What's in the box?
Cucumbers
Squash
Turnip
Spring onions
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Cabbage (large, medium)
Spinach
Leaf lettuce
Basil
Notes on the box.
This box has less greens and more of the familiar favorites of Summer. More of those crops are looking good out in the field and we look forward to getting them to you soon! In the meantime, enjoy this box! The Salad Turnips might be new for some folks. We would have normally had them in the boxes sooner, but we lost our first crop to a little critter called the root maggot which seems to have been on a rampage out here in the Western WI vegetable fields. These mild sweet turnips have edible tops (if you can't get enough greens!) and you should remove the roots from the tops for best stoarge. The turnips are nice sliced and added raw to salads or you can cook them (recipe below).
Cosmic Wheel Creamery Cheese Shares.
This week we have both MoonShadow, an alpine style of cheese made when the cows are eating more hay than fresh pasture. It's counterpart, MoonGlow, is the same recipe but made when the cows are eating all fresh pasture. I like to send the two out together so folks can see the difference that the cows' diet makes in their milk and the cheese. Tasting them side by side helps to demonstrate the grassy flavor that 100% grass fed cows add to the cheese. Most people got MoonShadow that was made in December when there was no pasture at all and the cows were eating all hay. Some folks got Moonshadow made in November and there was still a little fresh forage for the cows and the differences aren't quite as obvious. The MoonShadow especially makes an outstanding grilled cheese (try adding some spinach to it) or cheese sauce to go on top of broccoli or cauliflower for a classic side dish. Also can't go wrong with Mac and Cheese with these beauties. Trim off and discard the rind.
Recipes.
Baked Zucchini Sticks with Sweet Onion Dip
Creamy Basil-Black Pepper Cucumbers
Braised Hakuri Turnips and Choy Sum with Miso and Butter (adapted from Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison)
1 bunch Hakurei (Salad) turnips with greens (you can also add more greens to this recipe to stretch it. Try beet greens, spinach, collards, or any other greens that need to be eaten!)
3 tbsp butter at room temp
2 tbsp mirin (or rice vinegar or dry white wine plus a 1/2 tsp sugar)
3 tbsp white miso (or any miso)
1 tsp black sesame seeds (or white), toasted in a dry skillet until fragrant
spring onions, white parts plus an inch of the greens, slivered
Sea salt
Remove greens from turnips and chop roughly. Section the turnips into quarters. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat, add the mirin, then the turnips, and cook, allowing them to color, for several minutes.
White the turnips are cooking, stir together the miso and the remaining butter. When the turnips are tender, add the greens and add the butter miso mixture and allow it to bubble up, coat the turnips and greens, and wilt the greens. Transfer to a serving dish, finish with the sesame seeds and green onions, and serve. This dish probably won’t need salt, taste to be sure. Nice with brown rice.
On the Farm.
Meat shares are coming this week for Meat Share and Eat Like a Farmer members! Look for them at your drop site with your name just like the vegetable shares. You can take the whole box, but please return boxes and liners next week.
Tomatoes, green peppers are quickly approaching The corn crop is looking like good!
What's Growing On?
Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Lettuce
Squash
Cucumber
green beans??
