CSA 2024 Spring Week 1

Written by

Kathy Aylesworth

in

Bok Choy

Green Cabbage

Dandelion Greens

Purple Kohlrabi

Red Leaf or Panisse Lettuce

Scallions

Parsley

Fingerling Sweet Potatoes

Tokyo Turnips

Welcome to the 2024 Spring Season! A huge thanks to everyone who renewed. CSA members are the bedrock of support for the farm and we love growing, harvesting and packing your share boxes each week. We hope you enjoy the variety of fresh products, and maybe the chance to explore a few veggies you wouldn’t otherwise pick up or have access to. If you have any questions, feedback, or concerns, don’t forget that you have a CSA Coordinator you can reach out to – Amy Jane Erzen @ frogsongcsa@gmail.com or (352) 352-468-3816.

Haven’t signed up for Spring yet? It’s not too late! Click here to join: https://frogsongorganics.com/join-our-csa/

This week we’re turning the spotlight on the humble green cabbage. It’s packed with nutrients, especially vitamins C & K, and high in both soluble and insoluble fiber. Cabbage is part of the brassica family and you’ll recognize its cruciferous relatives with similar tastes and textures  – broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, and brussel sprouts. Avoid washing your head of cabbage until you’re ready to use it. It should keep in the fridge crisper drawer for two weeks, give or take. Our baby cabbages are grown nice and close to encourage small, tender, and sweet compact heads.

Cabbage Fun Fact: Babe Ruth was known to put a chilled cabbage leaf under his ball cap and switch it out every two innings or so. Apparently it’s a stay cool trick known to the baseball world. You better believe we’re going to give the Bambino’s trick a try under our harvests hats on a blazing day!

One of the best ways to enjoy cabbage is braised, and we included a really tasty recipe in your share box this week. If you don’t have a braising dish a dutch oven works great. Don’t skimp on the fat but choose your favorite because most all work well.

Find it below along with this week’s other recipes: Crispy Sesame Tokyo Turnips and Ginger Scallion Bok Choy. Enjoy!

Braised Green Cabbage

Ingredients

  • 1 medium green cabbage about 2 pounds
  •  1 large red onion or yellow onion, peeled and thickly sliced
  •  2 large carrots peeled and cut in ¼-inch.
  • ¼ cup bone broth or vegetable broth
  •  ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil melted lard, duck fat, ghee, or coconut oil also work
  •  1 teaspoon salt
  •   ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  •  ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
  •  2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar

FOR GREASING THE BAKING DISH

  •   2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil melted lard, duck fat, ghee, or coconut oil

Instructions 

  1.  Heat oven to 325°F with the rack in the middle. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted fat.
  2.  Lop off the tough stem end of the cabbage and divide it into 6-8 wedges. Keep the core attached so the wedges stay intact after the long cooking time. Don’t worry: The tough core will get super tender, too.
  3. Place the cabbage pieces in a single layer in the greased dish – a little overlap is okay. Toss on the onion and carrots and drizzle with broth and ¼ cup of olive oil. Season well with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using). 
  4.  Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.
  5. Cook the cabbage undisturbed for 1 hour. Crack open the foil cover and carefully flip the wedges over. Reseal the dish tightly and braise for another hour or until fork tender.
  6. At this point, you can remove the cabbage to cool and store in the fridge until you’re ready to eat it (up to 4 days). When you’re ready to serve, crank the oven up to 425°F and bake until browned (about 15 minutes).
  7.  Drizzle with aged balsamic vinegar and serve.

Recipe source: https://nomnompaleo.com/post/1356598429/worlds-best-braised-green-cabbage

Crispy Sesame Tokyo Turnips

Ingredients

  • 6 (2 bunches) Tokyo turnips, sliced in half
  • 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbs Toasted Sesame Oil
  • 1 tbs Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt

Instructions

  1. Wash the turnips to remove any dirt or debris.
  2. Remove the greens from the bulb and leave about ½ inch of the stem.
  3. Slice the turnips in half lengthwise.
  4. Use a mandolin to slice the thin garlic paper. If you do not have a mandolin, you can use a thin knife; try to slice the garlic as thin as possible.
  5. Place a pot of water over high heat and salt the water so it tastes “salty like the sea.”
  6. Allow for the water to come to a boil, and then submerge the turnips.
  7. Cook for 30-40 seconds until the turnips are tender but still have a crunch.
  8. Strain the turnips into a colander and submerge them in ice-cold water or an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Reserve.
  9. Place a large sauté pan over moderate heat and coat with the sesame oil.
  10. When the oil has ripples or waves and starts to smoke, for about 1 minute, add the turnips with the flat side facing down in the pan.
  11. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the turnips have a golden-brown crust.
  12. Flip the turnips, reduce the flame to low, and season with a pinch of salt.
  13. Add the garlic and continue to cook for an additional 2 minutes until the garlic has infused in the oil and is slightly crispy and the turnips are coated in the infused oil.
  14. Add the soy sauce and cook for 30-40 seconds. Lift the garlic from the bottom of the pan into the sauce with a wooden spoon or tongs. Toss with tongs so everything is mixed, and the turnips are coated in the sauce.
  15. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe from: https://www.apurepalate.com/crispy-sesame-tokyo-turnips/

Ginger Scallion Bok Choy

Ingredients

  • Baby bok choy– 1 lb
  • Scallion– 1 bunch
  • Ginger – 1-2″ piece, fresh ginger
  • Garlic– 2 cloves
  • Salt– ⅛ teaspoon
  • Sesame oil– 1 Tablespoon (sub canola, avocado, peanut or light olive oil)
  • Tamari– 1 Tablespoon (or soy sauce)
  • Rice_vinegar– 1 Tablespoon
  • Water– 1 Tablespoon

Instructions

  1. To prepare the bok choy, cut each piece in half, lengthwise (through the white bulb). Rinse and let dry.
  2. Chop the scallion and the ginger. In medium bowl, add scallions, ginger, garlic and salt and crushed pepper.
  3. In wok or large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add scallion mixture and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
  4. Mix in tamari, vinegar and water.
  5. Slowly add bok choy and cook, stirring continuously until bok choy leaves are wilted and white parts are still crunchy, this will take about 2 minutes.
  6. Serve warm or at room temp. Store left overs in air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It is also tasty cold.

Recipe from: https://www.bmc.org/recipes/ginger-scallion-bok-choy

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