This week your basket contains: Lettuce, NEW POTATOES, CARROTS (half shares only), peas or snow peas, kohlrabi, Asian broccoli or Purple sprouting broccoli, or turnips, and WALLA WALLA ONIONS (full shares only)We are always excited by the year’s first new potatoes.  Digging them while they are still growing (unlike waiting for the tubers to be fully grown as you do for storage) means you get to enjoy them before most of the sugars have been converted to starch.  The easiest way to serve them is steamed and dressed with butter and garlic salt and pepper.  This is also a great way to prepare them.

EASY ROASTED NEW POTATOES

Last night Polly roasted new potatoes in a very simple way.  While I was grilling other things on the barbecue, she made a simple tray by folding up the edges of a small (1 foot square) piece of aluminum foil.  She poured in 2 –3 Tbs. of olive oil then placed halved new potatoes face down on the improvised tray.  She sprinkled them with salt, pepper, chopped scallions (green onion tops would work well, too), and dill.  We placed the tray on the lower level of the barbecue and turned it occasionally to insure even cooking.  When the spuds were tender to a fork, they were easy to pop off the foil and they came out with a nicely crisp cut face and a light fluffy center.  Yum! 

Kohlrabi continues to produce well.  This recipe is a perennial favorite at our house.  This recipe is a perennial favorite at our house.

KOHLRABI AND CHICKEN STEW

3-4 lb. Chicken

2 lb. kohlrabi/broccoli stems

3/4 lb. Carrots

4 Tb butter

4 cups sliced onions

1 cup peeled, chopped tomatoes

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

pinch saffron threads

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ground coriander

1 quart chicken broth or water

4 sprigs parsley

De-ribbed kohlrabi leaves

Cut chicken into serving pieces. Peel kohlrabis and/or broccoli stems; cut larger ones into 1-inch chunks. Cut cabbage into 1/4-inch strips. Peel carrots and slice diagonally into 1/2-inch thick pieces.  In a large saucepan, heat the butter and sauté the onions, tomatoes, salt and spices for 4-5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Add the broth or water and parsley. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the kohlrabis and carrots, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. Finally, add the kohlrabi leaves and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes longer or until all the vegetables are completely tender.  Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash 

This is a nice way to serve kohlrabi.

SPICY KOHLRABI NOODLES

2-3 kohlrabi

4 oz. cooked (and cooled) rice noodles

½ jalapeño, sliced and/or a few Thai red chiles

½ avocado, sliced

herbs: cilantro, basil, and/or mint

handful of crushed peanuts

sriracha, to taste

extra lime slices

optional: tofu or a protein of your choice

DRESSING:

juice and zest of 1 lime

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced ginger

Mix the dressing together.  Peel the kohlrabi if you like, (I just try to peel off the fibrous nubby sections and I leave the more tender skin on). Use a mandoline to slice kohlrabi into planks and then slice the planks into thin matchsticks. Toss the sliced kohlrabi with the dressing and chile peppers. Chill for about 30 minutes. Toss the marinated kohlrabi with noodles, avocado, herbs, crushed peanuts and sriracha. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve cold or at room temp, with extra lime slices on the side. Adapted from loveandlemons.com 

To make the ordering easier Fraga have created an online cheese shop for you.  You can place orders 24 hours a day at fragafarm.com. When placing your order please select the “Pumpkin Ridge CSA” as a pick up location. The cheese of course will be delivered to you on your regular CSA schedule day. Please indicate Tuesday or Friday in the special instructions field. And for all of you that have waited for this: the raw aged Feta is back in stock & aged to perfection. They can also include young Camembert in your order. Typically, you want to enjoy it between 4 and 6 weeks of age. They mark the cheese with the “make date” so you’ll know how long to wait.  They sell it young because it travels better before it becomes soft.  Some things are worth the wait.