This week your basket contains: spinach, GARLIC SCAPES, snap peas, turnips, beets, kale, TARRAGON, and lettuce.

Welcome to our 28^th year of subscription farming!  As always, the baskets this week are an indication of what the weather has been like in the past 6-8 weeks.  That means lots of greens as we wait for new potatoes, kohlrabi, and summer squash to start producing.  We are happy to have beets and turnips (remember, these greens are great, too).

This weekend we were invited to a pot luck and tasked with bringing a salad.  In order to make it a bit different we decided to make quick pickled turnips as an addition (returning subscribers may notice this is very similar to the brine we use for quick cucumber pickles).  It worked very well and moderated the sharp turnip flavor some people find less appealing.

QUICK PICKLE BRINE FOR TURNIPS

1 Tbs fresh tarragon

1 cup hot water

1 Tb salt

2 Tb honey

3 Tb cider vinegar

Chopped garlic scapes

Zest of ½ a lemon

Mix tarragon , thinly sliced turnips and garlic scapes in a bowl or Tupperware container.  Mix water with honey and salt to dissolve; add vinegar and pour this brine over the turnips.  Cover and refrigerate.  Turnips can be used in as little as 15 minutes, but will take on more flavor (and lose more turnip bite) the longer it marinates.

MICROWAVE KALE CHIPS

5-10 kale leaves

4 tsp. olive oil

Kosher salt

Remove stems from the kale leaves and tear into 2 inch strips.  Wash and thoroughly dry the leaves and toss them with oil in a large bowl.  Spread approximately 1/3 of the leaves on a large plate and sprinkle with salt.  Microwave for three minutes.  If leaves are crispy, transfer them to a serving bowl; if not, continue to microwave leaves in 30 second increments until crispy.  Repeat with remaining leaves in two batches.  The kale chips can be stored for up to a week in an air tight container.

New subscribers also received a bunch of Asian broccoli.  This type of broccoli is similar to regular broccoli, but don’t make such large heads.  The stems are very tender and every bit of it is edible including the leave and any open blossoms you may have. There is a great recipe on our web site called Italian Sautéed Broccoli with Garlic.  Check it out!

EASY BEET GREENS

While this recipe calls for discarding the stems, we would use them and the baby roots.  Simply cut them into bite-sized pieces and add them to the onions after the onions have been cooking for a minute.

1 pound beet greens

1 strip of thick cut bacon, chopped (or a tablespoon of bacon fat)

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup of water

1 Tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/6 cup of cider vinegar

Wash the greens in a sink filled with cold water. Drain greens and wash a second time. Drain greens and cut away any heavy stems. Cut leaves into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.  In a large skillet or 3-qt saucepan, cook bacon until lightly browned on medium heat (or heat 1 Tbsp of bacon fat). Add onions, cook over medium heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and start to brown. Stir in garlic. Add water to the hot pan, stirring to loosen any particles from bottom of pan. Stir in sugar and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil.  Add the beet greens, gently toss in the onion mixture so the greens are well coated. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5-15 minutes until the greens are tender. Stir in vinegar. (For kale or collard greens continue cooking additional 20 to 25 minutes or until desired tenderness.)

We’ve included a tip sheet for getting the most out of your subscription.  We hope you find the information and tips useful.

STRAWBERRIES are a bit late this year (no surprise there!) but will be ripening soon.  We can send along a pint for $3 or a flat of 12 pints for $30.  Just email to order.

FLOWERS are ready!  If you would like to receive one of Polly’s amazing bouquets (only $7) with approximately 20-25 stems just email to order.