Hello all!
We hope you enjoyed your first week of shares! We’ve got a really great box for you this week, we think you’ll really enjoy a
Romaine, Lemon-Lime Basil, Persimmons, Tokyo Turnips, Arugula, Roselle, Okra and a Celosia Bouquet!
special appearance from a long awaited salad green! Here’s hoping you’re enjoying the cooler weather like we are on the farm! As always, your feedback and input is greatly appreciated.
Here’s what we’ll have for our second CSA share of the Fall season:
Green Romaine Lettuce: We’ve worked really hard to get this beautiful lettuce out early to our customers. This shade-house grown romaine demands some of the more prime real estate on the farm: under one of our few shade houses in some of our more nutrient rich beds. The preparation and attention is very rewarding when these greens come in as beautifully as they are now and when we can provide them early in the season to our customers. We hope this lettuce helps to elevate your salad game with delicious crispness and vitamin density.
Roselle: The calyces of our Roselle Hibiscus plant can be used for candying and making jams and jellies, but our most accessible recommendation is to bring the buds to a boil in about a quart of water, let simmer for a few minutes, then steep for at least 30 minutes up to overnight. Strain through a mesh strainer and it’s ready to drink. Roselle makes a slightly tart, refreshing and antioxidizing tea. You may sweeten to taste with sugar, stevia, honey or agave nectar.
Arugula: Our shade-house grown arugula has already become a staple in our on-site farm lunches. Arugula or “rocket” has a peppery kick and is packed with Vitamin C and Potassium and can be used raw as a salad base, in a pesto or dressed atop a pizza (add just after you take it out of the oven)!
Okra: These extremely versatile pods can be sauteed, roasted, grilled, steamed or fried! Our plantings of okra have carried us through the summer and keep on producing. Our newest block is still churning out delicious tender pods!
Saijo Persimmons: This “astringent” variety of persimmon has very old roots in Japanese culture and tradition and has historically been considered a delicacy for its delicate sweet, yellow flesh and its few seeds, which makes it perfect for fresh eating. As it is astringent, these Saijo absolutely needs to be eaten soft and ripe. The Saijos we deliver in the box are at the perfect consistency for you to freeze and eat as a custardy dessert or to blend into your morning smoothie! Check out our cookie recipe here:
Tokyo Turnips: A favorite so far this season. Tokyo turnips are so mild you can eat them raw. Our turnips have filled out beautifully and couldn’t be more flavorful. Wonderful shaved into a salad or roasted, we hope you enjoy it as much a we do! Here’s simple and delicious recipe. Don’t forget to eat your greens. Wash and lightly steam or saute turnip greens and enjoy with a little salt and apple cider vinegar.
Lemon Basil: Lemon Basil is a hybrid between traditional basil (Ocimum basilicum) and African basil (Ocimum americanum). Its distinctive narrow and fragrant leaves make it a delectable addition to a pesto or smoothie. Try pairing with our arugula and some chopped pine nuts or almonds for a top-notch pesto! It’s also great in dressings, chicken marinades or used to infuse flavor into water.
Celosia: This week we’re adding a complimentary bunch of celosia flowers to your share. Also known as quail grass or coxcomb, celosia is a striking edible/ornamental flower of the amaranth family. We have been including celosia in our flower arrangements that you may have seen at the farmers market, but coxcomb has been used as a foodstuff throughout much of Africa, India and Indonesia traditionally. Its leaves, young stems and young inflorescences are used for stew, as they soften up readily in cooking. The leaves also have a soft texture and a mild spinach-like taste. They are also pepped up with such things as hot pepper, garlic, fresh lime, and red palm oil and eaten as a side dish. We don’t recommend eating any of the mature flowers, they are just for your visual enjoyment. You can hang these flowers upside-down and they will dry and retain their color. If black seeds fall out while drying, you can save them and plant them in the summer!
