Fennely it's here! Yippee for Fennel, Broccoli, Kohlrabi, and Radicchio. We planted the tiny seeds for these spring crops in February, then potted them up to larger cells in March and planted them out in the field the 1st of April. They have been through cold, wet, hot, snow, and hail, yet they are the true stars of the Farm right now. More on how to eat these veggies below.... Sugar snap peas are also here! These sweet peas will only last a few weeks and they are a true seasonal treat. Snow peas and English Shelling peas will also be harvested soon. Garlic scapes are another Spring specialty item in your shares now- these are the unique tops of the hard-neck garlic varieties and they are truly a gourmet treasure. Such interesting veggies this week! The joy of being part of a CSA is learning about the best seasonal foods grown right here in your own region, while being nourished by the good healthy soil that surrounds you.
Fennel bulb is wonderful chopped raw in salad where it provides a fantastic crunch along with a mild licorice flavor that is beneficial for digestion and/or an upset stomach. you can also garnish salad or other dishes with the lovely leafy fennel fronds (or use them for a homemade medicinal tea)This is my favorite fennel bulb recipe. YUM! When the fennel bulb is cooked it's flavor becomes much more mild and less licorice-like. It becomes such a yummy unique flavor that is hard to describe.
Pasta with Golden Fennel.
This Broccoli variety is "Nutribud" and it has great flavor and very tender stems. Great eaten raw, sauteed, grilled, or roasted. Kohlrabi is a member of the broccoli family, but it is a ball that grows above ground with the texture of an apple. Peel and eat raw or cooked. Wonderful sliced and sauteed until the edges are golden brown (carmelized) and sprinkled with sea salt.
The crops are bouncing back nicely after the hail. The chard has already produced nice leaves again for this week's CSA shares.
