Final Winter Harvest of 2024-25
Spinach
Herb (cilantro or parsley)
Kale raab
Escarole
Lettuce
Arugula
Bunching celery or green onions
Shallots
Potatoes or carrots or celeriac
We are pleased to be able to offer the hidden escarole to you all on our last harvest of the season. This escarole was under remay (agricultural fabric) when the herd of hungry goats and sheep ate our greenhouse crops to the ground. These sturdy winter greens flourished despite the invaders as they were tucked under the white fabric. They got a bit trampled initially but then continued to grow. Today we have a bag of salad for you to enjoy including Escarole and either watercress(grew back from the trampling) or arugula and little gem lettuce (planted last fall and finally covered from the birds and grew into nice small heads). Please do make salad and if you have resisted my salad dressing until now, it is time to try it.
The kale that looked horrible all winter has sent up it’s flowers called raab and they are sweet and delicious and have tiny kale leaves attached to their stems. Please enjoy this spring time delicacy and see the family favorite recipe below.
Our country is a mess, falling further into constitutional crisis with a dictator king for president and an unelected pres #2 who is hitleresque. Everyday I try to do one thing to combat the attack on immigrants, democracy, the environment, trans rights, education equality you name it. This week I called our senators twice and screamed to support the EPA and the Department of Education and to free Kahlid. I have them on speed dial from Trump 1 and make it a habit to reach out to them. I contributed to Move On and to the ACLU and sent out postcards to the White house on 3/15. Please feel free to share with me ways you are fighting the autocracy and supporting our local efforts.
This is our last harvest for winter 2024-25. We are glad to have veggies this week to share with you all. I worked hard this week to find recipes and include family favorites. These are lean times and should only get better (veggie wise). Find ways to eat them all and don’t forget soup - it always works and is always a crowd pleaser and can use up so many veggies.
Last harvest about 80% of people left their spinach. That spinach has been growing for 6 months and has been kept covered and pampered so that the birds don’t eat it. If you are wondering how to eat spinach, green onions, herbs “Kuku” is the answer for you. It is a Persian dish which celebrates spring
Kuku: Melissa’s way:
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018062-fresh-herb-kuku
Other spinach recipes: https://gypsyplate.com/the-best-spinach-recipes/
Kuku- Persian frittata
Ingredients
5
Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1
medium onion, finely chopped
1
medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped
5
large eggs
1½
tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt
1
tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1
tsp. baking powder
½
tsp. ground turmeric
1½
cups finely chopped cilantro
1½
cups finely chopped dill
1½
cups finely chopped flatleaf parsley
1
Tbsp. dried fenugreek leaves
PreparationStep 1
Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a 10" skillet over medium. Cook 1 medium onion, finely chopped, and 1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, finely chopped, stirring occasionally, until very soft but not brown, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Wipeout skillet; set aside.
Step 2
Whisk 5 large eggs, 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1 tsp. Morton kosher salt, 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp. baking powder, and ½ tsp. ground turmeric in a large bowl. Using a rubber spatula, mix in reserved onion mixture, 1½ cups finely chopped cilantro, 1½ cups finely chopped dill, 1½ cups finely chopped parsley, and 1 Tbsp. dried fenugreek leaves. (Egg mixture should look thick and very green.)
Step 3
Preheat broiler. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil in the same skillet over medium. Pour in egg mixture, spreading evenly across the pan with spatula. Cover and cook until the bottom is just set, 8–10 minutes. Uncover and broil, watching carefully, until the top is set, about 1 minute. Let cool slightly, then slide kuku sabzi onto a platter.
Parsley is a super food that often gets overlooked. We use it weekly as the base for a pesto that is much like the one we make with basil in the summer. We use lemon zest and lemon juice and a bit of pasta water in the sauce. We see many people leave parsley and encourage you to try our family favorite. Prezzemolo (Italian parsley pesto with some lemon - so good!) try this recipe: https://www.insidetherustickitchen.com/parsley-pesto-recipe-fresh-and-easy/
Or this version - do not skip the lemon juice! https://www.thelastfoodblog.com/parsley-pesto/
Sausage and Escarole Soup
Serves 4-6
We love Italian Wedding Soup, but who has the time? This riff on it originally comes from Martha Stewart, but we’ve made it chock full of chicory. It comes together quickly for a satisfying first course, or even makes a great busy weeknight meal.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
3 stalks celery (could use the fennel instead), sliced
1 onion, diced
½ cup dried lentils
2 quarts chicken broth
1 head radicchio such as Castelfranco or Variegata di Lusia (we grow both varieties) torn into pieces (feel free to use escarole in this soup)
Salt and pepper to taste
Hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano for grating
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
In a large pot,m heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring often to break apart, until golden brown on the edges. Add the celery and onion and cook until soft. Add the lentils and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
Add the radicchio and season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep simmering until the radicchio wilts, about 5-10 minutes.
Recipe idea for cooking the kale raab:
1 bunch sprouting broccoli/ kale raab
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
salt to taste
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, or to taste
DirectionsBring a large wide pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in broccoli and boil until dark green, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain.
Heat vegetable and sesame oils in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add broccoli and stir-fry until well seasoned with garlic oil, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt.
Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Argueta Jacobs Family Favorite way to eat Raab or sprouting broccoli
1-2 bunches of raab (if stems are thick then peel them a bit, if tender no need, plus you lose some of the leaves that will crips up and be delicious)
EVOO al gusto
Romano cheese grated
Spread the raab on a cooking sheet, drizzle with EVOO and massage into the stems and leaves and broccoli heads. Finely grate Romano cheese al gusto over the kale, raab, sprouting broccoli. Cook in the preheated oven at 350 for 13-17 minutes until crispy and the way your family likes to eat it.
Lyn’s Salad Dressing
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon or more Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic pressed
Add all ingredients to a Mason jar and cover with a lid. Shake until creamy and
well blended