Wow, we are half way through the CSA season. Things are looking good - this week we had a major haul of cabbage, with more to come. We are also planting another crop that will be late in the season, end of the year (when it's cold). You will probably be done CSA by then, but it's a good lead in to some exciting news on the farm. The stand has usually stayed open through the end of October, but plans are in the works for a Saturday morning "farmers market" to be held in our barn this fall/winter. It won't be an all out market with lots of vendors (maybe a couple of our good farmer friends), but we will offer cold storage crops, eggs, baked goods, and some other surprises we are working out.
Beans are on a stand by until the next crop comes in.
A lull in our corn production - hoping we will be back in swing next week, able to share some with you.
Tomatoes are starting to think about turning a pale pink - a few have shown their true colors this week, but nothing to share with CSA yet. Maybe next week, fingers crossed.
Here's what we found for you this week, with some product details and recipe ideas listed below. If you ever need help deciding what to do with something, shoot me an email or call! We do not want you wasting your shares, and there are so many great things to be done with your produce. Possibly someday I will hold cooking classes with the CSA to show you how to use the goods, but life sounds too busy for that right now :-)
Here are the lists:
Medium Shares -
Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Russian Kale
Cucumbers
Beets
Potatoes
Summer Squash
Onions
Garlic
Parsley
Large Shares -
Cabbage
Kohlrabi
Curly Kale
Yellow Romano Beans
Cucumbers
Beets
Potatoes
Coosa Summer Squash (light green)
Zucchini
Pepper
Onions
Garlic
Parsley
New Vegetables:
Kohlrabi. One in medium, two in large - starting you out easy. They are round, light green, bagged. It is a vegetable that is mysterious because not very many people actually know what it is. It’s a bulb that tastes amazing and has many different usages. It originated in Eastern Europe where it is quite popular. This is a very nutrient dense vegetable. It is sometimes described as a cross between a cabbage and a turnip or broccoli. It is worth eating! Besides being an excellent source of fiber, Kohlrabi is high in vitamin C and potassium. To preserve the vitamin C in this vegetable it is best to eat it raw. However there are some wonderful ways to cook it as well.
To use kohlrabi cooked you can dice it up, roll it in some olive oil, sprinkle some salt or herbs over it and roast in the oven. When they come out sprinkle some apple cider vinegar on them when they are still hot. Or add it to a root vegetable roast with carrot, potato, turnip, onion etc. all mixed up with some olive oil and roast on an open pan in the oven until tender and browned.
Peel, slice and steam it until tender and serve with a little butter.
Peel and slice and then add to stir fry.
Steam and then mash.
Raw, you can shred it, slice it, dice it...add to salads, make coleslaw with it shredded in etc.
Fennel - licorice tasting bulb, large shares received, white, a few in a bag. Very Italian. It seems a little coarse/rough, so we recommend roasting it or using in soup stock, or shaving it raw.
Here are some recipe ideas for both of these new veggies.
http://cedarcirclefarm.org/recipes/view/kale-fennel-kohlrabi-summer-slaw/
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheese-Tortellini-Soup-with-Cannellini-Kielbasa-and-Kale-106143
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Sauteed-Kale-with-Kohlrabi-354974
Enjoy!
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