Spoutwood Farm CSA Harvest Guide: Week 3: June 26, 2008
To return to the 2008 Harvest Guide page, click here
Greetings, Spoutwood Farm friends!
Welcome to the second week of the 2008 Community Supported Agriculture season, here at Spoutwood Farm! We are proud to present another bumper harvest of “vegetables so fresh, they almost dance” (including a plethora of peas!) from our well-tended gardens. Once again we are grateful for the excellent work of our apprentices, Dana Hunting, Derek McGeehan, and Zach Trimble, as well as the working and regular shareholders who have helped them. If you have not yet begun to work your hours – working shareholders in particular – please contact Dana at (717) 235-9272, or at our CSA e-mail address, spoutwood_csa@yahoo.com. She will be glad to help work you into the schedule.
As always, we face the challenge of both bugs and weeds. To combat the former, especially on our hard-hit cole crops, we’ve applied BT (bacillus thurigensius), an approved organic biocontrol which attacks the larvae of cabbage white moths - the dreaded cabbage worms. It seems to be working (knock on wood). To combat weeds, hand weeding and mulching is the natural solution. We’re deeply grateful for those wonderful share¬holders who’ve come out help us with these necessary tasks. If you’d like to join our “Weed Warriors,” please contact us at our e-mail address. We check this address regularly, so don’t hesitate to be in touch.
Sad news from the flooded Midwest: an Associated Press article reports that the storms in Wisconsin may result in in more expensive organic meat, eggs, and perhaps even vegetables. It appears that Wisconsin has the second largest number of organic farms after California, and the floods that have damaged hundreds of farms in southern Wisconsin are likely to drive up prices of organic meat and eggs. California is believed to have sufficient production to make up for produce losses in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Just another reason to eat local, at least for us! Wisconsinites might not have that choice, at least not this season. (Remember, you have till July 1st to order an add-on share from Breakaway Farms, offering meat and value-added, dairy, and egg shares, or Farmstead Fresh cheeses.)
Please feel free to also drop us a line if you discover a new recipe, have any cooking tips, or would like to share your favorite way to eat the veggies from our harvest - email us and we’ll share with everyone else! Again, that address is: spoutwood_csa@yahoo.com. As the old commercial used to say, “please make a note of it.” Thanks!
Peas: Last of the Sugar Snap Peas today! The entire thing is edible (pod and all)… however some of these peas are past the pod-eating stage. If in doubt, shell them out, and treat as you would regular peas. Enjoy these delicious peas in stir fries, sautéed with butter, or just simply nibble on these delicacies raw.
Lettuce: Pick from a variety of different lettuce varieties to delight your taste-buds! Lettuce will require some sorting and washing, although we’ve made an effort to remove the most blatant weeds and clumps of compost-rich Spoutwood soil. Excellent for salads, sandwiches, and more.
Mustard Greens: A Southern favorite, these bitey, tangy greens are a “pot-herb” that can be eaten alone or in combination with other leafy greens (of which we have several this week). Typically cooked (boiled or steamed, perhaps stir-fried), they can also be added sparingly to salads. Rob likes them in sandwiches with peanut butter!
Green Onions: Green onions and radishes are two classic vegetable signs for spring for me (Tom), and this week we have both. Enjoy our robust green onions raw with (or without) a little salt, or slice them up and add them to salads, soups, omelets, quiche, or anything you like. Don’t forget the flavorful and colorful green tops!
Kale: A variety of kale this week; your selection includes Red Russian, Siberian, and Green Leafy Kale today. A nutrious green leafy vegetable in the brassica (cruci¬ferous) family, kale is excellent in soups or cooked as a pot-herb; smaller and more tender leaves can be enjoyed in salads.
Kohlrabi: Return of “the Martian vegetable” (as Derek aptly calls it)! Kohlrabi is another wonderful veggie in the cruciferous (cabbage) family. New to many Americans, kohlrabi has been grown in English cottage gardens for more than a century. Versatile and delicious, if a bit odd to the eye, Kohlrabi is our Vegetable of the Week.
Garlic Scapes: Garlic scapes are the “stem” of the garlic, the part which would eventu¬ally flower if allowed. To prevent that, and direct the energy of the plant toward growing the cloves, we snip the scapes, which are delicious in stir-fries, soups, sparingly in salads, or even in pesto. Zesty, garlicky, and good for you, too!
Mizuna: An Asian green with a mild mustard-y flavor, Mizuna is excellent in salads and stir-fry.
Chinese Cabbage: Excellent foundation for soups and stir-fries, but don’t be afraid to experiment with unusual treatments, like the lacto-fermented Korean stable kimchi! Here again we’ve seen some nibbling of the leaves by pestiferous insects, but just eat around the holes. No harm done!
Broccoli: Everyone knows broccoli, a kitchen and salad-bar staple. If you’re like me (Tom), you like it lightly steamed or raw, rather than cooked to death as in my childhood and in many restaurants. Try with grated cheese, or a squeeze of lemon.
Lavender: A lovely bluish-purple flowered herb with what has been called a strong but fresh, clean fragrance, to which are attributed relaxing properties. Used fresh or dried in bouquets, or dried in potpourri, lavender can also be added to iced tea, lemonade, or even cookies!
Cilantro: Best known by many Americans today for its use in Mexican (or Americanized “Tex-Mex”) cuisine, cilantro is an herb which also features prominently in Asian cooking, especially Thai.
Flowers: Our bouquet this week features a mix of wild and cultivated varieties.
Bread: For those who purchased bread shares, today’s selection from Atwaters is a delicious country white! Not as dense and more mildly flavored than some of Atwaters’ offerings.
Other Add-Ons: Spoutwood aims to become your “one-stop shop” for fresh, local, natural foods! If you would like to partake of an add-on share, including bread from Atwaters, meat, dairy, and eggs from Breakaway Farms, or cheese from Farmstead Fresh, we have extended the registration period by one month (until July 1st), at full price. After that, you’ll have to wait until next year! If you do want to add one of these shares, please contact us at spoutwood_csa@yahoo.com.
KOHLRABI & APPLE SLAW with CREAMY COLESLAW DRESSING
Hands-on time: 25 minutes Time to table: 25 minutes Makes 4 cups, easily adapted for less
DRESSING 1/4 cup cream 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/2 tablespoon good mustard 1/2 teaspoon sugar Salt & pepper to taste - go easy here Fresh mint, chopped 1 pound fresh kohlrabi, trimmed, peeled, grated or cut into batons with a Benriner 2 apples, peeled, grated to cut into batons (try to keep equivalent volumes of kohlrabi:apple) Whisk cream into light pillows - this takes a minute or so, no need to get out a mixer. Stir in remaining dressing ingredients, the kohlrabi and apple. Serve immediately.
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2008/02/kohlrabi-apple-slaw-with-creamy.html
WARM ROOT SALAD in HORSERADISH VINAIGRETTE
Hands-on time: 35 minutes Time to table: 90 minutes Serves 4 as main dish, 8 as side dish
This is a "concept" recipe ~ it begs for your own changes and inspiration. Allow about 2 cups unroasted vegetables per serving for a main dish, about 1 cup per serving as a side dish.
2 medium purple-topped turnips, ends trimmed, peeled with a carrot peeler, cut cross-wise about 1/3" thick, then diced
2 kohlrabi, ends and knobs strimmed, peeled with a paring knife, cut cross-wise about 1/3" thick, then diced
1 sweet potato, peeled with a carrot peeler, cut cross-wise about 1/3 " thick, then diced
2 small potatoes, skins on, cut cross-wise about 1/3" thick, then diced
1/2 celeriac, peeled with a paring knife, cut cross-wise about 1/3" thick, then diced
3 parsnips, ends trimmed, peeled with a paring knife, quartered lengthwise, woody cores removed and discarded, then diced
3 carrots, ends trimmed, thick ends halved or quartered with carrot left intact, then cut cross-wise
[red onion would have been good]
1 ounce pancetta, diced small
About 2 tablespoons good olive oil
Salt & pepper
Preheat oven to 400F. Prep vegetables. Toss in a bowl with olive oil. Place in a single layer on two baking sheets, season generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 60 minutes, stirring well after 30 minutes, stirring well and adding pancetta after 45 minutes.
HORSERADISH VINAIGRETTE
About 4 tablespoons olive oil
About 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (next time I'd use 6 - 8 tablespoons for considerably more contrast to the creamy-oily vegetables)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 teaspoons horseradish (to taste, this was a mild home-grown horseradish from my Dad's friend's garden; if you like horseradish, use more than you think is needed just tasting the vinaigrette for any bright spark will be moderated by the rooty starchy vegetables)
Salt & pepper to taste
Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients in a large bowl. Fold in the roasted vegetables, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over lettuce greens (no need to dress the greens, the horseradish vinaigrette will be enough) with good bread and butter.
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/10/warm-root-salad-in-horseradish.html
ROASTED KOHLRABI
Hands-on time: 10 minutes Time to table: 45 minutes Serves 4 (smallish servings since roasted vegetables shrink so much)
1 1/2 pounds fresh kohlrabi, ends trimmed, thick green skin sliced off with a knife, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon garlic (optional, to my taste)
Salt
Good vinegar
Set oven to 450F. Toss the diced kohlrabi with olive oil, garlic and salt in a bowl. (This can be done on the pan but you'll likely use more oil.) Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and put into oven (it needn't be fully preheated) and roast for 30 - 34 minutes, stirring every five minutes started after about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with a good vinegar (probably at the table so the kohlrabi don't get squishy).
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2007/01/roasted-vegetables-roasted-kohlrabi.html
Kohlrabi side dish(Navalkola sukke)
Ingredients:
Kohlrabi (Navalkolu/navilkosu) (cut into small pieces)
1 cup Onion (cut into small pieces)
1/2 cup Coconut (fresh or frozen)
3/4 cup Red chilies 4-5
Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Urad daal
1/2 tsp Tamarind
1/2 tsp Jaggery
1/2 tsp Oil
1 tsp Salt
Method: Cook Kohlrabi in cooker. Heat 1/2 teaspoon of oil and fry coriander seeds and urad daal. Grind them with coconut, jaggery and tamarind by adding just sufficient water (do not make the masala too watery). Heat remaining oil and fry onion. Add cooked kohlrabi and ground masala. Add salt and cook till masala is done and the dish becomes almost dry. Serve as a side dish with rice and daal/gravy or with chapathi.
Serves : 3 Preparation time : 20mins
http://www.aayisrecipes.com/2006/09/04/kohlrabi-sidedishnavalkola-sukke/
Quick Kohlrabi Pickles
2-4 small kohlrabi bulbs, trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1/2" cubes
Good olive oil (optional)
Rice vinegar (not sweetened, available in Asian grocery stores and some well-stocked supermarkets. If you don't have rice vinegar, you could substitute something rather mellow - white wine or sherry vinegar, or even white vinegar with just a pinch of sugar added)
Kosher Salt
Fresh Black Pepper
Place the kohlrabi chunks in the bowl of a lidded, airtight container. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil, a good splash of vinegar, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Replace the lid and shake well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place in fridge, shaking occasionally. They are best after they have marinated for a few hours, and will last about a week, becoming more intensely flavored but still largely retaining their lovely texture.
http://www.restaurantwidow.com/2006/07/kohlrabi_and_wh.html
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.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-use-kohlrabi.html
other sources used: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/how-to-use-kohlrabi.html
wikipedia entry on Kohlrabi
http://veggiecookbook.wordpress.com
http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007202kohlrabi.php
http://plantanswers.tamu.edu
http://www.vegparadise.com
BAGS: Requested, Recycling of Same
As most of you will know, especially after today’s distribution, there are various share items which must be bagged even within your usual share bag. Today, these included peas, lettuce mix, and spinach. And frankly, we’re low on appropriate bags. Thus, we’re asking our shareholders to please bring in plastic bags that you might have at home. We are looking for both standard grocery-sized bags, and smaller plastic bags such as those used for produce in supermarkets, to keep news¬papers dry, etc. If at all possible, please help us by bringing them in pre-sorted as to size.
Also, please be aware (if you aren’t already) that your plastic share bags can be re-used the following week! Better yet, invest in a cloth “market bag” that can be used over and over again. We are in the process of investigating Spoutwood-themed practical items to offer for sale, including Market Bags -- stay tuned to this space! In the meantime, if you bring back your plastic ones, you’ll help us and Mother Earth alike. Many thanks, from us and the Home Planet.
Mud Frolic and Finale Celebration at Spoutwood June 28 and 29
Frodo First Finishing Frolic (F4)
Sat. and Sun., June 28 and 29 9am-5pm
Sat., June 28, 6 to 9pm: Wine, MicroBrew & Light Eats Finale for Working Participants
Spoutwood Farm, Glen Rock, PA
Fred Ruof, father of Soutwood's Astronomy program is fed up with an unfinished Frodo. Therefore we are all banding together to have a Mud Party to apply the final coat inside and out. We'll all do our best to finish Frodo to the delight of Fred, donor of the whole astronomy program. All are invited to pitch in and help, find out about straw bale construction, and then celebrate (Saturday) with a party of wine and brew and eats (and possibly music - volunteers accepted). Do one or both days. Minimum 4 hours work to be eligible for Saturday Finale Party (which might include some informal music). Camping encouraged. Shower clean-up available. We request that for meals (lunches and Finale Celebration) folks bring their own tableware, dishes and cups. Unfortunately many have disappeared from our stock over the last few years. Potluck contributions for meals delightedly accepted but not necessary.Please RSVP by email (spoutwood@supernet.com) or 717-235-6610. If willing to help with preparations, please indicate. Thank you, Spoutwood
As most of you will know, especially after today’s distribution, there are various share items which must be bagged even within your usual share bag. Today, these included peas, lettuce mix, and spinach. And frankly, we’re low on appropriate bags. Thus, we’re asking our shareholders to please bring in plastic bags that you might have at home. We are looking for both standard grocery-sized bags, and smaller plastic bags such as those used for produce in supermarkets, to keep news¬papers dry, etc. If at all possible, please help us by bringing them in pre-sorted as to size.
Also, please be aware (if you aren’t already) that your plastic share bags can be re-used the following week! Better yet, invest in a cloth “market bag” that can be used over and over again. We are in the process of investigating Spoutwood-themed practical items to offer for sale, including Market Bags -- stay tuned to this space! In the meantime, if you bring back your plastic ones, you’ll help us and Mother Earth alike. Many thanks, from us and the Home Planet.
Mud Frolic and Finale Celebration at Spoutwood June 28 and 29
Frodo First Finishing Frolic (F4)
Sat. and Sun., June 28 and 29 9am-5pm
Sat., June 28, 6 to 9pm: Wine, MicroBrew & Light Eats Finale for Working Participants
Spoutwood Farm, Glen Rock, PA
Fred Ruof, father of Soutwood's Astronomy program is fed up with an unfinished Frodo. Therefore we are all banding together to have a Mud Party to apply the final coat inside and out. We'll all do our best to finish Frodo to the delight of Fred, donor of the whole astronomy program. All are invited to pitch in and help, find out about straw bale construction, and then celebrate (Saturday) with a party of wine and brew and eats (and possibly music - volunteers accepted). Do one or both days. Minimum 4 hours work to be eligible for Saturday Finale Party (which might include some informal music). Camping encouraged. Shower clean-up available. We request that for meals (lunches and Finale Celebration) folks bring their own tableware, dishes and cups. Unfortunately many have disappeared from our stock over the last few years. Potluck contributions for meals delightedly accepted but not necessary.Please RSVP by email (spoutwood@supernet.com) or 717-235-6610. If willing to help with preparations, please indicate. Thank you, Spoutwood
Kohlrabi
We are grateful to Spoutwood’s education intern, Rhie Lantz, for her work in providing the Vegetable of the Week for us!
Often compared to a certain Russian satellite, the Kohlrabi is much tastier than the Sputnik. Literally named ‘Cabbage Turnip’ in German, it has a tangy radish-like taste, and is related to the wild cabbage. Its texture is similar to broccoli, and like that vegetable can be eaten raw in salads or a vegetable plate or cooked in a variety of ways. It is known all over Asia, where Southern Indians know it as Noolkol, the US, and Europe, where it was discovered. The first possible mention of it is in the first century AD as a ‘Corinthian turnip.’ In 800 AD Charlemagne liked Kohlrabi so much that he ordered it to be grown in his empire. The Irish would first cultivate the plant in 1734. America followed in 1806.
This vegetable is not only delicious and easy to use, it is nutrient-dense. 12/ cup of raw, sliced Kohlrabi contains 19 calories, 2.5 grams of dietary fiber, 245 grams of potassium, 43.4 mg of Vitamin C, 11.3 mcg of folic acid and 16.8 mg of calcium.
It can be stored in a closed container or plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week while you decide which delicious recipe to use it in. It can also be substituted for a radish in any recipe.
Often compared to a certain Russian satellite, the Kohlrabi is much tastier than the Sputnik. Literally named ‘Cabbage Turnip’ in German, it has a tangy radish-like taste, and is related to the wild cabbage. Its texture is similar to broccoli, and like that vegetable can be eaten raw in salads or a vegetable plate or cooked in a variety of ways. It is known all over Asia, where Southern Indians know it as Noolkol, the US, and Europe, where it was discovered. The first possible mention of it is in the first century AD as a ‘Corinthian turnip.’ In 800 AD Charlemagne liked Kohlrabi so much that he ordered it to be grown in his empire. The Irish would first cultivate the plant in 1734. America followed in 1806.
This vegetable is not only delicious and easy to use, it is nutrient-dense. 12/ cup of raw, sliced Kohlrabi contains 19 calories, 2.5 grams of dietary fiber, 245 grams of potassium, 43.4 mg of Vitamin C, 11.3 mcg of folic acid and 16.8 mg of calcium.
It can be stored in a closed container or plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week while you decide which delicious recipe to use it in. It can also be substituted for a radish in any recipe.
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