June 21st, 2023

What’s in your share?

Carrots
Mini Romaine Lettuce
Napa Cabbage*
Kohlrabi*
Fennel*
Sugar Snap Peas or Broccolini (don’t worry, more peas coming!)
Garlic Scapes*

*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.

We’ve never grown sugar snap peas in a high tunnel before and they are taller than they’ve ever been! So tall, in fact, that our trellises are way too short! This photo was taken two weeks ago ha!

STORAGE: Store in a closed container or in a plastic bag in the fridge. Kohlrabi can last for months if kept in an airtight container. After about 2 months, the skin will likely yellow, but peeling the kohlrabi will reveal the crisp inner flesh that is perfectly healthy to eat raw and cooked.

PRESERVATION: Excellent texture for pickling or fermenting.

*Napa Cabbage - Napa is a staple in many southeastern Asian dishes and is also the main ingredient in most of our ferments. It’s an awesome way to bulk up a stir fry or a slaw and has a mild flavor that pairs well with carrots, turnips, radishes, cilantro, and bok choy. We’ve learned over the years that our members prefer smaller heads because they are more manageable, so we’re trying new varieties to accommodate that preference. The Chinese variety in the share is called “Golden Beauty” named for its golden inner head and buttery texture.

STORAGE: Store in a closed container or in a plastic bag in the fridge. Napa cabbage can last for weeks if kept in an airtight container. If the outer leaves begin to yellow, remove them to reveal fresh leaves. Napa does not last as long as green cabbages.

PRESERVATION: Chop and freeze or ferment.

Dramatic tomato shot. Plants are fruiting.

*Fennel - is a bulb that is sweet and has a licorice-y taste. In my opinion, how you cut fennel can make or break a first experience. Make sure to slice it thin - it can be fibrous, like celery (see Martha Stewart's pro-tip). I usually use a mandoline, but it’s definitely sliceable using a sharp knife. It’s a great addition to tomato sauces, cucumber salads, pairs nicely with beans and peppers, and is EXCELLENT roasted. Perhaps you still have endive - its delicious sliced razor thin in a citrusy salad with endive and a creamy dressing. Use the fronds as a garnish for a cocktail or instead of dill in a cucumber or potato salad.

STORAGE: Trim the fronds (the frilly parts) and store in a closed container or in a plastic bag in the fridge. The bulb can last up to a month if the stalks are trimmed off.

PRESERVATION: To extend the harvest, cut and freeze, or pickle with sweet peppers and onions.

*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, munched on raw if you like having garlic breath, or made into pesto.

STORAGE: Store in a closed container or plastic bag in the fridge. Scapes will last about 2 weeks.

PRESERVATION: Make pesto with garlic scapes instead of cloves and freeze. Pickle, ferment, or chop and freeze.