Leafy, Greenie Goodness!
On a farm like ours there's a season for just about every vegetable, 365 days a year. If you're getting a Harvest Basket from us right now you've probably noticed that it's greens season! All the leafy things - chard, kale, head lettuce, salad greens, pac choi, arugula, mizuna - love this time of year with its long days, mild temperatures, and soft rain. The proof is in the lid-lifting green loft of your tote this week. Eat salad every day, three times a day! Put lettuce in your smoothie (if you wince at the thought of green smoothies, mild lettuce like romaine is something you'll never know is in there). Make tricked-out salads for lunch and dinner (last night ours was a big bowl of lettuce dressed up with feta, quinoa, hard boiled eggs, candied walnuts, hakurei turnips and tender sticks of kohlrabi). I don't know about you, but after a winter without lettuce, I can't get enough of it in June.
All those bunched and bagged greens can go the same way - into smoothies, into salads - but the fastest way to disappear them is to cook them. A bunch of kale or collards or chard wilts down into a fistful. With a little blending, a little steaming/stir-frying, and a little chewing you can get through that Harvest Basket, no problemo. Sí se puede!
If you're new to kohlrabi, a couple tips:
- You can use the leafy tops like kale.
- You should peel it - a sharp knife or veggie peeler works great.
- I think it's yummiest raw - crisp, sweet, tender, juicy, mild.
Also, a reminder that all of the produce you're receiving right now is best kept in the fridge, in plastic bags (high humidity, nice and cold). Leafy greens and head lettuce will last longer than a week that way, and the dense stuff like kohlrabi, turnips and radishes will keep even longer (weeks and weeks!) especially if you cut the tops off and store the roots separately.
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