THIS WEEK YOUR BASKET CONTAINS: salad mix (lettuce & spinach), kohlrabi, green elephant garlic, NEW POTATOES, spinach, dill, and SNAP PEAS OR SNOW PEAS.

It is always a red-letter day when we have the first new potatoes of the year!  The thing that makes them special is that “new” indicates that they are dug while the tubers are still developing.  This means the skins are particularly thin and loose, and the flesh of the potato itself has a higher proportion of sugar to starch (the sugar converts to starch at maturity to help the tuber store longer). 

That means you have a lovely, sweet gem on your plate. The ones we dug for you this week have a higher than ideal number of tubers that partially split while growing.  We had an issue with irrigation in the hoop house where they were planted that let the beds dry out at one point.  When we noticed and fixed the problem, the flush of water shocked the tubers into to a spurt of growth that “popped” some of the tubers.  It doesn’t affect the edibility, just the looks.  Below is one of our favorite ways to use new potatoes.

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 garlic would work well, too), and dill.  We placed the tray on the lower level of the barbecue and turned it occasionally to ensure 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!

The kohlrabi planted outside has come on strong.  Here are a couple of recipes to help you enjoy them.  Remember, grating raw kohlrabi (peeled first) onto a green salad is very tasty.

KOHLRABI AND BLACK QUINOA SALAD

1 14 oz. can light coconut milk

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 cup black quinoa

3 medium kohlrabi, peeled

2 green oions, thinly sliced

¼ cup cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

2 Tbs. lime juice

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

½ cup roasted cashews

¼ cup unsweetened grated coconut

Place 1 ½ cups of coconut milk in a saucepan, reserving the remainder for the dressing. Add 1 cup of water and the salt and bring to a simmer.  Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until half the liquid is absorbed (about 15 minutes).  Cover and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed and the the quinoa is tender (about 10 minutes)  Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and let stand until cooled to room temperature.  Cut the kohlrabi into matchsticks and add to the quinoa along with the green onions, cilantro, and jalapeno (or red pepper flakes).  In a small bowl, stir the remaining coconut milk, lime juice and ginger to blend for the dressing.  Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.  Stir in the cashews and grated coconut and serve.  From Salad For Dinner by Jeanne Kelley

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.

THE FIRST OF TEN MONTHLY STATEMENTS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR BASKET TODAY.  You can leave a check in your empty basket for our driver to pick up, or mail one.  You can also use your bank’s online bill pay feature to have them send a check.  If the balance on your account is under $5 we do not print a statement.  Email if you have questions or concerns.