Week 6: June vegetables--quirky but fabulous

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Announcements

  • The photo above is of Kenneth Johnson and Charles Price. Remember when I told you last week about the 2000 pounds of vegetables we've donated so far this season? Well some very fine, dedicated people have to pick up those pounds (another 1000 pounds last week!) and see that they make it into the hands of people who need them. They work for SHABACH! Ministries, which is part of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden. Thank you both for being so generous and flexible!

  • A big thanks to the entire vegetable crew for filling in while Carrie was quarantined last week. Carrie had a cough (just an allergy). Just to be sure, she had a quick covid test and is all clear. Jared wins MVP for managing without skipping a beat. He worked long, back-to-back days harvesting, delivering to Dupont and spreading mulch on fields, so 3 cheers for Jared!

  • What's with June vegetables? There's a good chance that one of the things in your bag this week is not your normal purchase from the grocery store--Napa cabbage (also called Chinese cabbage), garlic scapes or kohlrabi, for example. But this is one of the reasons why it's fun to have a CSA share--we keep your diet exciting! Another reason why you love being a CSA member is that it encourages you to eat more vegetables. Remember, vegetables should be 80% of what's on your plate. So don't let this nice, heavy share this week go to waste. Read on for recipe ideas and have fun!

  • We created the CBF's Clagett Farm Facebook Group so you can send us your recipe ideas, ask us your gardening questions, and let your fellow CSA members know about tips and events they might not have heard. If you're not a Facebook person, we understand! You can still send us emails, tag us (#clagettfarm) on Instagram, pass us notes, and so on. We love those too!

  • We're due for some bunching onion recipes and more squash ideas, so send them our way.

  • If you want to order oysters (a dozen or 100-count) for pick up this Saturday, the deadline is TODAY at NOON! Farmed oysters are the Bay-friendliest food you can find!

  • The week of July 1st, 2nd and 4th, we will not be giving out shares. We're taking a break, so don't show up to pick up vegetables on any of those dates.

This week's share

  • A cucumber

  • A bunch of green onions

  • A handful of garlic scapes

  • 2-3 zucchinis

  • A yellow squash

  • Medley of hakurei turnips and small kohlrabies

  • Choose a bag (about a half pound): arugula, spicy mix, collards or tat soi

  • Choose one: a head of Napa cabbage (average 2.5 pounds), a bag of bok choi (~1/2 lb), a bunch of chard (~1/2 lb) or a small bag of green beans (~1/4 lb)

Recipes

  • Never eaten a kohlrabi? It tastes just like the stem of broccoli. First, be sure to peel it.

    • You can chop it easily into a salad for a crunch with a hint of sweetness.

    • Snack on it with hummus or dip.

    • Roast it.

    • Shred it into cole slaw. (Think you don't like cole slaw because it's full of mayonnaise? You're due for a vinegar cole slaw revolution!)

  • One of Carrie's favorite Thai dishes is the green papaya salad. Did you know you can replace the papaya with ribbons of zucchini? (If you have a spiralizer, time to get it out.) There's a few ingredients in this salad that you might not have on hand, but don't let that stop you--it's a forgiving dish that's delicious even if you replace the tomatoes with cucumbers, for example.

  • Baked Squash

    • Ingredients

      • 2 medium zucchini and or yellow squash sliced into 1/2" rounds

      • 1 tablespoon olive oil

      • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning or your choice of herbs

      • salt & pepper to taste

      • 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese divided

    • Instructions

      • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

      • Toss zucchini slices with olive oil, seasoning, salt & pepper and about 2 tablespoons of the parmesan cheese.

      • Place on a baking sheet in a single layer and top with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake 5 minutes.

      • Turn oven to broil, place pan near the top and broil 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and zucchini is tender crisp.

  • Roasted Turnips and Kohlrabi

    • Ingredients

      • 2 pounds turnips and kohlrabi

      • 1 tablespoon olive oil

      • Fine or coarse sea salt

      • 1 tablespoon of your choice of herbs

      • 1/4 cup chopped garlic scapes

    • Instructions 

      • Preheat an oven to 400 F.

      • While the oven heats, scrub and trim turnips, and peel the kohlrabi. Leave baby turnips whole; cut larger turnips and kohlrabi into large-ish bite-size pieces.

      • Put the prepared turnips and kohlrabi in a baking pan or on a baking sheet. Drizzle them with the olive oil. Use your hands or two large spoons to toss them around a bit to coat them thoroughly with the oil. Sprinkle them with salt.

      • Roast until they're tender and browned; start checking on them after about 30 minutes.

      • When you take them out of the oven, toss the turnips and kohlrabi with herbs and chopped garlic scapes. (If raw scapes are too strong for your taste, add them to the pan 5 minutes or more before you take it out of the oven.)

Coming Soon

  • Purple kohlrabi and purple-top turnips next week

  • Garlic bulbs next week

  • Green beans (we'll keep picking small quantities so everyone will have them over the weeks to come)

  • Continuing: kale, collards, squash, bunching onions, chard, cucumbers

  • Carrots next week or the week after

  • We have our eyes on some Korean melons that should be ready soon!

Remember when I told you last week about the 2000 pounds of vegetables we've donated so far this season?  Well some very fine, dedicated people have to pick up those pounds (another 1000 pounds last week!) and see that they make it into the hands of people who need them.  Meet Kenneth Johnson (left) and Charles Price (right).  They work for SHABACH! Ministries, which is part of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden.  Thank you both for being so generous and flexible!


Have a great week!
The Clagett Farm Team

(Photo by Carrie Vaughn)