Greetings CSA Members,
The Fruit Share begins this week! Once again this year, the heavy rains and hail in Columbia County have drastically diminished the perishable berries and cherries. Farming is risky enough, but producing such delicate crops as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and tender stone fruit takes courage. This is precisely why we stick to vegetables. But lettuce and all of the baby greens can be demolished within a 5-second hailstorm. So keep your fingers crossed that within the next few days, we are all spared.
This week you are receiving Fennel in your box. Before you give it to your neighbor or the chef at your favorite restaurant, read the piece from NPR I have included here. And perhaps if I can twist your arm just a bit, try a bite or two from one of the recipes. You might be surprised at the taste.
This week in your share you will most likely find: Fennel, Lettuce, Cilantro, Cucumbers, Spinach, Mesclun, Scallions, and a surprise (I hope) that begins with “S” – sorry, it is not strawberries.

Enjoy your share - Justine


Apple and Fennel Salad

5 oz. Pasta (fettuccine style) – cooked
½lb. Spinach
1 Small – Medium fennel bulb, sliced
2 Medium tart apples, peeled and cubed
1 Small, red onion, sliced – Scallions would make a good substitute as well

Thoroughly wash spinach, removing fibrous stems.
Dry and place in salad bowl.
Add fennel, apples and onions.
Toss with Vinaigrette. Trim with fennel tops.

Justine’s Favorite Vinaigrette

1 1/2 Tablespoons Mustard
2 Tablespoons Tamari
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
1/3 cup Balsamic Vinegar
½-2/3 cup Olive Oil

(Maggie, my daughter, prefers using Apple Cider Vinegar and she also adds shallots)

FENNEL
(from NPR)

If you've never cooked with fennel, you're not alone. For years, I avoided the bulbous green and white vegetable labeled "sweet anise" because I associated it with black licorice. Who in their right mind would want to taste black licorice at the dinner table?

But then I learned anise and "sweet anise" are two very different things. Anise is a pungent pint-sized herb, while "sweet anise" — or fennel — is a hearty vegetable with a thick, bulbous base and celery-like stems that grow upward to 5 feet tall. It has a sweeter, more delicate flavor than anise.

Fennel's subtle flavor works just fine on its own, but does wonders when combined with other foods. Indeed, fennel's strength may be its power to blend and enhance other flavors. Tuna tastes more tuna-like when cooked with fennel. A simple salad of oranges, red onion and lemon vinaigrette has more zing with the addition of crunchy, raw fennel. Grilled sea bass becomes emblematic of Mediterranean cuisine when stuffed with lemon slices and fennel fronds.

The fennel in the produce section of a grocery store is Florence fennel, or finocchio. On top are fragrant emerald fronds that look much like dill. Below are stout stalks that resemble celery and shoot upward like fingers being counted. The edible white "bulb" is actually not a bulb at all, but tightly stacked leaves that unpack like the base of a celery stalk.

Though all parts of the Florence fennel are edible, the stalks tend to be fibrous, like celery, while the fronds can have an anise intensity that might turn off some people. The thick white leaves of the base offer the most versatile use. When cooked, the leaves become supple, the same way onions lose their firmness, and retain only a faint hint of anise.

If you have never tried fennel as a vegetable, you've almost certainly tasted it in its other form: a spice. The greenish-brown seeds from the variety called common fennel are used to season Italian sausages, meaty stews and rustic breads. When ground up, the spice is used in rubs for fish, pork and lamb dishes and in other spice mixes. Fennel spice also is a key ingredient in Indian curries and is one of the five essential spices in Chinese five-spice powder.

And if all this isn't enough, this versatile vegetable has been used throughout history to cure stomach ailments, freshen breath and help fight weight gain. It also is high in vitamin C.

So if, like me, you've passed fennel by in the produce section, take a second look.

Spicy Crusted Tuna Steaks with Braised Fennel
Makes 2 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
1 tablespoon crushed black pepper
2 tuna steaks (5 to 6 ounces, 2 to 3 inches thick)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Place medium-sized pan on medium-high heat and add oil to pan.

Using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle, crush fennel seeds into a powder. Place in a shallow bowl, add crushed pepper and mix until well incorporated.

Pat tuna steaks dry with paper towel. Season steaks liberally on both sides with salt and pepper.
Press fennel-pepper mix onto tuna steaks on one or both sides, depending on your preference.
Carefully place tuna steak, mix-side down, into the heated pan.
Cook on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until pink in the middle.
Serve on bed of braised fennel (below).

Braised Fennel

1 medium fennel bulb
1 yellow or red bell pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
1 clove garlic, crushed

Remove stems and base from fennel bulb. Cut fennel into 1/4-inch slices.
Chop bell pepper into 1/4-inch slices.
Heat oil in saucepan and saute fennel, 5 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until golden brown.
Add bell pepper and garlic and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Add wine and water, and cover. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, until fennel is fork-tender. Remove cover to reduce liquid for last few minutes.

Fennel and Pomegranate Salad
Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 medium fennel bulbs
1 medium red onion
Juice of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 11-ounce can mandarin oranges
Shavings of Pecorino or Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Slice fennel and red onion as thinly as possible, being careful to remove the tough root of the fennel bulb.

Toss gently in large bowl with lemon juice and olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Before serving, toss again, add pomegranate seeds and mandarin oranges.
Add cheese, and salt and pepper, if desired.

Fennel and Sausage Pasta
Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 links of hot Italian sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 bulb fennel, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 tablespoon lightly crushed fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 16-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and smashed with hands
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and pepper

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage until cooked through. Drain excess fat from pan.

Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to skillet, and add fennel slices and fennel seeds. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, tomatoes and crushed red pepper.
Cover skillet, reduce heat and simmer an additional 6 to 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with fresh-cooked rotini pasta or spaghetti.

Greetings CSA Members.

What wonderful tips and recipes have come my way since last week’s newsletter – many thanks for sharing your “real food” family experiences with me. I think that I will slowly infuse the newsletter with your ideas. Let me start with this email:

“This is absolutely not true of my kids. They turn their noses at crappy food and much prefer real food, they love veggies and fruit. I think your strawberries are their top favorite. We love to mash sweet potatoes with some rosemary (finely chopped) with some plain whole milk yogurt and a hint of maple syrup and give it to kids who are not crazy about veggies... they all seem to like it.

Another way we love veggies is to chop them small and add them to pasta with cheese, or with vinaigrette. Carrots and peas and chopped green beans get gobbled up this way.

For picky kids, veggies can be pureed and added to tomato sauce and used as a base for pizza or over spaghetti.

Radishes marinated in Drew's Orange Ginger Dressing are also a big hit.

Steam any veggie: Broccoli, Carrots, Parsnips, Squash and make a yummy dipping sauce or a ranch like dressing and let them dip away. Yum!

These may be to general but they are ways to honor the veggie and not hide it too much with other flavors.”

I have also received requests from CSA members regarding how to store and freeze the vegetables coming to you each week. Rebeca is planning to enter techniques for preparation, storage, and freezing on the blog. Here are a few links to websites that also might be helpful.
www.gardenguides.com/how-to/tipstechniques/vegetables/freezing.asp

http://vegetablegardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/vegetable_food_preservation

http://www.growveggies.net/storing/freezing_vegetables_a_to_z/

And finally I will quote from Bottomline Health Magazine:

“Leave fruits and vegetables in their whole, unwashed state until shortly before eating them. Keep tomatoes and winter squash at room temperature on your counter – but refrigerate after cooking or cutting. To slow the ripening process, you can store most fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. Crisper drawers are best for celery, carrots, radishes, peppers, ripe fruits, summer squash and leafy vegetables. You can leave strawberries in their boxes, but transfer blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries to shallow bowls lined with paper towels. Keeping berries dry can prevent them from getting moldy. Store dried beans, root vegetables and tubers (garlic, onions, potatoes, and rutabagas) in a dark pantry. Refrigerate them after they have been peeled, cut, or cooked.”

I hope that all or even just some of this information comes in handy.

This week in your share, you will most likely find: Strawberries, Lettuce, Beets, Turnips, Mesclun, Basil, and Cucumbers.

Enjoy your share - Justine

I can keep basil for a very long time on my kitchen counter in a vase after I have trimmed the bottom of the stems. Last summer I managed to keep one bunch of basil from August until October!

I think that turnips are best mashed - alone or with potatoes, sautéed with white wine and garlic in a little olive oil, or grated raw on top of a green salad – but with that said, I couldn’t resist giving you this recipe.

Mashed Potatoes and Turnips with Roasted Pear Purée
Makes 8 servings

* 1/4 cup honey
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
* 4 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered, cored

* 2-3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
* 1-2 pounds white turnips, peeled, cut into 2-inch pieces
* 1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine honey, lemon juice, and melted butter in large bowl. Add pears; toss to coat. Arrange pears in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast pears 30 minutes. Turn pears to coat with juices and roast until very tender, about 35 minutes longer. Transfer pears and caramelized liquids to food processor; blend until smooth. (Pear puree can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Cook potatoes and turnips in separate large pots of generously salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well. Transfer turnips to processor; puree until smooth. Mash potatoes with room-temperature butter in large bowl until smooth. Stir in pureed turnips. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm in microwave before continuing.)

Rewarm pear puree. Place potato-turnip mixture in large serving bowl. Swirl in pear puree and serve.

Beets in Orange Sauce
Serves 4

* 4 large beets, trimmed
* 1 cup orange juice
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
* 1 tablespoon minced orange peel (orange part only)
* 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap 2 beets together in foil. Repeat with remaining beets. Place on baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool. Peel beets. Cut each into 8 wedges.

Combine beets and remaining ingredients in medium non-aluminum saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until sauce is syrupy, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Re-warm over low heat, stirring often.) Serve hot.

Greetings CSA Members,

Exactly three months ago, I read in a Vermont newspaper the following headline –
“Tips on Parenting the ‘Picky Eater’”. Knowing full well that I was indeed the world’s pickiest eater as a child, I dropped everything to read what this author had to say. And I quote:

“ If kids could have their druthers, most would love to eat candy for breakfast, candy for lunch and pizza for dinner, with candy for dessert… But just because Mom and Dad choose the menu, that doesn’t mean son or daughter have to like it. In fact, parents can attest, kids are often picky about what they eat, and that can be problematic for parents.”

The light bulb instantly went on in my head and I thought what a great CSA theme for this season. But more importantly, I hope that many of you were as fired up and perhaps angered by the premise in this article as I was. In addition to being a farmers’ wife, many of you know that I am a pre-school teacher. I have seen lots of children who crave only the crackers served along with the many children who eat everything put in front of them. And so, here is the challenge dear CSA Members. Let’s prove this article wrong! Thus, I am asking for recipes and tips from all of you to support the premise that children do choose vegetables, fruit, dulse, quinoa, and other healthy foods to eat (and prepare). Please either post on the blog or send directly to me any proven recipes that you and your children have loved so that I may share them with our CSA members. I am certain that we will be victorious in this challenge!

Before I tell you what is in your share this week, I want to respond to the many emails I received after last week’s delivery with regard to what is in your box. Each week Brian works up a list the evening before the Tuesday harvest along with developing the picking list for the crew of 10 to work from out in the fields. I start the newsletter during the day even before the harvest is finished. Sometimes what Brian thinks will be enough to fill the shares is not accurate and thus we have to make some adjustments. And so each week I will write something like the following:

This week in your share you will most likely find: Strawberries, Broccoli, Swiss Chard, Chinese Cabbage or Bok Choi, Scallions, Basil or Sage, a head of lettuce, and Summer Squash/Zucchini.

I do know of a farmer who writes in his newsletter: “My best guess is the following…”

So whatever is in your box, I hope you enjoy it and have a great week - Justine

Creamy Lettuce Soup
(6-8 servings)
2 T. butter 3 c. chicken broth
1⁄2 c. chopped scallions 1/8 t. white pepper
15 cups chopped lettuce 6 ounces cream cheese
(redleaf, boston, greenleaf, or romaine)

In a large pot melt the butter and sauté the scallions and lettuce
until the lettuce is limp 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and
pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Add a
dash of lemon juice if desired.

Cool the soup slightly and puree in a food processor, blender or
with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot and reheat.
Dice the cream cheese and add to the soup. Heat until melted and serve hot. Sprinkle with a few minced herbs and croutons.



Pink Radish Spread

Good on crackers or served as a dip with raw vegetables
1 T. butter 1⁄2 c. mayonnaise
11⁄2 c. diced onions 1⁄2 c. plain yogurt
4 c. sliced radishes 1 t. lemon juice

Melt the butter and sauté the onions and radishes until both are
translucent and wilted, 4-6 minutes

Transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Cool to room temperature and add the remaining ingredients.
Allow the spread to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.

(A recipe suggestion from Rebeca Torres-Rose)

Chard Stuffed with Lemon Rice
(Serves 8 as a side dish or 4 as a main course)

Salt
8 large chard leaves, stems cut away at the bottom
1 C arborio rice
1 large egg yolk
1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. lemon juice
(preparation tip: remember to zest the lemon before you juice it!! – Debbie)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
16 large sage or basil leaves

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 tsp. salt and the chard leaves. Cook just until chard is tender, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon, carefully transfer chard to a clean kitchen towel. Lay chard flat and blot dry. Cool completely. Add rice to pot with boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes (water will not be all absorbed). While rice is cooking, whisk egg yolk, cheese, lemon zest and juice together in a small bowl. When rice is tender, drain and return to pot. Stir in egg mixture until rice is evenly coated. Add 1 tbsp. butter, stir to melt/distribute, and add salt to taste. Cool rice mixture for several minutes. Place 1/3 C rice mixture in center of each chard leaf. Fold edges over to seal and make neat bundles. Heat remaining 3 tbsp. butter and sage (or Basil) in a large skillet over medium heat. When sage/basil leaves are lightly crisped, use a fork to transfer them to a small plate. Add chard bundles to empty pan, seam side down, and sauté, turning once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Transfer chard bundles to a serving platter, and garnish with fried sage/basil leaves.
Serve immediately.

From A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, by Jack Bishop

Freezing the bounty (and other forms of preservation)

Hello everyone! We have had some questions about freezing items in your weekly share for future consumption. Resources abound with information on preserving the harvest and your shares will include a wide variety of produce, so rather than go into detail on ways of freezing (or drying, fermenting, or pickling) the varied surplus items in your CSA share, I will point you to a useful site and a couple of books where you can find lots of information to get you started.

Web

1. National Center for Home Food Preservation. It has very useful information on freezing with instructions by vegetable. Also has info on drying, curing/smoking, fermenting, pickling and "jamming" fruits and veggies.

Books

1. Ball Blue Book of Preserving. (Jarden Home Brands, editor) A classic with many different editions. I refer to it all the time for a variety of recipes. Available in local libraries, book stores and supermarkets.
2. Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home. (by Klaus Kaufmann and Annelies Schoneck) A terrific primer on my favorite method of preserving many of the veggies you will receive: lacto-fermentation. I purchased my copy at the Honest Weigh Food Coop in Albany.
   

I hope these provide you with a starting point. Many all-purpose cookbooks (older editions of the Joy of Cooking, for example) also include a section on food preservation and the library system is full of tomes on the subject. Do keep in mind that older books may not follow current standards in safe food preservation.

Happy preserving!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Greetings CSA Members,

Though I had to tug and pull each goat out of the pen to escort them to the milking stanchion this morning, the plants were lapping up each delicious drop of rain. The crew worked late into the evening yesterday anticipating this rain and was delighted to be inside beginning the process of washing and packing and bagging for the boxes. After the harvesting, there is much to do in the barn before the boxes are loaded onto the truck tomorrow morning. Brian is a systems farmer. He loves to have his farm crew and entire operation moving along like a well-oiled machine. My favorite moment each week comes when we all line up in the barn, each one of us at our own station, poised with broccoli or Chinese cabbage or bag of spinach in hand, ready to pack into the box as we roll it along the conveyor to the next smiling worker bee.. At the beginning of the line is Walter, the world’s fastest Jamaican to assemble boxes, and we finish with Errol or Ali in the truck, meticulously counting and re-counting by distribution site until he or she is pushed out of the truck as it becomes filled to capacity. The greatest satisfaction occurs when all 406 boxes are packed, in the trucks, and the clock reads 11:00. Now mind you, we are only on week two of the CSA, and so we have not yet achieved our Olympic time or pace. But this year our team is well seasoned and in great physical shape. Neither the rain nor mud nor snakes nor hot sun makes this strong crew flinch. But we have the mosquitoes yet to come. That is the moment when I run quickly inside to all of the paperwork and emails.
I want to thank everyone who wrote with feedback about the herb idea. We will be making adjustments to remedy this situation. I would like to make one request. I hope to also remedy my email dilemma, but at present I am asking that if you are splitting a share with another family that one party be the recipient of the newsletter. If you could then forward it on to the others in your group, it would help me tremendously. Thank you so much for your assistance and your understanding.

This week in your share, you will most likely find:
A bag of Garlic Scapes and Radish, a head of Lettuce, Scallions, Strawberries, Broccoli, Chinese Cabbage, Zucchini and/or Summer Squash.

Enjoy your share - Justine

Broccoli Almondine

1 1/2 pounds broccoli, stems sliced thinly, then head cut into 2-inch-wide spears
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Cook broccoli in a steamer rack over boiling water in a large wide pot, covered, until stems are just tender when pierced with a knife, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove steamer from pot and discard cooking water. Cool broccoli 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat butter in pot over medium heat until foam subsides, then cook almonds, stirring, until butter and nuts are golden and have a nutty aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add broccoli and toss.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

3 tablespoons vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 -2 crowns of Broccoli
2-3 Summer Squash and /or Zucchini, sliced very thinly
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, thinly sliced
1 Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
2 large garlic cloves, minced or 4 garlic scapes cut thinly
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 scallions, thinly sliced

In a small bowl stir together broth, rice wine, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Set aside.

Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until hot. Add vegetable and sesame oil and heat until it just begins to smoke. Add mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry 2 minutes, or until tender. Add broth mixture to vegetables.. Stir-fry vegetables an additional minute to coat. Add scallions and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

June 2, 2009

Greetings CSA Members,

Welcome to the 2009 CSA Season! Each week I will post on the website both the newsletter and a recipe to support you in your adventures in this CSA. In this letter I hope to supply you with some guidelines and practical details to help make the CSA as smooth as possible. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with questions, however, for I am sure that I will have missed some pertinent information. One of the most important concerns is the respect and consideration of the distribution site. Please leave the distribution site clean and tidy for both the next member picking up and for the host who has volunteered their home for the CSA. At each site there will be a sign-in sheet on a clipboard along with a white board listing what is in your share.
If you cannot pick up your share on a particular week, we suggest that you ask a friend or neighbor to pick up for or instead of you. Just have that person sign in under your name. Bring your own bags if you can.
This year we are trying a new idea with the Herbs. They will be in bulk and in a tote. They will not be included in your box. Please take what you need and remember that there will be other members choosing from the selection after you. Your feedback is greatly appreciated as to the success or problems with this new system.

•Please remember your 2nd and 3rd installments, if you are using a payment plan.
•Check the website for updates and newsletters.- - www.denisonfarm.com
•Working Members should give a call a few days before they want to come and work. I will be sending out requests every now and then.
•Rebeca Torres-Rose, my CSA right arm, has volunteered to keep an eye on the new blog on our website – posting ways to use your share and chatting about recipes.
•CSA Member Handbook that you can download is on the website. Please read through it and enjoy Ali Farrell’s beautiful cover page.
•For those of you who are splitting your share, if you want to split up your share at the site, please remember to bring your own bags. Some of you might want to re-pack your share into your own bags for your convenience. Please remember to flatten your boxes and pile neatly.
•Remember that the boxes should be recycled from week to week. Please leave them neatly at your distribution site, flattened and stacked.
•Please be forgiving if we have made a mistake on this first pick-up!
•Please contact us if you have any questions.

Brian and I are very happy to provide you with a healthy share each week, but we are always subject to and working with the weather and Mother Nature. As much as we intend to provide you with bountiful shares week after week, please know that there may be hailstorms or blight on the tomatoes or raccoons in the corn. This is the moment where you our members step in and know that being part of a CSA means accepting some risks

Thank you all for your support this season. We are grateful for this partnership so that we can all eat locally and organically. Thank you for your part in this endeavor.

Looking forward to a bountiful season – Justine and Brian


Recipes and Tips on using the Greens

This week you will most likely find in your boxed share: A bag of Spinach, A bag of Garlic Scapes and Radishes, Turnips or Bok Choi, a head of Lettuce, and a bunch of Curly or Lacinato Kale or Collard Greens.

June marks the Greens time of year and that is what you will see for the most part in your shares for the next few weeks. The shares are light in weight and variety. But that all changes as the season progresses. By the end of September, the pendulum will swing and you will find a very abundant share. So please have patience with both the season and with us.

Spinach and Bok Choi are great for a quick stir-fry over rice. Try sautéing them with white beans or with your favorite sausage. We put Spinach and/or Bok Choi into our Sunday morning omelet!!

The turnips are great raw as well as cooked. I mash them alone or with potatoes, roast them, or I use them raw by grating them into a green salad.

And here is a great recipe for those curly garlic scapes. They can be eaten raw, but I prefer to chop them up and use them as I would use garlic, scallions, or onions in cooking. I love their refined garlic flavor.

“Scapes are the flower stalks found on members of the Allium family (onions, leeks, chives, and garlic). Garlic Scapes, which only appear on the finest hardneck varieties, curl upwards as they grow, ultimately straighten, and then grow little seed-like bulbs. When the garlic scapes are still in full curl, they are tender and delicious.” Mary Jane Butters

Kale and Scape Frittata

3 Tbsp. olive oil
10 eggs
1 cup (1/2 lb) chopped and cooked Kale (Collard Greens are a great substitute)
½cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. chopped Parsley, Cilantro or Basil
½cup finely chopped garlic scapes
½cup chopped scallions (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except the oil, scapes, and scallions.. Heat oil in a 10” ovenproof skillet on the stove. Add the scapes and scallions and sauté until tender on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Pour egg mixture in skillet with scapes and scallions and cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Place in oven and bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until top is set. Cut into wedges and serve.


Stir-Fried Bok Choi with Roasted Peanuts
1-2 bunches bok choi
2 T peanut oil
3 T raw peanuts
2 tsp. roasted peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, minced – scapes will
¼tsp red pepper flakes
Salt work as well
4 tsp minced ginger
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 3 T water
1 tsp roasted peanut oil

Fry the peanuts in 2 tsp peanut oil until golden. Chop with the pepper flakes and a few pinches of salt and set aside.

Chop the bok choi stalks, but leave the leaves whole. Stir-fry the ginger and garlic in a hot skillet for about 1 minute.. Add bok choi and stir-fry until wilted. Add the soy sauce and cornstarch mixture and stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes until the leaves are shiny. Add the peanuts, toss, and serve. Serves 2-4

Quick Turnip Pickles

2 med. turnips
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbs lime juice
1/8 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Peel turnips. Slice into thin rounds, then cut in half.
Toss turnips in bowl with salt and lime juice. Cover and
let marinate for 2-4 hours at room temp.
Shortly before serving, combine cumin and cayenne, and then add to the pickles.

*** Remember that the Turnip Greens can be eaten as well. They are great steamed or sautéed with olive oil and garlic (or garlic scapes)***