THE BEET : VOLUME 12, ISSUE 2
*Please note that next week's CSA pickup will be on WEDNESDAY, July 3rd, instead of Thursday, 7/4.* Same time and place: 5-7:30pm at PS 56 at Gates and Downing
SPOTLIGHT ON KOHLRABI
(6 delicious suggestions below)
NEWS FROM WINDFLOWER FARM
Delivery #3, June 27, 2013
This week’s vegetable share will consist of green Romaine lettuce, your choice of Dinosaur or Red Russian kale, Swiss chard and bok choy. You will also get your choice of potted cilantro or bunched purple basil. Eat it now, or, in the case of the potted herb, water and place it on a window sill for later or pinch it back and plant it outside. You’ll also get kohlrabi (try one of the recipes below), scallions and garlic scapes (see the garlic scape and almond pesto recipe below). Salad season, continued! This week’s fruit share will again consist of Yonder’s strawberries, this time accompanied by a bunch of rhubarb (see the strawberry rhubarb crumble recipe below).
Temperatures reached 88 degrees here today, capping off a week of good weather, and the warm-loving crops, the roots of which are in rich, moist soil, have been happy. Now that our soils have dried out we have been able to return to field work. I spent much of the day spreading compost, which is the chief source of fertility for the crops growing here. Tomorrow we’ll be planting popcorn, sweet corn, a second batch of cucumbers and squash plants that should be producing fruit in early August, and assorted roots and greens. We make quite a bit of our own compost, blending local horse manure (we farm near Saratoga’s horse country) and our own waste vegetables and wood chips. But more than half our compost is purchased from the Kreher farm, where they raise a large flock of organic laying hens. It comes in one-ton bags and each year we buy two tractor trailer loads. I was spreading in the far northeastern corner of the farm today when a thunderstorm let loose 7/10 of an inch of rain in under 20 minutes. Unable to get to cover in time, I experienced a refreshing end to a hot day!
Have a great first week of summer,
Ted
This Week's Recipes
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble
1 egg, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 3/4 pound rhubarb rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces or sliced frozen rhubarb, (about 3 cups), 1 pint fresh strawberries, halved, 1 unbaked pie shell (9 inches)
Topping: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
In a large bowl, beat egg. Beat in the sugar, flour and vanilla until well blended. Gently stir in rhubarb and strawberries. Pour into pastry shell. For topping, in a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and oats; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° bake for 35 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 8 servings.
GARLIC SCAPE AND ALMOND PESTO
From In the Kitchen and On the Road with Dorie
Makes about 1 cup, 10 garlic scapes, finely chopped, 1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture), 1/3 cup slivered almonds (you could toast them lightly, if you'd like), about 1/2 cup olive oil, sea salt.
Put the scapes, 1/3 cup of the cheese, almonds and half the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor (or use a blender or a mortar and pestle). Whir to chop and blend all the ingredients and then add the remainder of the oil and, if you want, more cheese. If you like the texture, stop; if you'd like it a little thinner, add some more oil. Season with salt.
If you're not going to use the pesto immediately, press a piece of plastic against the surface to keep it from oxidizing. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days or packed airtight and frozen for a couple of months, by which time tomatoes should be at their juiciest.
What to do with Kohlrabi? From Mariquita Farm
A favorite way to eat truly fresh kohlrabi is to peel (like a potato, Andy doesn't peel his but I like to.) The kohlrabi, slice it like you would jicama or carrots for a dip tray, and then eat the raw pieces plain or with lemon juice. The kohlrabi is fresh so it's sweet, and has none of that strong cabbage smell old brassicas can have.
Cooking tips:
Kohlrabi doesn't have to be peeled after cooking.
It's excellent cooked or raw. Try it both ways.
Grate kohlrabi into salads, or make a non-traditional coleslaw with grated kohlrabi and radish, chopped parsley, green onion, and dressing of your choice.
Try raw kohlrabi, thinly sliced, alone or with a dip. Peel and eat raw like an apple.
Steam kohlrabi whole, 25-30 minutes, or thinly sliced, 5-10 minutes. Dress slices simply with oil, lemon juice and a fresh herb, or dip in flour and briefly fry.
Saute grated kohlrabi in butter, add herbs or curry.
Add sliced or cubed kohlrabi to heart soups, stews or a mixed vegetable stir-fry.
Chill and marinate cooked for a summer salad. Add fresh herbs.
Kohlrabi leaves can be used like other greens. Store the leaves and bulbs separately. The globe will last for a few weeks in plastic in the fridge.
Apple and Kohlrabi Slaw adapted from Pheobe B.
Serves 4 as a side dish
2 tart apples, cored & grated or julienned on a mandolin
2 large kohlrabi or four small, peeled & grated or julienned on a mandolin
2 Shallots, diced (1/2 of an onion also works)
4 tablespoons Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
S & P to taste
Mix all of the above and season to taste with S & P.
Crunchy Red Devils recipe by A. Doncsecz, Vegetarian Gourmet
2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
2
shallots, minced
1/4 cup hot red pepper sauce
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
½ teaspoon sugar
3 medium kohlrabi bulbsWhisk together all ingredients except kohlrabi with ½ cup water. Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi; stir into marinade, coating evenly. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 days, stirring occasionally. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Stir-Fried Kohlrabi from The Goodness of Potatoes and Root Vegetables by John Midgley
3 kohlrabi, peeled
3 medium
carrots
4 tablespoons peanut or safflower oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 inch piece gingerroot, peeled and thinly sliced
3
green onions, sliced
1-2 fresh chili peppers, sliced, optional
salt
4 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional)
3 teaspoons sesame oil & soy sauce, each
Slice kohlrabi and carrots into thin ovals. Heat oil in large heavy skillet; when it begins to smoke, toss in garlic and ginger. Stir once then add kohlrabi and carrots; toss and cook 2 minutes. Add green onions and chilies; stir-fry 1 minute, then pour in ½ cup water. Cover, reduce heat and cook 5 minutes. Remove cover and toss in a little salt and the sesame and soy, and oyster if using. Serve with rice.
Roasted Kohlrabi with Crunchy Seeds
Adapted from Perfect Vegetables by the Cook’s Illustrated Team
3 medium kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely chopped
S & P to taste Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss the kohlrabi, oil, seeds, and S & P together in a large bowl until combined. In a single layer spread the mixture onto a rimmed baking sheet. Roast (with rack in middle position), shaking pan occasionally, until the kohlrabi is browned and tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and adjust seasonings to taste, serve immediately.
Kohlrabi Pickle Chips from the Victory Garden Cookbook
1-2 pounds smallish kohlrabi, trimmed
3 small onions
1/4 cup pickling salt
2 cups vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon tumeric
Peel and thinly slice kohlrabi and onions. Mix salt with 1 quart ice water, pour over the vegetables, and soak for 3 hours. Drain, rinse, and place in a bowl. Bring remaining ingredients to a boil, cook for 3 minutes, and pour over the vegetables. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 3 days.
