THIS WEEK YOUR BASKET CONTAINS: carrots, salad mix (lettuce & spinach), NEW POTATOES, Swiss chard, kohlrabi, SNOW PEAS OR SNAP PEAS, and DILL.

STRAWBERRIES ARE HERE! We grow Shuksan (the Cadillac of Strawberries according to a local old-time berry grower).  $5 per pint;  $27.50 for 6 pints; $55 for 12 pints.  Email to order by noon the day before your delivery.

New Potatoes (dug while the tubers are still growing) are a springtime treat that we love.  Because the tubers are not fully mature, they have a very thin, loose skin and   sweet tender flesh.   The simplest way to prepare them is to cube the spuds, steam them until just tender to a fork, dress with butter and season with garlic salt and fresh dill.   For a slightly different take, try the recipe below.

EASY ROASTED NEW POTATOES

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 (green onion tops would work well, too), and dill.  Place the tray on the lower level of  your 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!

Kohlrabi are just entering their harvest window and we will be having more in coming weeks.  If you have never tried kohlrabi before, the tip below is one of the easiest and tastiest ways to make use of them.

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 we use frozen tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes. 

SWISS CHARD WITH PEANUTS AND CHILES

8-10 leaves Swiss chard

2 TBS olive oil

½ onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, minced

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ cup roasted, salted peanuts, finely chopped

Boil chard in a large pot of water for 10 minutes.  Drain, press out excess water and pat dry.  Puree in food processor.  Add oil to skillet and sauté onion, tomatoes, garlic, chile, salt and pepper for ten minutes over medium heat.  Add pureed chard and chopped peanuts and stir to blend, continue cooking for two minutes then serve.  From Foodday.  Makes 4 servings.

We eat a lot of salads.  Sometimes it is nice to switch up our dressing, and the one below is a good one.

FLOATING CLOUDS MISO DRESSING

6 Tbs. veg oil
1/4 Tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbs. rice vinegar or lemon juice
2 Tbs. red, barley, or Hatcho miso
1/4 C. water (if needed)
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
dash of powdered ginger
dash of dry mustard (or use a prepared sweet-hot honey mustard)

Combine all ingredients; whisk or shake well.  If the dressing seems at all weak, just pump up the miso and garlic. From “The Book of Miso,” by Shurtleff and Aoyagi.

We have set the date for our first SUBSCRIBER DAY OF THE YEAR.  It will be on Sunday, June 22^nd   from 11:00 to 3:00.  We will contribute pizzas, lead farm tours and host the potluck lunch.

If you have Asian broccoli this week, remember that all parts (stems, leaves, and buds) are used when cooking it.

IT IS TIME TO ORDER GARDENS STARTS!  You can order from our full lineup of vegetable, herb and flower starts  from our website PUMPKINRIDGEGARDENS.SQUARE.SITE.  MIXED FLOWER BOUQUETS ($12) are ready!  Email to order (either standing order or one time) RHUBARB is also ready!  We can add a bunch (approximately 1 Lb.) to your basket for $4.