• Beets
• Lettuce (Dan suggests if it is a large head remove some of the outer leaves)
• Garlic scapes
• Green onions
• Walla Walla onions
• Sugar snap peas
• Chinese broccoli
• Kale or chard
• Turnips or Kohlrabi
Ahh . . . June. It is 39 degrees outside not great weather for all those cucumbers just trying to get over the shock of transplant. The basil is shriveling and brown and looks like it may never recover. The cucumber beetles are not phased and find the cool weather refreshing. The combination of weak plants and voracious pests is not good. This is farming in June.
We do have garlic scapes or curls. This is the flower of the garlic that is sweet and spicy. They can be used as you would use any other young garlic or they can be used as a leek. The flower usually signifies that garlic will come out of the ground for curing in about a month. That is good news as we are out of space for the fall crops (broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, celery and the like). It is time to enjoy the Walla Walla sweet onion fresh in salads or cooked in sauces.
The hoop house tomatoes and peppers are looking great. Two weeks ago Jamin with her sweetly pregnant belly pruned all the tomatoes and was a little skeptical about how many leaves I was telling her to remove. I assured her that the tomatoes would be back with a vengeance and now I have photos to prove it! We spent several hours putting up strings and then pruning the plants again. Weeding had to occur as well. Now we begin the training of the tomatoes, we want them to grow up so their leaves don’t touch the ground and the fruit can get some exposure to the sun. We hope to have tomatoes for you by August. As you look around the farm notice how the tomatoes planted outside the hoop house look in comparison to those inside, it seems to take a month or so for them to regain the green of growth, for now the outside tomatoes look purple and yellow.
Don’t be alarmed by the white powder on the beans and squash. This is another spraying of “Surround” to deter the ever present cucumber beetles. The plants were growing past the white and then to down pour of Thursday and Friday washed the remainder off. We walked through the fields and there they were, the striped and spotted cucumber beetles munching the green leaves.
Jen was also happy to know the cherry tomatoes she helped plant have taken to their new environment. They looked a bit yellow going into the ground, but they have greened up and are covered in flowers. They may give us fruit by July, but it has got to warm up! Weather, weeds and pests, is that all farmers talk about?
Garlic Curl Pesto
Use as a dip, pasta sauce, pizza topping (after thinning with more oil) or on bagels. Also delicious in scrambled eggs! Appropriate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Ingredients
• 1 bunch garlic curls (scapes)
• 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts or walnuts or pine nuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Preparation
Chop garlic, puree in food processor or blender. Add nuts and puree. Add oil and cheese and puree.
Source: Adapted from Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables—A Common Sense Guide by Elizabeth Schneider
Garlic Scape Vichyssoise
8 garlic scapes, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, sliced
1 Tb butter
3 medium potatoes unpeeled and cubed
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ Tb salt (omit if using canned stock)
1 cup milk
1 cup cream (divided)
Arugula and chives (chopped fine), and black or white pepper, for serving
Sauté scapes and onion in butter until limp, 5-8 minutes. Add potato, stock, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer rapidly, uncovered, 35 minutes, until potato is very tender. Fill blend half full (to avoid splattering), blend till very smooth – 3-4 minutes. Repeat until all blended. Strain into the saucepan through a wire-mesh strainer, add milk and half the cream, and bring slowly almost to a boil, stirring often and scraping the bottom to avoid scorching. Remove from heat and stir in remaining cream. Add salt. Cover and chill thoroughly. To serve, put some chopped arugula in the bottom of each bowl, ladle on the soup, add a dash of white vinegar, garnish with chives and pepper.
Posted by Maryellen at June 19, 2007 09:06 PM
Crunchy Red Devils recipe by A. Doncsecz, Vegetarian Gourmet
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
½ teaspoon sugar
3 medium kohlrabi bulbs
Whisk together all ingredients except kohlrabi with ½ cup water. Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi; stir into marinade, coating evenly. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 days, stirring occasionally. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Stir-Fried Kohlrabi from The Goodness of Potatoes and Root Vegetables
3 kohlrabi, peeled
3 medium carrots
4 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 inch piece gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1-2 fresh chili peppers, sliced, optional
salt
4 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)
3 teaspoons sesame oil & soy sauce, each
Slice kohlrabi and carrots into thin ovals. Heat oil in large heavy skillet; when it begins to smoke, toss in garlic and ginger. Stir once then add kohlrabi and carrots; toss and cook 2 minutes. Add green onions and chilies; stir-fry 1 minute, then pour in ½ cup water. Cover, reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and toss in a little salt and the sesame and soy, and oyster if using. Serve with rice.
Kohlrabi Pickle Chips from the Victory Garden Cookbook
1-2 pounds smallish kohlrabi, trimmed
3 small onions
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 cups vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi and onions. Mix salt with 1 quart ice water, pour over the vegetables, and soak for 3 hours. Drain, rinse, and place in a bowl. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, cook for 3 minutes, and pour over the vegetables. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 3 days
Crunchy Red Devils recipe by A. Doncsecz, Vegetarian Gourmet
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2 shallots, minced
1/4 cup hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
½ teaspoon sugar
3 medium kohlrabi bulbs
Whisk together all ingredients except kohlrabi with ½ cup water. Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi; stir into marinade, coating evenly. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 days, stirring occasionally. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Stir-Fried Kohlrabi from The Goodness of Potatoes and Root Vegetables
3 kohlrabi, peeled
3 medium carrots
4 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 inch piece gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1-2 fresh chili peppers, sliced, optional
salt
4 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)
3 teaspoons sesame oil & soy sauce, each
Slice kohlrabi and carrots into thin ovals. Heat oil in large heavy skillet; when it begins to smoke, toss in garlic and ginger. Stir once then add kohlrabi and carrots; toss and cook 2 minutes. Add green onions and chilies; stir-fry 1 minute, then pour in ½ cup water. Cover, reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and toss in a little salt and the sesame and soy, and oyster if using. Serve with rice.
Kohlrabi Pickle Chips from the Victory Garden Cookbook
1-2 pounds smallish kohlrabi, trimmed
3 small onions
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 cups vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi and onions. Mix salt with 1 quart ice water, pour over the vegetables, and soak for 3 hours. Drain, rinse, and place in a bowl. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, cook for 3 minutes, and pour over the vegetables. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 3 days
Kale and Lentil Soup
(Marilyn’s invention from Sue)
3 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 onion and 1 rib of celery (chopped and sauté for 4 minutes)
6-7 cups of water
2 cups chicken broth
1 ½ cups green lentils (rinsed and checked)
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ – 1 # kale (washed and sliced)
12 oz. Kielbasa (slice in 1” rounds)
16 oz. plum tomatoes
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauté onion and celery for 4 minutes. Add water and chicken broth as well as lentils to the sauté mix. Add the bay leaf and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to a simmer for 30 minutes. Then add the Kale, kielbasa sausage, tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook 15 minutes more and serve. Great the next day.