🙂
Kohlrabi–nicknamed German Turnips, is a main stay in the German diet, along with cabbages and krauts and slaws and glace. Also in the brassica family with kale, broccoli, and cauliflower.
Lemon and Harmonie cucumbers, or Striped Armenian cucumbers–lemon cukes are best before they get too big–they can have tough seeds and skin. Harmonie’s are our snack, pickling cucumbers, and make great slicers when bigger. Some say the best–BUT–those who have tasted the Armenian’s will disagree! Creamy texture, beautiful fluting when cut into rounds, and keeps well. Long like a snake, but cut that sucker up and feast on it for days. Stores well in zip lock’s in the fridge.
New upcoming veggies, now or in the next couple of weeks: tomatoes, red beets, melons, carrots, Yum Yum snack peppers. Cauliflower, Eggplant, Kohlrabi, and Sweet Spanish Onions will go into those shares that didn’t get them this week. (We have three groups to better rotate the garden harvests—everyone will get the same things over a three week period, but not all in the same week.)
ENJOY! The Farmer’s Wife
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