This week your basket contains: kohlrabi, kale, lettuce mix, spinach, GREEN GARLIC, garlic scapes, and Asian broccoli (full shares only), carrots (half shares only)

Elephant garlic puts up a flower stalk at the same time the cloves start to form in the head.  By taking the flower buds (called scapes) off  when they are young and tender, we force the plant to put more energy into making larger cloves and heads.  We also get to eat these lovely treats.  While they can be used any way you would use scallions or regular garlic, the easiest way to use them is to sauté them in butter and then scramble eggs into them.

  The recipe below is perfect for this week’s basket.  You can use both the green garlic and the garlic scapes for it.

SPINACH, GREEN GARLIC AND MUSHROOM PIE

¾ Lb spinach and/or other greens

1 cup sliced green garlic

2 Tbs olive oil

2 eggs

1 Lb ricotta cheese

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups chopped onion

½ Lb oyster (or other) mushrooms

2 Tbs vermouth

1-2 tsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare a dough as you would for pizza crust.  Chop the spinach coarsely.  In a heavy pan, sauté the garlic in 1 Tbs of olive oil until limp.  Add the spinach with some salt and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilted and the water it releases is boiled off.  Remove from heat and toss with the lemon juice.  Beat one egg into the ricotta along with the parmesan cheese and mix with the cooked spinach mixture.  In another pan, sauté the onion in the remaining olive oil until it begins to brown.  Add mushroom and continue cooking until they begin to brown.  Add salt, pepper and vermouth and stir until the vermouth evaporates.  Lightly oil a cookie sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.  Roll out the dough to about 15×20 inches and place on cookie sheet.  Spread the Ricotta and spinach mixture onto the dough leaving approx. 3 inches around the edges and cover the cooked mushrooms over the spinach.  Pull the edges of the dough over the filling and fold together.  Beat the remaining egg with a spoonful of oil and brush onto the dough.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 35 minutes.  When it is fully cooked, allow it to cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges for serving.

The recipe below can be made with your kale, spinach, or both.

GREEN GARLIC AND GREENS

1 to 2 Tbsp. olive oil

green garlic, chopped

1/8 tsp. salt plus more to taste

2 slices prosciutto, sliced (optional)

1 bunch collard greens, kale, or Swiss chard thinly sliced or chopped

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Fresh lemon juice (optional)

Heat a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add oil. Swirl and add green garlic and salt. Cook, stirring, until wilted, about 1 minute. Add prosciutto, if using, and cook, stirring, until it loses its bright pink tone, about 1 minute. Add greens, stir to combine, add 1/4 cup water. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and cook until greens are well wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir, cover, and cook until tender. Depending on the greens used (chard will take a shorter time than the others) and your taste, this will take anywhere from 3 to 8 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste, as you like.

Asian broccoli is a lovely tender variety of broccoli that fills in for us between the overwintered purple broccoli and our summer crop of European broccoli.  It can be used in any way you would prepare regular broccoli and all parts are eaten (leaves, stems, and buds).  A quick sauté with garlic, soy sauce and grated ginger is my favorite way of preparing it.

FLOWERS ARE AVAILABLE Now that summer flower season has begun, Polly is making beautiful mixed bouquets that can be delivered with your basket for $10.  You can order occasionally or as a standing order.  Just email to let us know!

SAVE THE DATE FOR OUR FIRST SUBSCRIBER DAY OF THE YEAR.  It will be on Sunday, June 11^th from 11:00 to 3:00.  We will contribute home-made, wood fired pizzas, lead farm tours and host the pot luck lunch.