Week 1 (5/29 & 6/1)
This week your basket contains: green elephant garlic, green Walla Walla onions, Asian broccoli or snap peas, CARROTS, CILANTRO, radishes or turnips, lettuce, and salad mix (lettuce edible chrysanthemum and French sorrel).
WELCOME TO OUR 23RD YEAR OF SUBSCRIPTION FARMING! We would have liked to start the year off with a knock-your-socks-off basket, but Mother Nature has not been exactly helpful. Two to three months ago when we planted the items in (and not in) your basket, we thought our timing would be good but the longer and colder than usual spring has delayed things a bit. Next week we expect that we will have more snap peas, and our first of the year new red potatoes. One thing that has loved the weather is lettuce. We needed to take whole heads as well as continuing our cut-and-come-again salad mix harvest. The green lettuce in your mix is Deer Tongue. It is a very tasty, almost buttery flavored heirloom that we really love.
The green elephant is used like a leek or onion. The entire stem is edible; the only part to discard is the flat leaves. Similarly, the Asian broccoli is also all edible (stalk, stems, buds and leaves). The green Walla Walla onions are particularly tasty. At this stage we use the leaves like scallions or chives. The turnip greens (and radish greens, too) are really good in stir fry.
The salad mix is NOT table ready. While we do wash and rinse the greens before we put them in the bags, we are not able to guarantee that all the soil and/or bugs are out of all the leaves. The best way to rinse your greens to insure that no stowaway slugs remain is to dissolve 2 tsp. of salt in a little warm water in the bottom of your sink. Fill the sink about half full with the coldest water and add the greens. It is best if there is enough water to float all of the greens. Swish the greens gently and let them sit in the water for five minutes or so. Gently lift the greens from the water so as not to disturb any soil that has settled to the bottom of the sink and either pat them dry with a towel or spin them dry in a salad spinner.
This recipe utilizes your basket well.
ASIAN LETTUCE WRAPS
16 lettuce leaves
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green garlic, minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil
Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef in 1 tablespoon of oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil, and cooked beef; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!
Our website has an extensive recipe section. That area of the web site is password protected. See the footer of this note for the password.
We now have MIXED FLOWER BOUQUETS. If you want us to add them to your basket (one time or standing order) please let us know.
We also have RHUBARB. We can add some to your basket for $3/bunch (approx. 1 Lb., enough for one pie).