Turnips!
Although easily overlooked, turnips are a delicious & extremely healthy treat from the early garden. The roots are a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. While they can be boiled or steamed, they are also great raw (don’t bother peeling them—just remove any deformities). The greens are extremely healthy, providing an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and B, as well as potassium, magnesium, and calcium. They also hold a reputation for cancer prevention. This year we are planting the variety “Hakurei” exclusively, which is an all-white turnip best enjoyed raw.
If you don’t care for the taste of turnips, try using them as an English maiden might have in the past: Instead of formally rejecting a marriage proposal from a suitor, a maiden could also hand them a turnip as a rather insulting denial. Turnips are also quite useful for throwing at villains and criminals as they are led the stocks or their execution. But we recommend you try to eat them, first. If you don’t get to them right away, they can be kept up to two weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Our seedlings are all leftovers from what we have planted in our garden this year. For peppers, we have Ace (red bell), Carmen (Italian red variety), Bulgarian Carrot (hot!!!), and Joe’s Long Cayenne. Our tomato offerings include Cherokee Purple (heirloom), Riesentraube (mini cherry), Brandywine (heirloom), Amish Paste, Martino’s Roma, Juliet (canning & juicing), and Valencia (orange heirloom). We will gladly accept the plastic cells back once you’ve planted them. Return them with your box to your delivery site at your leisure.
From June 19, 2009 Fox & Fawn Farm Newsletter
Fox & Fawn Farm 