Our lettuce is in full production. We also caught up on the mesclun/baby greens mix. These bags will good mixed into a lettuce salad. The summer crops are all planted except the tropical plants - sweet potatoes, ginger, and okra. We'll also be planting edamame and peanuts later this month. We had a light frost in the last cold spell, but all the summer stuff was blanketed with row covers.
We are still outsourcing some product. This week we are working with Villines Family Farm. Joe and Genevieve live near Ponca on the King's River with their two almost-teenage sons. From them we are getting bok choy and kohlrabi. The kohlrabi is listed as collard greens - the greens will be the main eating part, the kohlrabi bulbs are still quite small. Kohlrabi is in the same family as broccoli and kale. (Colerabi, Brocoli, Coliflower, Colards, "Cole"(Kale)). To cook, we recommend stripping the green leaf off the stem, chopping the bulb, then sauteeing the bulb slices/chunks in butter or oil with onions, garlic, and salt. After all is softened, add the chopped leaves and cover with a lid, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. This is our standard method with most greens in the garden. You'll do the same with chard, kale, collards, dandelion greens, etc.
Also hoping you are liking the mushrooms. Make sure to swap out if you don't - they are the most expensive item in the boxes right now.
One of our Veggie Box members highly recommends the following, if you still have carrots left:
- 1-1 1/2 bunch carrots, cleaned; sliced or grated
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons currants
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from one lemon
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
- 1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
