This week your basket contains: leeks, potatoes, purple sprouting broccoli, garlic, rutabagas, and cooking greens, (cabbage, kale and bok choi) 

WE STILL HAVE SPACES AVAILABLE FOR NEXT YEAR’S VEGGIE SUBSCRIPTION.  If you have friends, family, or neighbors who might like our service, please direct them to our web site.  If they sign up, we’ll reward you with a FREE MONTH OF FLOWER BOUQUETS.

Speaking of flowers, Spring is springing which means flowers will soon be blooming (starting with tulips).  Polly will put together a gorgeous bouquet of 10-12 stems for $6 and later in the spring and summer a mixed bouquet of approx.. 25 stems for $7.  Just email us to order.

After confessing a few weeks ago that we are not big rutabaga fans, we have made an effort to learn to like them at least a bit more.  In addition to the curried root vegetable recipe we gave the last time we gave rutabagas (see our web site’s recipe section), we have discovered that we like raw rutabaga more than cooked.  Try grating rutabaga into coleslaw.  I think you’ll like it.  Here are a few other recipes that will help you use this week’s basket.  You could easily add rutabaga to the latter two.

ITALIAN SAUTÉED BROCCOLI WITH GARLIC

1Tbs. olive oil

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 bunch thin broccoli spears

½ cup chicken broth

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

4 tsp. lemon juice or 2 lemon wedges

Heat oil in nonstick skillet, add garlic and sauté briefly (don’t let garlic brown).  Add trimmed broccoli spears and sauté 2 minutes to coat with oil.  Add chicken broth, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; simmer over low heat until tender, about 20 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice or serve with lemon wedges.  From Foodday.

EASY MINESTRONE

1 medium onion or 2 leeks, chopped

3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 1/2 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15 1/2 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups chopped cooking greens

1/2 cup whole wheat pasta

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt & pepper, to your liking

In a large pot, cook onions in 3/4 cup broth, over medium high heat until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add another 1/2 cup broth and garlic. Cook for 5 more minutes.  Stir in tomatoes, rest of broth, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, kale and pasta. Add Italian seasoning, rosemary red pepper flakes.  Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, or until pasta is tender.  Season with salt and pepper before serving. Adapted from Food.com

While this recipe calls for canned pineapple, with Maui Gold pineapples in stores now, I would use fresh.

AFRICAN PINEAPPLE PEANUT STEW

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

4 cups chopped greens

2 cups un-drained crushed, canned pineapple (1 20 oz. can)

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1 Tbs Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley

salt

chopped scallions

In a covered sauce pan, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned.  While the onions sauté, wash the greens, removing and discarding any large stems.  Slice the greens crosswise into 1 inch wide slices.   Add the pineapple and its juice to the onions and bring to a simmer.  Stir in the greens, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the greens are tender.  Stir in the peanut butter, Tabasco and cilantro.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Add salt to taste and serve garnished with chopped scallions.