This week your basket contains: potatoes, leeks, garlic, cabbage, and stir fry mix (bok choy, kale, Swiss chard, mustard greens, collards, and cabbage)

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Some say that April is the cruelest month, but this year February has been about as bad as it gets.  Weeks of below freezing night time temperatures have wreaked havoc with our planning.  While March is always a low time of year, we count on some temperatures over 42 degrees to spur our plants into production. We really haven’t had that.  In most years by March 1^st we would start having Purple Sprouting Broccoli and raab (the flowering tops of mustard family crops) but we have yet to see any we could harvest.  So we will struggle through the low times and do our best to get good veggies to you until our spring crops kick in.  In that vein, we have a nice mix of winter greens for you this week.  The following recipe is perfect for the mix or you could shred your cabbage for it.

CABBAGE AND SAUSAGE SKILLET

1 pound Hot Italian Sausage

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 bag cooking greens

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

In a high sided saute pan over medium high heat, brown the sausage until cooked through.  Remove from pan.

Reduce heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Once hot, add the onions and season with a little salt.   Cook for 5-10 minutes, until softened and golden.  Add the garlic and spices, cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.  Add greens to the pan. The pan will be very full at first, carefully mix the greens in and it will start to wilt and reduce in volume.  You may need to add it in a few batches.  Continue to stir, until everything is combined and greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage back to the pan, stir to combine.  Cook for another minute or two, until sausage is warmed.   From foxandbriar.com

I find it oddly specific to call for 8 Chinese cabbage leaves, but you can use your cabbage or the mix for this salad.

CASHEW SALAD WITH TAMARIND DRESSING

8 Chinese cabbage leaves

1 large carrot

1 cucumber

6 scallions

8 slices dried mango

½ cup cashews, toasted and coarsely crushed

For the dressing:

1 ½ Tbsp. tamarind paste

½ tsp. coarsely crushed toasted Szechuan peppercorns

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

½ tsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Thai basil or cilantro, chopped

Salt to taste

Put tamarind paste, Szechuan pepper, sesame oil, garlic, sugar and chopped herb into a screw-top jar and shake well. Set aside. Stack the Chinese cabbage leaves on top of one another and slice thinly. Julienne or grate the carrot into long thin sticks about 2” long. Seed and slice the cucumbers into long thin 2” sticks. Divide the shredded leaves onto four plates, top with the strips of carrot and cucumber. Top with chopped scallions and dried mango. Drizzle the dressing over the salads and sprinkle cashews on top. Serve immediately. Serves 4. From Easy Vegan from Ryland Peters and Small.

This sauce works well with just about any combination of veggies you want to put together and would be excellent on your greens.

SESAME GINGER STIR-FRY SAUCE

4 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

2 Tbs lemon juice

1 Tbs grated ginger

4 Tbs soy sauce

3 Tbs rice vinegar

1/4 cup veg. or sesame oil

hot pepper oil (optional)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sesame seeds, and hot pepper to taste.  Pour over stir-fry when all ingredients are cooked and mix well.