This week your basket contains: NEW POTATOES, garlic scapes, kohlrabi, snap peas, dill, broccoli or Asian broccoli, BEETS (full shares), SUMMER SQUASH OR CUCUMBERS, lettuce,  and spinach.

New potatoes are always a cause for celebration in our house!  These sweet little gems (harvested while the tubers are still growing) are my favorite spuds of the year.  They are tender, have thin skins, and have the sweetest flavor of any potato.  The easiest way to prepare them is to steam them until tender to a fork, add a little butter, salt and pepper and serve.  Minced garlic scapes and/or chopped dill are also great on new potatoes.  They can also be cubed and roasted or cooked on the grill as in this recipe.

EASY ROASTED NEW POTATOES

While grilling other things on the barbecue, make a simple tray by folding up the edges of a small (1 foot square) piece of aluminum foil.  Pour in 2 –3 Tbs. of olive oil then placed halved new potatoes face down on the improvised tray. Sprinkle them with salt, pepper, chopped scallions (garlic scapes would work well, too), and dill.  Place the tray on the lower level of the barbecue and turn it occasionally to insure even cooking.  When the spuds are tender to a fork, they are easy to pop off the foil and they come out with a nicely crisp cut face and a light fluffy center.  Yum!

If you are falling behind on using kohlrabi (and this year that is totally understandable!) this is a great way to use some up in a tasty way.

PICKLED KOHLRABI

3 kohlrabi, peeled and sliced ¼ in. thick

2 carrots cut into sticks and parboiled 3 min.

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bay leaf

3 sprigs fresh dill

PICKLING MIXTURE

¾ cup white vinegar

1 ¼ cups water

3 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. mustard seed

½ tsp. dill seed

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. salt

Combine the carrots and kohlrabi and pack into a 1-quart jar along with the garlic, bay leaf, and fresh dill.  In a saucepan combine pickling mixture ingredients and bring to a boil.  Pour boiling mixture over the kohlrabi and carrots filling the jar completely.  Cover the jar.  When cool, refrigerate for 3-4 days before using to allow the flavors to blend.  From More Recipes from a Kitchen Garden by Renee Shepherd and Fran Raboff.

This is an old favorite for using spinach.

                                                                                               RICOTTA-SPINACH DIP                                                             

1 bunch fresh spinach

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 lb. ricotta cheese

1-2 tbs. fresh dill (optional)

3-4 scallions, finely minced

1/2 cup finely minced water chestnuts

5 to 6 healthy radishes, minced

Stem the spinach, clean and dry thoroughly (a salad spinner works fine, followed by paper towel).  Mince finely (a few whirls in the food processor with the steel blade works perfectly).  Place ricotta in a medium-large bowl.  Use a wire whisk or wooden spoon to beat it until quite smooth.  Stir in the spinach and all other ingredients, including the optional dill (or save as a garnish) and minced water chestnuts.  Cover tightly and chill until very cold.  Serve with chips, raw vegetables, or good crackers.  From Molly Katzen’s Still Life with Menu Cookbook.

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