In Your Box:

• Garlic scapes
• Head lettuce: “Starfighter”
• Kohlrabi
• Komatsuna
• Radishes
• Salad Mix
• Scallions
• Turnips

Farm News

Happy Independence Day! I hope everyone is enjoying a great holiday week, complete with radish dip and kohlrabi slices (the classic American way to celebrate the 4th of July, naturally).

Holidays don’t really work very well on a farmer’s schedule until Thanksgiving, when I can finally look back on all the work and harvests of the season. 

Thanks so much to all of the wonderful helpers that have been helping to wash our veggies on Tuesdays! We have 5 families this year trying out a work share, in which they work for 6 days over the summer in exchange for a half share. It’s been great getting to know some new people and having some company while washing and packing boxes!

We hope to see you all out on the farm in two weeks on Saturday, July 15th for the Lakewinds Farm Day tour of local farms.  Join us for an open house from  10am-2pm for farm tours, yard games, and a beautiful day in the country. Bring a lunch and join us for a picnic. We also plan a work day in August and a harvest celebration in September, so there will be other opportunities to visit as well. Hope to see you on the farm this year!

This week’s box

In addition to another week of radishes, this week we welcome turnips for the first time this year. These are called “Hakurei,” a Japanese variety with a sweet, mild taste. These are delicious raw, and don’t have the sharp taste of traditional turnips that we’ll see in the fall. Try them grated or sliced as a great addition to your next salad.

The cooking green this week is komatsuna, a Japanese vegetable similar to spinach or bok choy that tolerates heat very well. The whole green can be used–just chop off the root base and the stems and leaves can be wilted like spinach or chopped up for a stir-fry.

Another new crop this week is the kohlrabi, a funky vegetable that I had never heard of until I started farming. Kohlrabi is a member of the brassica family, just like broccoli and cabbage. Kohlrabi grows a swollen root that performs well in the spring and fall. The leaves can also be eaten, and should be used just like kale. The stem itself should be peeled and then enjoyed. Try it raw, either sliced and dipped or grated. It can also be added to a stir-fry. Kohlrabi keeps well in the fridge for 1-2 weeks but the leaves will start to wilt after a couple days.

The lettuce this week is a beautiful green variety called “Starfighter.” Why would anyone wish to fight a star? Are they fighting stars in the universe? Or famous Hollywood stars? The name of this lettuce is so ridiculous I can’t even come up with a fake origin story. But it’s delicious and tastes great on a burger or sandwich, even if it needs a new name.

Sauteed Hakurei Turnips and Komatsuna

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Japanese turnips – washed, stems removed, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 bunch komatsuna – washed and stems cut off
• 1/2 onion or 2-4 scallions, diced
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. In a large sauté pan, over medium heat, heat a few drizzles of olive oil.
2. Once hot, cook onion until they start to soften. Add turnips and cook until slightly brown and soft, approximately 5-7 minutes.
3. Once turnips reach desired doneness, throw in komatsuna and sauté for about 2 minutes. Once the komatsuna is softened, flavor with salt and pepper, take off the heat and enjoy.

Coming up

Next week’s box should have red currants, summer squash, head lettuce, turnips, radishes, fennel, salad mix, and a final week of spring bok choy.