June 12th, 2024

What’s in your share?

Romaine Lettuce
Endive
Beets
Broccolini
Kohlrabi
Sugar Snap Peas
Garlic Scapes (just starting to appear, so whoever didn’t get them will get them soon)

Romaine Lettuce - is one of my favorite crops to grow and eat. It’s gorgeous, easy to clean, and is a great crunchy addition to a salad. One thing that will differ between our salad mix and our head lettuce, is that we can’t wash each individual leaf of the head lettuce without ruining the head. We’ve dunked the heads in three sinks of water to get off any initial dirt or insects, but you may find that you need to rinse the leaves again. The easiest way to do this: 1) Cut the base (stem) off from the leaves 2) run the leaves under the faucet, (you can do this individually if you really want to be thorough), 3) let the leaves drip dry by standing them upright in a bowl or a colander, draining off the water eventually. Alternatively, a solid salad spinner is a great way to dry your lettuce, but you need to cut them first.

Endive - is sometimes called “Frisee”, but the variety we grow is actually endive. That said, searching for “frisee” recipes maybe be more precise than “endive”, because you may find recipes for “Belgian Endive” instead. Endive, may not be familiar, but it’s one of the most nutritious crops we grow. The cool thing about endive is that it can be lightly cooked, which sweetens and softens the bitter leaves. The white, inner leaves are the sweetest and most delicate, because they’re protected from the elements, while the outer leaves are stronger in taste and texture. If the taste is too strong for you, we definitely recommend either cooking it down some honey or maple syrup or eating it in a salad mixed with the sweet romaine and tossed in a creamy dressing, like a Caesar Salad. I also washed these really throughly, but because of the nature of the frizzy leaves, they will likely need another rinse. This is where the salad spinner comes in handy. This is the only time you’ll get endive from us this season - be it a good thing or a bad thing ;)

Beets - have a reputation of tasty “dirty” but I find that the “dirty” taste comes from the skin. I always peel beets before eating them, whether they’re raw or cooked. Check out this recipe for Roasted Beets that don’t have to be peeled with a tool. A veggie peeler works great, or if you’re feeling fancy, a paring knife is what the pros use. Roasted beets are excellent on top of a salad, and a great thing to have on hand, especially if you decide to marinate them.

Broccolini - is much easier to cook (and grow!) than broccoli. Without a huge stem that is, let’s be honest; likely to get tossed, it comes to you in its completely edible form. The main head is sort of like a broccoli, and you may need to cut it up a little, but the stems are so tender, so before cutting them from the floret, give them a try! We loooooove roasting broccolini. Its a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table. The key is to oil it up real good.

Action shot of Endive harvest. Photo: Matt

Kohlrabi - has a similar flavor to broccoli and the texture of a potato or an apple. Unlike a potato, kohlrabi can be eaten raw. Remove the leaves (you can eat these too, best sautéed or cooked in a soup). Most people peel their kohlrabi. Skip the veggie peeler and use a paring knife knife - it’ll go way faster. If eating raw, shred, cut into matchsticks, or into thin slices. You can also treated it like a potato and cut it into bigger chunks to roast or boil it. Our favorite way to eat it is raw and thinly sliced; with a sharp cheese, dipped in chimichurri sauce, or on a cracker with tuna salad.

Sugar Snap Peas - do they need an explanation or a recipe? Good luck making it home with any left.

Garlic scapes - are produced only from hardneck garlic varieties. Once the garlic bulb is almost ready to harvest, it puts up a stalk, which, if left to its own accord, will produce a head with dozens of tiny garlic seeds. We cut the scape off before it flowers, so that the plant can put its energy into making nice, big bulbs instead of putting the energy into making a seed. Garlic scapes are a delicacy - there is only one per plant, per season. They can be used as garlic in any recipe.