2014 – Week 5

June 19, 2014 by alleygron Leave a comment

Here is what was in your share this week:

• Early Wonder Tall Top, and Bull’s Blood Beets from Green Thumb Growers
• Lacinato or Red Russian Kale from Green Thumb Growers and Terembry Farm
• Spinach from Terembry Farm
• Carrots from Hartland Natural Farm
• Cabbage from Hartland Natural Farm
• Fennel from Hartland Natural Farm

Heather, FACSAP Secretary

Here are some tips to help you get the most from your share:

• Beet burgers? Might have to give these a try:  http://www.theppk.com/2012/02/quarter-pounder-beet-burger/

• To store your fennel and carrots in the fridge: first remove the fennel bulb from the stalk/fronds and the carrot greens from the root, then store all in separate plastic bags. This way the greens don’t steal moisture from the fennel bulbs and carrot roots. Be careful not to let fennel get too cold. Like lettuce and celery, fennel’s high water content makes it prone to freezing in overly-cold fridges. For a non-plastic option, try storing fennel upright in a cup of water on the counter. Either way, try to use your fennel within a few days — any more than that, and it starts to lose flavor. However, fresh fennel will keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
• Store carrot greens as you would any other greens. The root part of your carrots can easily last for weeks kept in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer, but make sure to wait to wash the carrots until you’re going to use them, as excess moisture in the bag can make them spoil faster.

• If you aren’t feeling brave enough to try beet burgers, your beets will be delicious if you roast them.  I washed mine then cut them into 1″ pieces, tossed them with chopped rosemary and garlic, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  I wrapped them loosely in foil and roasted them on the grill for about 30 minutes, until they were fork tender and slightly browned.

• Caramelized fennel?  Yes, please! http://putneyfarm.com/2012/04/05/caramelized-fennel-the-best-fennel-youll-ever-eat/  While raw fennel is great when chopped and added to a salad, it has a wide range of uses, and the stalks and fronds are edible as well as the bulb. Here are 24 tasty possibilities: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/fennel-recipes_n_1152097.html  For more information about how to identify and use each part of the fennel plant, see this link: http://food52.com/blog/6027-fennel

• Just don’t think you’ll get around to using all of your cabbage in time and not tasting more sauerkraut? Cabbage freezes well with a quick blanching first. (http://www.food-skills-for-self-sufficiency.com/freezing-cabbage.html) Keep in mind that once thawed, the cabbage’s texture will only be suitable for cooked dishes.

Richard sent in a few pictures to show us what he did with his kale, scallions, and garlic last week:

“Here is my dish from last week.

Washed these.

Cooked oil + scallions + garlic + salt

Added greens

Added this cheese we had

Ate it straight out of the pan. Doing so makes me feel like a real chef.”

He also shared a recipe for mint julep, and we will pass that along next time we have mint available.