This weeks shares all have some new items I want to take time to write about. They are as follows:
Squash - Carnival, Sweet Lightning, Acorn, & Gold Nugget - Attractive & Edible! They will store for several months if you don't feel like using right away, and still maintain an excellent eating quality. Their flavor is all somewhat similar. These can all be cooked by cutting into quarters, scraping out the seeds, then roasting until soft. A little butter and maple syrup added before roasting makes them extra special. Yummy!
Kohlrabi - this can be one of those intimidating vegetables if you haven’t seen it before. It has the look of a spaceship, with a taste like crunchy broccoli stems with hints of radish. The name kohlrabi comes from the German kohl, meaning cabbage, and rabi, or turnip, and that kind of sums it up. The round bulb is a swollen stem that grows above ground. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw. Peel the outer skin with a paring knife. Slice, dice, or grate, and add to salads. Use on raw vegetable platters or serve with a creamy dip. Substitute in recipes calling for radishes. Grated kohlrabi can be added to slaw, but lightly salt it first and let stand for several minutes. Squeeze to remove any excess water before adding dressing. Kohlrabi can also be steamed or boiled. For this preparation don’t peel until after they are cooked. Steam or boil until bulbs are tender, peel skin, and season with butter, salt, and pepper, a cheese sauce, or just enjoy plain. If the leaves attached to the kohlrabi bulb are fresh and green, they can be enjoyed as a cooked green. Wash the leaves and remove the ribs. Blanch in boiling water until just wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain and squeeze excess water from leaves. Chop leaves, then saute in a little olive oil or butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add a splash of vinegar or squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
The cherry tomato mix contains several different varieties as you have witnessed. New this week is one called Green Doctor, and as you may have figured out by now, it is green. I didn't want you to think we were picking you unripe produce so wanted to explain that. Each variety has a unique flavor, and some are sweeter than others. I love to cut them in half, rip up some basil, add some fresh mozzarella, and then S&P, EVOO and it's a delicious lunch or a side dish for dinner. I have also added that exact thing to pasta to make it a main course at dinner.
Full shares got a new carrot variety. Unlike the regular elongated carrot, this variety is spherical and about one and one-half inches to two inches in diameter. Orange in color, the flavor is wonderfully sweet. Round carrots are especially prized in gourmet cuisine.
Full shares also got pattypan squash, which is a summer squash variety. They can be light green or yellow, and look like a flat spaceship (not like the kohlrabi that looks like one with legs). They can be used just like any other summer squash. One of my favorite recipes with summer squash in a casserole on Martha Stewart's website. It was originally in a magazine and my sister found it, maybe 8 years ago, and I make it every year over and over again.
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/squash-casserole
No chard this week (not sure if you meet that with tears or jeers). I made that chard/sausage lasagna recipe I posted a couple weeks ago for our family reunion this weekend and needed 6 lbs, so used it all up until it grows back :-)
So here are the actual lists:
1/2 Size:
Squash
Kohlrabi
Red Potatoes
Beets
Cukes
Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomato
Basil
Beans - some got green string beans, some yellow Romano beans
Kale
Zucchini
Round Zucchini
Full Size:
Squash
Kohlrabi
Red Potatoes
Beets
Cukes
Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes
Tomato
Basil
Beans - some got green string beans, some yellow Romano beans
Broccoli
Kale
Zucchini
Round Peresian Carrots
Summer Squash
Patty Pan Squash
Until next time!
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