Welcome to April!
This Weeks Share Includes: Collard Greens, Watermelon Radish, Red Butter Lettuce, Sweet Onions, Rainbow Carrots, Dill, Green Cabbage and Sugar Snap Peas.
Sweet Onions- Here at Frog Song we are growing a variety of sweet onion called Yellow Granex. Their mild flavor is attributed to their low sulfur vs. high water content. The bulb is delicious and the greens are an amazing as well. This is the first time i’ve use the greens and I enjoy them just as much as the bulb of the onion. I sauteed the bulb first giving it a nice crispy braised texture and then added the greens in after, they only need about 5-8 minutes to cook.You can add the onion greens to your collards, chard, kale to give them a little flavor and you will never discard those delicious onion greens again.
Red Butter Lettuce- Living up to it’s name, this melt in your mouth variety is buttery and tender from the first bite. It’s a colorful addition to any tossed salad or use the large bright leaves as a base for sliced fruits or cottage cheese. Red butter lettuce is a good match to light vinaigrette or lemon and oil mix.
Rainbow Carrots- April 4th is International Carrot Day, what better way to celebrate this wonderful vegetable than to experiment with it. Chop it up in a salad, shred it for slaws or baking, juice it, (stay tuned next week for some delicious carrot juice recipes) or try them glazed. Follow this recipe from Cooking Light Magazine for some wonderfully delicious honey glazed carrots.
International Carrot Day
Add carrots and 1/2 cup of water to a pan; bring to a boil over medium-high. Cover and reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes. Uncover, add 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tsp of honey to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and carrots are glazed and tender, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper and garnish with some dill or parsley.
Dill- Dill is one of the ancient herbs mentioned in the Bible and like so many other herbs, it originated in the Mediterranean region, specifically southern Russia and West Africa. A few teaspoons in a cup of boiling water was used as a tea to soothe infants with colic, to calm nerves, soothe upset stomachs, and promote sleep-Mercola.com. Sprinkle dill over any dish to give it a touch of class, it has a very powerful flavor so a little bit goes a long way. Store your dill with a paper towel in a plastic bag in the fridge to keep it freshest.
Green Cabbage- Springtime is cabbage time here at Frog Song, you can be guaranteed one variety of cabbage in your share every week whether it be Bok Choy, Napa Cabbage, Red or Green Cabbage. This cool season vegetable belongs to the “Brassica” family, a broad family of common plants that also include brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale, collards and broccoli. It is one of the widely cultivated crops around the world. Enjoy your green cabbage raw for maximum health benefits and flavor.
Sugar Snap Peas- This sweet little pea has a crispy edible pod. Eat them raw alone or in a salad, or try them sauteed with some radish and dill from your share. Sauteed Radish and Sugar Snap Peas-Food52.com
Watermelon Radish- This Beautiful Radish can brighten up your day. Use it raw to maximize its color and flavor or if it’s a little too spicy for your taste, cook it. Our friend Chef Forrest Masters of Sprout Kitchen in St. Augustine, Florida uses our watermelon radishes in several of her plant based meals, check out her website for delicious fully prepared, ready-to-eat plant based meals. The Sprout Kitchen is a loyal supporter of our farm and we appreciate their commitment to sourcing locally and providing fresh and healthy meals for their community!
The Sprout Kitchen
Collard Greens- Like kale, collard greens contain substantial amounts of Vitamins A, C, K and Manganese. These nutrient dense leafy greens may be eaten raw however, if you have not transitioned over to a fully plant based diet the rich fiber overload may be a little hard on your digestive system, therefore most people prefer their collards cooked. Enjoy your fresh spring collards along with your sweet onions and cabbage from your share in a recipe from Allrecipes.com Smothered Collard Greens and Cabbage
Tune in next week for more informational tid-bits and recipes.