2024 Spring | Week 5
Fifty Shades of Green
This week, we have an plenty of greens. Our first Romaine lettuce is ready as are Swiss chard and scallions. Combine that with the regular suspects - bok choy, Napa cabbage and kale and you can see a preponderance of green! So this week, enjoy a salad, make a stir fry, smoothie or a taco salad, greens don’t get any better than these!
We planted our tomato starts this week—200’ feet or about 130 plants in one of the caterpillar tunnels. Tomatoes don’t like to be wet. So, we’ll provide drip irrigation and trellising for five varieties. They are Verona - for sauces and salsa, Caimans and Harvest Moon - for sandwiches and caprese, and both red and gold cherries - for snacks and salads.
Also, we have extra tomato plants for anyone who’d like to try your hand at growing them. We have plenty of all the varieties for sale at $8/plant. You can pick them up on Saturday.
1808 Store
Part of learning how to eat healthy food is to have the ingredients and tools to prepare it. It's amazing how a quality olive oil or vinaigrette can bring out the flavor of lettuce or cabbage. A proper garlic press and pepper grinder are essential to preparing great meals. We've assembled some of these items in our 1808 Store (the name derives from the date on an old granary located on our property)
Make sure to check out some of the items. You can order online, and we'll have them in your basket the following week.
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What’s in Your Crate this Week?
Click the plus sign next to each item for tips, tricks, and recipes!
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BOK CHOY 101 - As far as cabbage goes, bok choy stands apart. With a crunchy, celery-like texture when cooking times are short, to a unique, creamy texture when left in the pan a little longer. You can steam, stir fry, broil, sauté or eat it raw by mixing it in a salad or slaw (so good it makes us rhyme!). Check out our blog for one of our favorite bok choy recipes!
EAT NOW - Wash bok choy by swishing in a bowl of water to remove dirt between stalks. Baby bok choy can be cooked whole or by halving. For larger varieties, separate leaves from stalk to prevent overcooking.
EAT LATER - Store unwashed bok choy in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. To freeze, blanch, then remove excess water and store them in an airtight bag. Good for up to 10 mo.
To blanch, bring a pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. While you wait for boil, prepare an ice bath. Once boiling, drop veggies into water - water should return to boil within a minute otherwise you have too much veg for the water. Once boil has returned, cook for 1-5 min until veg has a vibrant color. Immediately put into ice bath to stop cooking.
RECIPES
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KALE 101 - Wash leaves in lukewarm water. If your greens have thick stems, remove them by folding each leaf in half and slicing out the stem. Then, stack the leaves up and slice diagonally into 1” wide strips.
EAT NOW - Wrap unwashed chard or kale in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Best used very fresh, but may last for a week. To freeze, blanch washed greens, rinse in cold ice water, drain, and pack into airtight containers.
OR LATER - Swiss chard or kale can both be eaten raw or cooked. A longer cooking time is best as it brings out the sweetness in the greens. Extremely high in vitamin K and vitamin A, these nutrient-dense greens can help combat cancer and reduce blood pressure! Chard and kale can be used interchangeably with: collards, turnip greens, beet greens, broccoli raab, mustard greens, dandelion, and spinach.
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NAPA CABBAGE 101 - Napa Cabbage has many uses, as well as great storage capacity when chilled. Use leaves for soups and noodles, the crunchy rib for stir-fry or fermented kimchi, the crisp outer layer is great for salads and wraps, while the inner layer is best for steaming or poaching - we recommend trying it all!
EAT NOW - Remove any floppy or yellowed outer leaves, then chop off stem and halve. Remove core (V cut) and separate leaves. Rinse, dry, then chop or shred.
EAT LATER - Store dry, unwashed cabbage in the veggie bin of your fridge for months. Once cut, wrap in sealed plastic bag and continue to refrigerate for several weeks.
RECIPES -
yankeestreetfarm.com/ blog/grilled-slaw-withginger- and-sesame
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ROMAINE 101 - Romaine lettuce belongs to the lettuce family, Asteraceae, and it is characterized by its elongated, sturdy leaves and crisp texture. It is a nutritious vegetable, rich in vitamins and minerals. Romaine lettuce is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, folate, and fiber.. If you’re looking for low carb options, try using the large leaves as a wrap with your favorite fillings. Or, whip together a crisp and delicious salad by mixing with other greens and your favorite fruits, nuts, or cheeses!
EAT NOW - Slice the head of your lettuce at the base with a knife and let the leaves fall open. Remove any damaged or leathery leaves, then tear remaining into bitesize pieces. Wash in a basin of cold water and spin dry.
OR LATER - Store unwashed lettuce in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. If you’ve already washed and dried it, place in a plastic bag with a dry paper towel in the bag as well and place in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator.
RECIPES
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SCALLIONS 101 - Did you know scallions, spring onions and green onions are all the same plant? Scallions are picked early, before a bulb forms, while spring onion and green onion are picked when more mature. Spring onions are sweeter and mellower than regular onions, but the greens are more intense in flavor than scallions. The bulbs can be red or white, depending on the variety, and while they can be used in much the same way as regular bulb onions, they are great grilled, roasted whole, or used like pearl onions. Scallions and spring onions are great raw in a marinade or salad dressing, or lightly cooked. You can even add it to your “freezer scrap bag” for a great veggie stock.
EAT NOW - Rinse onions in cold water and snip off the roots and anything that’s floppy or dried out. The minced greens are less pungent than the bulb and make a good substitute for chives. Use spring onion in almost any recipe calling for onions, raw or cooked, for a more subtle, less intense onion flavor. They are excellent in soups and stews. Try brushing onions with sesame oil, salt, and pepper and put them on the grill. You can also use any part of the onion for your freezer bag of vegetable stock ingredients!
OR LATER - Cut the top quarter off and stand (with root) in 1” of water. Cover loosely with ziplock and place in the fridge or keep on counter, refresh the water every three days. To freeze, chop and put in a freezer bag.
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SWISS CHARD 101 - A member of the Beet family, Swiss chard can be eaten raw or cooked. A longer cooking time is best as it brings out the sweetness in the green. Extremely high in vitamin K and vitamin A, this nutrient-dense green can help combat cancer and reduce blood pressure! Chard can be used interchangeably with: collards, turnip greens, beet greens, broccoli raab, mustard greens, dandelion, spinach and kale.
EAT NOW - Wash leaves in lukewarm water. If your greens have thick stems, remove them by folding each leaf in half and slicing out the stem. Then, stack the leaves up and slice diagonally into 1” wide strips.
OR LATER - Wrap unwashed chard in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the fridge. Best used very fresh, but may last for a week. To freeze, blanch washed greens, rinse in cold ice water, drain, and pack into airtight containers.
RECIPES