Greetings from the Farm!
This week in our CSA box we have: arugula, purple kohlrabi, lemons, O’Henry sweet potatoes, French breakfast radish (not pictured, substituted for watermelon radish), bok choi, red leaf lettuce, curly or lacinato kale, and lemons!
I’d like to introduce myself to all of you! My name is Jenn Sackett, and I am the new CSA/Sales coordinator here at the farm. I have moved up here from Jensen Beach, Florida with my partner and four cats!! A little about me: I’ve worked on a horse farm, had a booth at several green markets selling wheatgrass, and was a cooking teacher for Williams-Sonoma. I also am a Master Gardener. It was always a dream of ours to move to the area. We came up here for several years, we decided to relocate to the area. At one time, we even thought about having our own farm! I came across Frog Song at a green market and thought that I’d love to work here so, here I am!! I hope that I will get the opportunity to meet each and everyone of you either at a market booth or at one of events that we have planned at the farm.
Kohlrabi: Kohlrabi is a delicious annual brassica crop that is basically a hybrid between a cabbage and a turnip. Both the bulb and leave carry a mild sweetness that are great for raw eating and cooking! We’ve recently come across a wonderful reference guide from The Kitchn for preparing kohlrabi at home. If you aren’t familiar with kohlrabi, making a slaw with it and carrots will be a good introduction to this versatile vegetable.
Kohlrabi and Carrot Slaw Recipe
Serves 4-6
1 large kohlrabi, peeled, stems trimmed off, grated
1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 red onion, grated
4 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Combine the kohlrabi, cabbage, carrots, onion, cilantro, and raisins (if using) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, cider vinegar, sugar, and salt. Pour the dressing over the slaw, and mix until fully coated. Chill for several hours before serving.
French Breakfast Radish: These are the lightest taste of all the radishes. The leaves can be used in potato soup or sautéed. They also can be found blended in some fruit juice recipes or simply shaved raw into salads!
Bok Choi: Also known as “Chinese Cabbage”, bok choi is a deep green leafy vegetable that resembles Romaine lettuce on top and a large celery on the bottom. Stalks and leaves can both be used for stir-fries or can be added raw to salads for a satisfying crunch. In soups, the leaves and stalks should be chopped and added separately, since the stalks take longer to cook.
Lemon: Picked fresh from a healthy tree in our front yard, Squeeze in your water or make some delicious lemonade!
O’ Henry Sweet Potatoes: These are white fleshed light in flavor potatoes. These can be enjoyed mashed, roasted or cut up as fries.
Red Leaf Lettuce: Here is a great recipe that utilizes two items in our share this week: an arugula and red leaf recipe from the New York Times:
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley or chervil
4 tablespoons olive, corn or vegetable oil
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
½ pound red-leaf lettuce
½ pound arugula
Preparation:
Pick over the arugula and lettuce and wash in cold water. Rinse and pat dry.
In a salad bowl, put the mustard, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and cumin. Beat gradually with a whisk while adding the oil. Add the lettuce and arugula, and toss well to blend.
Curly/Lacinato Kale: Roast some of our kale with a little olive oil and sea salt to make your own kale chips this week.
“Wild” Arugula: This new featured variety of arugula this week is “wild”. It does not have quite the peppery taste of the usual variety featured in past shares, but instead is very mild with all the same vitamins and minerals. The leaves are feathery in shape bringing a different look to your salad plate!