This week your basket contains: green elephant garlic, potatoes, turnips, radishes, lettuce mix, spinach, and purple sprouting broccoli or Asian broccoli, or cauliflower.

Thank you to everyone who has let us know their renewal plans for the coming year.  If you have not returned your renewal for to us yet, please do so this week.  Deposits and/or full payments are not due until May 15^th (but are welcome now as well!)

The spinach in this week’s basket is a great example of the changing seasons.  It is from plants started in February and grown in a hoop house (last week’s spinach was seeded in late summer and overwintered in a small hoop house).  It is much more tender and sweet.  It could be added to your salad greens or used in the recipe below (along with the radish and turnip greens or any other greens you may have if you want a larger batch).  On our web site this recipe calls for lamb, but this recipe can be enhanced with any grilled meat cut into chunks.  Marinated tofu would make this a great vegetarian dish.  The possibilities are limited only by your imagination!

SAAG

2-3 Lbs. spinach

4 Tbs. ghee (or butter and oil mixed)

1/8 tsp. asafetida

1/8 tsp. cayenne

½ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg

¼ tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. ground cumin

3 Tbs. water

3 Tbs. cream (or use sour cream or yogurt)

2 tsp. salt

Wash spinach and strip leaves off of stems.  Chop coarsely.  Combine cayenne, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, turmeric and cumin in a small bowl, add water, and stir well.  Melt the butter and oil (or ghee) in a 5-quart pan over moderate heat.  Add asafetida and let it sizzle, then add spice mixture.  Fry for about 2 minutes.  Add spinach to pan, sprinkle with 1 tsp. salt.  Cover and reduce heat.  Stir occasionally until spinach is all bright green and very wilted.  Add water if necessary.  At this point, the saag can be removed from heat and can sit if necessary.  Before serving, put spinach in a food processor and puree.  Return it to the pan, stir in cream and reheat briefly.  Adapted from The Best of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine by Yamuna Devi.

To round out your Indian meal, this would be a great way to utilize your radishes.

INDIAN RADISH WITH CHOPPED RADISH GREENS

18-20 medium radishes

1/2 lb. radish greens, chopped

1 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 Tbsp. coriander seeds

1/4 tsp. ajwain seeds

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/4 tsp. cayenne or paprika

2 tsp. maple or brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. fresh lime or lemon juice

Wash and trim radishes, thinly slice.  Place the radishes in a steaming basket, lay greens on top and steam until tender-crisp.  Combine the cumin, coriander and ajwain seeds in a small bowl.  In a large, heavy bottomed nonstick pan, heat the oil over high heat.  When it is hot but not smoking, add the spice seeds and fry until they darken a few shades.  Seconds later, add the radishes and greens.  Stir in the turmeric, cayenne or paprika, and sweetener.  Reduce the heat to moderate and fry for 4-5 minutes.  Remove from the heat, add the salt and lime or lemon juice and toss to mix well.  Serves 4.  Adapted from The Best of Lord Krishna’s Cuisine by Yamuna Devi.

GREEN GARLIC AND GREENS

1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil or other cooking oil

3 green garlics, chopped

1/8 tsp. salt plus more to taste

2 slices prosciutto, sliced (optional)

1 bunch collard greens, kale, or Swiss chard thinly sliced or chopped

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add oil. Swirl and add green garlic and salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Add prosciutto, if using, and cook, stirring, until it loses its bright pink tone, about 1 minute. Add greens, stir to combine, add 1/4 cup water. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook until greens are well wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir, cover, and cook until tender. Depending on the greens used (chard will take a shorter time than the others) and your taste, this will take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste, as you like.

RHUBARB is ready! We can send you enough for a pie (approx.. 1 Lb.) for only $3.  Email your order now!