This week your basket contains: new potatoes, spinach, snap peas, broccoli (Asian or European), SPRING ONIONS, kale, kohlrabi, and lettuce. 

Our weekly lineup of veggies continues to shift toward more summer crops.  Our harvest of zucchini has started to ramp up and, given the way zucchini are, it won’t be long before we have them for everyone.  The spring onions come from sets (tiny onion bulbs you plant early in the spring for an early start).  The bulbs are used like any onion while the greens can be chopped like scallion or chives.  Being young, they are more mild than fully mature onions and therefore more palatable.  The LETTUCE heads in the baskets this week include some new varieties for us.  We tried Little Gem lettuce for the first time.  These are either red or green lettuces that are a cross between romaine and butter head type lettuce.  They are compact, crisp and tasty.  Let us know what your think of them.  We also have a red crisphead variety called Cherokee and a green Butterhead.

We’ve made the salad below several times and it has been a hit each time.  Massaging the oil into the greens make them more tender.  While the recipe calls for turnips (which we will have soon), we’ve been using kohlrabi with great results.

KALE PANZANELLA

1 small shallot minced (see note)

1 tablespoon tahini

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon honey

Salt, to taste

1 bunch kale

15-20 pitted castelvetrano olives

1 cup torn bread

Small amount of olive oil

4-5 white Japanese turnips chopped into bite-sized pieces (see note)

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2 ounces finely grated pecorino romano

To make the Sesame-Tahini Dressing: In a blender or in a large bowl using an immersion blender, combine shallot, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, honey and salt until dressing is thick and emulsified.  To make the salad: Flatten kale on cutting board in stacks of three or four leaves. Roll them into a tight bundle and slice into thin ribbons.  Smash or chop castelvetrano olives.  Toss torn bread in olive oil- spread on a baking sheet and warm through in a 350 degree oven (3-4 minutes). Toss collards, olives, turnips, and pine nuts with grated pecorino romano.  Add lightly toasted bread and 3 tablespoons of the sesame tahini dressing, and salt to taste. Massage dressing throughout. Remaining dressing can be reserved for another salad. Notes: You can soak the minced shallot in water or in the lemon juice to minimize any oniony bite, though it dissipates if you make the dressing a bit in advance. If the small, white turnips aren’t available, add cucumbers, radishes, or anything that has a bit of juice and crunch.

This pizza recipe makes good use of the spring onions.  You can, of course, choose your own list of toppings.

PIZZA PRIMAVERA

For the dough:

½ tsp. active yeast

¼ cup warm water

1 ½ cups unbleached flour

1 large egg, beaten

2 Tbs. olive oil

For the topping:

2-3 fresh onions, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves thinly sliced

2 Tbs. olive oil

6 large plum tomatoes (canned or frozen)

2 zucchini, thinly sliced

¼ – ½ cup sliced black olives

½ cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1 cup grated mozzarella or 8-oz. soft goat cheese

In a small bowl, stir the yeast in the water and set aside until foamy.  Place flour in a large bowl and make a well in the center.  Add the beaten egg and olive oil in the well and begin incorporating the flour.  As you mix, stir in the dissolved yeast.  Continue mixing until a supple dough forms; you may need to adjust either the water or flour.  Knead the dough until silky smooth, transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with wax paper and let rest.  Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan or casserole, cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil over low heat until thoroughly softened and lightly golden; approx. 20 min.  Add chopped tomatoes and cook, stirring often until the mixture is very thick; approx. 15 mins.  Season with salt and pepper and let cool.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees, divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece out into an 8 inch crust.  Place the crusts on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, spread with the onion mixture, scatter zucchini, mushrooms, olives etc. and top with your choice of cheese.  If using the goat chesse or other soft cheese scatter in small pieces.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is golden.  Can be served hot or at room temperature.