- Lettuce
- Kohlrabi (like a delicious broccoli stem, peel and slice and eat raw or see great recipes below)
- Chinese broccoli (Diego showed us a great way just to blanch in boiling water, stem first then dip the whole flower and leaves in for about 2 minutes – delish)
- Cauliflower
- Chard
- Spinach or bok Choi
- Green garlic (spring garlic to be used all the way up the stem until the leaves are woody)
- Herb (cilantro, dill, mint or radishes)
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there and to all who have mothers. Today we take an extra moment to celebrate our mothers and the sacrifices they have made to give us life and nurture us throughout our lives. My own mother taught me so much about unconditional love and celebration of the good in each person. She taught me the value of home cooked meals, everything in moderation and writing a thank you note. She taught me how to care for my infants and enjoy every smile, giggle and garbled word. She continues to remind me of the joy of having special time with each child and so much more. Being a mother has been the hardest and most rewarding part of my life. The love I feel for my children is visceral and deep. The joy I feel when I am with them is energizing. I also know the pain a mother feels when their child suffers. This seems to be at times an unbearable pain, but one would rather take that pain oneself than watch them (your child) in anguish. And yet, we cannot take that pain away but rather only sit with them as they feel and live through it. We can serve as a touchstone for them as they journey through life knowing we hold unconditional love for them. I hope everyone gets to feel a bit of joy today whether in person, over the phone or in memory of our mothers.
The farm took a hit in the early hours of Saturday morning. The temperature dipped to 32 and frost nipped many of our summer crops that I ambitiously planted before mid May. The zucchini and beans are especially offended and may not make it. I did not have my eye on the weather, it was windy anyway and may not have mattered, and I did not cover them during the night. Many leaves are black, I will reseed today, but alas beans and summer squash may be months off rather than weeks. A constant reminder that the mother of us all (Mother Nature) rules and can change on a whim.
Finally the end of the cover crop trial and the tilling in of the last beds in the field. We had triticale and vetch in different proportions growing until this week to add biomass to the soil. Now we will have space for winter squash, leeks and more over the next weeks. I hope to get the cherry tomatoes in the ground today (only a few seemed to die in the frost) and then work on the main season tomatoes. Peppers are in the ground in the hoop house. We plug away at the onions and shallots with transplanting about half way done!
I will end here and give you some recipes for the upcoming week.
Spinach and Cauliflower Bhaji
This dish is half Indian and half Pakistani. This excellent vegetable dish goes well with most Asian foods and it is simple and quick-cooking. Serve hot with roti breads, if wished.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable broth
- salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound fresh spinach, chopped and stems removed
Directions
- Step 1
- Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir onions and cauliflower until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; stir to coat.
- Step 2
- Stir tomatoes and vegetable broth into cauliflower mixture; season with salt and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until flavors have blended, about 8 minutes. Stir spinach into mixture until it begins to wilt. Cover and simmer until spinach is completely wilted and cauliflower is tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 253 calories; protein 8.5g; carbohydrates 26.6g; fat 15g; sodium 426.6mg.
Garlic Noodles with Mustard Greens. 4 svgs
4 large cloves garlic, grated or minced
10 oz dried Chinese wheat noodles, ramen, or soba noodles
1 Tb oyster sauce + 1/2 tsp sugar OR 1 Tbs hoisin sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
1. tsp cornstarch
2 tsp brewer’s yeast
4-5 Tbs butter
10 oz sliced cremini or shiitake mushrooms
1 large bunch mustard greens, stems and leaves, cut into 2” pieces
1 Tbs minced shallot
salt/pepper to taste, handful chopped cilantro for serving.
In a small bowl, cover the garlic with 1 Tbs water and set aside.
Cook the noodles no more than al dente. Before draining, reserve 3/4 c cooking water; then drain and rinse with cool water and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, sugar, fish sauce, cornstarch, brewers yeast and reserved cooking water. Set aside.
In a 12” skillet or wok, melt 3 Tbs butter over medium high heat. Saute the mushrooms until well browned, then stir in mustard greens and cook, stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes more until just tender. Transfer to a large bowl.
Return skillet to the heat and add 2 more TBs butter, the shallot, and the garlic water mixture (do not drain). Cook over medium low until garlic is fragrant, about 3-5 min. Stir in cooking liquid mixture and being sauce to a boil so it thickens a bit, then toss in noodles to coat. Turn off heat and toss in mustard greens and mushrooms. serve with cilantro.
Ottolenghi Kohlrabi Salad
3 small kohlrabi, peeled and cut into matchstick.
2 granny smith apples, peeled and julienned as well
2 jalapeños, seeded and julienned
15 grams each cilantro leaves and mint leaves
2 green onions thinly sliced
1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds
Finely grated zest of 1 lime, plus 2 1/2 Tbs lime juice
1Tbs peanut oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tsp sesame oil
Combine all ingredients. Serve with a dollop of creme fresh if you like, but we lve it as is.
Caramelized Kohlrabi Soup
3 lbs kohlrabi and or turnips, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
1/4 c EVOO
1 3/4 tsp kosher salt
ground black pepper
1 large white onion, peeled and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 c vegetable or chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 lemon
Grated parmesan and smoked paprika, to garnish
Toss the kohlrabi with 2 Tbs oil, salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil in the oven until very well browned, stirring 1/2 way through (about 10 minutes total)
Heat the remaining oil in a sop pot over medium heat, add the onion and saute until soft. Stir in garlic and saute a few minutes more.
Add the broiled veggies, stock, 3 c water, bay leaf and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then let simmer until veggies are tender, about 30 minutes
Remove the bay leaf and puree in a food processor or with an immersion blender. Zest the lemon into the soup and then halve it and squeeze in the juice. Ladle into bowls and top with a sprinkle of parmesan and a pinch of chile powder or smoked paprika.