From the Garden this Week…
From the Garden this Week…
Green Kohlrabi, Cauliflower or Broccoli or Green Cabbage, Assorted Radishes, Carrots, Beets, Sweet Potatoes, White Salad Turnips, Ruby Sky Lettuce (leaf lettuce), Sky Foss Lettuce (butter lettuce), Fennel, Rutabagas or Turnips, Parsley, Rosemary, Tatsoi (Asian Spinach)
Upon Request … Bok Choi and Asian Greens
Coming Soon …. Napa Cabbage, Savoy Cabbage, Celery
Using your Produce… by Julie Moreno
This week we are harvesting two of the most misunderstood and little known vegetables, fennel and kohlrabi, so here is the scoop. Let’s start with fennel. You might have seen this served raw, as a shaved fennel and orange salad. And, this is a great way to serve fennel, if you like it raw. Go ahead and cut off a piece, if you have never tried it. It does help to have a mandolin and to slice the fennel thinly across the grain, that runs from top to bottom. But, I really suggest that you cook it. And the more you are afraid of it, the longer you should cook it. A great basic recipe would be braised fennel. Cut the bulb into slices, cook in a sauté pan over high heat with oil or butter and brown slightly, then add salt and a little water and cover and cook until very tender. Sprinkle with a little balsamic vinegar. You can also try the recipe below. If you get the cabbage a slaw with shaved fennel and cabbage and apple, with vinaigrette dressing works too. Use it like an onion in soup for an Italian flavor.
Sautéed Carrots, Fennel & Spinach
2 tablespoons butter or oil
1 fennel bulb
4-5 carrots, peeled and sliced
½ teaspoon salt
4-5 cups spinach or tatsoi, chopped
2 tablespoons white wine or lemon juice
¼ cup fresh chopped herbs,
¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Cut the fennel bulb in half and then chop across the grain. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and add the onion, carrots, fennel and salt. Stir over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan, stirring occasionally until the carrots are tender about 6-8 minutes. Remove the lid, add the spinach and turn the heat up to high, add the white wine and stir until it has evaporated. Add the herbs and pepper, taste if it needs more salt and serve.
Fun Facts about One of this Week’s Chosen Vegetable: Cruciferae Cauliflower
Did you know that cauliflower and broccoli are considered a “crucifix” vegetable? Yes indeed, we are growing mighty spiritual vegetables out here at Wellspring Charitable Gardens! Cruciferous vegetables, (so named after the Latin word Crucifrerae because the four equal-sized petals of its flowers were found to resemble a cross or crucifix) are being renamed brassica vegetables (brassica comes from the Latin word Brassicaceae ) which simply translates “cabbage.” This makes sense because not all the vegetables in the cabbage family follow the pattern of the cross. This nutritious family of vegetables also includes radishes, brussels sprouts, kale, arugula, bok choi, collard greens, turnips, rutabagas and many more. Besides adding flavor to your meals, these vegetables are packed with antioxidants, which may help lower the risk of various conditions such as cancer and coronary heart disease. They are also rich in vitamins such as vitamin C and folic acid, and minerals such as potassium, iron and selenium. Three cups of broccoli contains 7.2 grams of protein as well! I find it fascinating how God packs winter veggies with nutrients that help us fight colds and flu during the winter. Nature is just magnificent!
Kohlrabi and Root Vegetables…
Kohlrabi is a cruciferous vegetable related to cabbage and broccoli, and not a root vegetable as it grows above the ground. I like to use it like broccoli both raw and cooked. You do need to peel off the fibrous outer layer of the bulb and you can use the leaves like kale. You can also grate the bulb, and use it like slaw. Steam it or sauté it like broccoli, with a little butter and lemon. Or try adding the leaves and grated bulb to a broccoli salad like the recipe here. I also wanted to include the third recipe, Root Vegetable Fritters, to help use all of the root vegetables that are coming. Eat this just like a potato pancake. You can substitute the flour for any gluten free alternative if you need to. They are great reheated the next day.
The Broccoli with Kohlrabi Salad
3 cups chopped raw broccoli leaves, florets and stems (peel the thick coarse stem pieces as needed)
¼ cup chopped cooked bacon
¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds
¼ cup diced red onion (about ½ of a large red onion)
¼ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped
¼ cup mayonnaise
1-tablespoon vinegar, red or white wine or good apple cider vinegar (balsamic is not recommended)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating.
Root Vegetable Fritters
1 medium sweet potato, peeled
2-3 parsnips, peeled
1-2 rutabagas, peeled
2-3 carrots
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons of oil
Peel and grate, the sweet potato, parsnips, rutabagas and carrots. Combine everything in a large bowl and add the salt, pepper and egg. Mix well to combine. Heat a nonstick pan, over medium heat, add the oil and drop 1/4 cup of the vegetable mixture into the pan. Help it to spread out a little then repeat 2-3 more times, so you have 3-4 small pancakes. Turn the heat down and allow them to cook for 8-9 minutes then turn the fritters over and cook for another 6-7 minutes. Remove them and cook another batch to use the remaining vegetables. Enjoy right away, they are also great reheated.
Thank you to all our faithful subscribers who have reinvested in our Garden Produce for the Winter Season! Please encourage a friend to subscribe so we reach our goal of 20 deliveries per week by the year-end!
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