This week your basket contains: potatoes, green elephant garlic, KOHLRABI, turnips or Asian broccoli, lettuce, dill, and kale.

THANK YOU ALL FOR SUPPORTING US OVER THE PAST 52 WEEKS!  We have been happy to be growing and delivering veggies to you for the past year and are looking forward to continuing on to our 32^nd year of subscription farming.

The kohlrabi (those purple and/or green sputnik looking things) are tender, sweet and very similar to broccoli stems.  They need to be peeled and can be used in stir-fries, sliced like carrot sticks or grated raw in green salads.  If you’ve never tried them before, eat them raw and fresh for the best flavor.  They can also be used in any recipe calling for turnip for a milder flavor.  The recipe below is our favorite way to use kohlrabi.  While it calls for three kohlrabi, it is easy to adjust the proportions.  You could also bulk up the salad with lettuce or turnips or kale.  Our crop is just starting to be ready and we will have more kohlrabi in the coming weeks.

AVOCADO AND KOHLRABI SALAD

3 medium kohlrabi, bulbs

2 ripe avocados

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 scallion, chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Peel the kohlrabi by cutting off the top and bottom, and peeling with a potato peeler. Cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut the slices into chunks. Place in a bowl. Cut avocados in half lengthwise. Tap the blade of a heavy knife in the pit, twist to remove, and discard. Quarter and peel avocados, then cut into chunks. Drizzle lime juice over avocados to prevent browning and to add flavor; set aside. Whisk together green onion, balsamic vinegar, oil, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over kohlrabi and mix to cover. Mix together the chunked avocados and the kohlrabi mixture. Make a bed of the salad on four plates, and sprinkle each with feta cheese.

This is, perhaps the easiest preparation of kohlrabi we’ve come across.

EASY ROASTED KOHLRABI

Trim leaves close to the bulb of the kohlrabi (no need to peel the bulb).  Cut the kohlrabi in half or quarters depending on its size and place on a cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Roast at 450 degrees until the kohlrabi is tender.

In the recipe below I would consider adding Asian broccoli or turnips.

PENNE WITH KALE AND POTATOES

½ lb. kale

2-3 Tbs. salt

1 large yellow-fleshed potato, ¾” cubes

14-16 oz. uncooked penne pasta

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped

3-4 Tbs. olive oil

fresh black pepper to taste

Clean the kale, removing tough ribs, and cut it into thin strips.  Bring 5-6 quarts of water to a rolling boil, add salt, potatoes and kale, cook for 5 minutes.  Add pasta and cook for ¾ of recommended time (should offer considerable resistance to the tooth).  Meanwhile, put the garlic in a large skillet and drizzle with 1 Tbs. olive oil over moderate heat.  When garlic begins to sizzle, remove from heat.  Drain pasta and vegetables, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water.  Add the pasta and vegetables to the garlic in the skillet and add 1 cup of the cooking water.  Cook over high heat, covered, until the pasta is done and surrounded by a creamy sauce.  Add more cooking water as needed.  Serve in bowls, topped with a drizzle of remaining olive oil and pepper.  Serves 8.  Adapted from Red, White and Greens by Faith Willinger.

RHUBARB is ready!  We can send along a bunch (approx. 1LB) for only $4 just email to order!