Green Kale: Ridiculously nutritious and versatile!
Picking the peas was a great way to start today in the nice cool morning. The weather is giving us some sweet relief from an incredibly hot and stormy week. Sugar snap peas are fresh out of the field this week and they are my favorite of all peas! They have sweet flavour paired with the ease of using the whole pod. So, please don’t sit there shelling your peas- the whole pod was made to be enjoyed.
Also new this week is cauliflower- and I must say, it is an achievement. Cauliflower is very vulnerable to pests that are extemely hard to control organically. This is the reason we have not grown more in the past. However, in the shelter of the greenhouse, it looks like the bugs were unsuccessful in finding their favourite treat. Why not try wrapping your cauliflower in tin foil and grilling it?
There are still many leafy greens decorating your box. Try to enjoy them for their versatility- salads, pastas, soups, sauteed on their own or with those sassy garlic scapes! You can even try adding them to smoothies for a little “green power” or using them in an omelette. As more of the other vegetables become available, they will gradually replace some of the greens.
So, here is what you are receiving this week and some recipe ideas.
Half Share
-asparagus (last week folks, savour it!)
-green leaf lettuce
-red leaf lettuce
-cauliflower
-garlic scapes
-green kale
-spinach
-rainbow swiss chard
-sugar snap peas
-snow peas (York & Durham) or black currants (Durham & Pickup)
Whole Share
-asparagus (last week folks, savour it!)
-green leaf lettuce
-red leaf lettuce
-cauliflower
-garlic scapes
-green kale
-spinach
-rainbow swiss chard
-large sugar snap peas
-snow peas (York & Durham) or black currants (Durham & Pickup)
-red beets (first crop this year!)
-kohlarabi (those light green or purple martian heads with big leaves)
-red radish
-Russian kale
-oregano
-green onions
Now for the recipes:
Snow Pea and Bean Sprout Stir-Fry: Try this Lightning-fast Vegetarian Main Dish!
(Adapted From Fresh Juice Magazine, June/July 2012)
Ingredients
-pint clamshell of snow peas
-4 cups bean sprouts
-2 tbsp. peanut or other oil
-3 garlic scape stems, chopped
-pinch salt
-1.5 cups julienned fresh shitake mushroom caps
-3 green onions, sliced thinly on a diagonal
-pinch granulated sugar
-1 tsp. light soy sauce
Directions
1. Pull off strings from peas. Stack 3 or 4 pods and slice lenthwise into 3 or 4 thin strips to make julienne.
2. Pinch off roots and brown seeds from bean sprouts.
3. In wok, heat oil over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, onions and garlic scapes, and stir fry one minute. Add peas, sugar and 3 tbsp. water, stir-frying until peas are tender and water has evaporated (1-2 mins). Add bean sprouts and soy sauce; stir fry for 1 minute. (Serves 4)
Cheese Canneloni
One of my customers was kind enough to share that her family’s favourite way to enjoy spinach was cheese canneloni. I found this recipe online, which is fabulous and hearty, but I must add a few tweaks. The recipe uses frozen spinach, which to me would be more suitable as hockey pucks. Instead, use your fresh organic Ontario spinach, chop it up, steam it for a few minutes (wilted but still vibrant in colour), and then drain it (I squish out the water to save time with my hands). Add as directed. Also, your garlic scapes can be used the same as garlic cloves, so you can easily use this instead of purchasing garlic. Here’s the basic recipe http://www.bestrecipes.com.au/recipe/Spinach-and-Cheese-Cannelloni-L1412.html .
Finally, a few ideas for the whole sharers with that odd vegetable called kohlrabi. Try it raw or roasted this week. The green are good to eat also.
Kohlrabi: cauliflower’s eccentric cousin, just loaded with vitamin C
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.ca/2007/01/roasted-vegetables-roasted-kohlrabi.html
http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.ca/2008/02/kohlrabi-apple-slaw-with-creamy.html
Hopefully these recipes help you in your veggie adventures.