Week #3 July 1, 2010
The rains have finally subsided, and I think we are on to some warm summer days this week and through the weekend. The last rainfall was 1.5” (Sunday and Monday). I worked very hard on Sunday to get the corn and shell beans in because I knew it was going to rain. I’m very glad I did, even though the temperature was approaching 90! I was worried that the rain would put the garden over the edge and some things would drown, but everything looks very good. Most things are planted, except for the 2 week rotations of lettuce, beans, radishes, and other crops that grow fast. In a couple of weeks I will be planting the fall crops of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale. I will also plant more carrots, kohlrabi, fennel, turnips, spinach, the list goes on. The melons and cucumbers look fantastic, best I have ever grown. Let’s hope no diseases venture in to ruin the crop, which can happen.
Lettuce: The lettuce this week is a romaine type. There won’t be lettuce for a couple of weeks. The next planting was delayed due to the rain earlier in June. I try to plant lettuce every two weeks.
Onions These are green onions that grew a little large, but they are still very good. They are a good size for grilling. Trim the roots but leave the root end and the green part in tack. Toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill until tender.
Broccoli The broccoli all matured at the same time, even though I plant different varieties to stagger the harvest. This is due to the warm weather and rain. Most of the heads are quite large and are actually a little more mature than I would like.
Broccoli Raab is a member of the broccoli family. The stems, leaves, and little buds are all edible. I like it sauted in olive oil with garlic and crushed red pepper. There is a recipe in the newsletter for preparing broccoli raab or rape.
Turnips These are Hakurei turnips, the only kind of turnips I grow. I think they are the best tasting. They are meant to be eaten raw or lightly cooked. The greens are edible, too, and can be used in soups, stews, or sauted like other greens. I like the turnips in salads in place of radishes or added to a raw vegetable platter. If you will be storing the roots for later, remove the greens and store them separately. The roots will store longer than the greens.
Cabbage I love cabbage and noodles. Share holder Pat Brannon has shared her recipe with me and I am including it in the newsletter. There will be cabbage for the next 3 weeks, as it is all ready to be picked! Next week will be red cabbage, the following week, Savoy.
Sugar Snap Peas This is the last of the peas for awhile. I hope you are enjoying them as much as I do. They are so sweet! The shelling peas should be ready the middle to end of July. The first planting did not come up, so I had to replant later than I would like. Here’s hoping they will do well in the warmer weather.
Basil There are several ways to store basil, but in the refrigerator isn’t one of them ! The cold temperatures will turn the leaves black. Try trimming the stems (like cut flowers) and putting the basil in a vase of water. Or store in an open plastic bag on the counter. In any case, use it up, as it won’t last. I make pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays, then store in plastic bags in the freezer. I have also made a pesto with basil and olive oil, but left out the cheese and pine nuts. To make a basil paste: Process 3 cups firmly packed basil leaves with 4 tablespoons olive oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor to a very fine paste. Freeze in ice cube trays. When frozen, remove the cubes and store them in a plastic bag in the freezer. I add a cube to tomato sauce, or soups and stews, when fresh basil is not available and it’s just like summer!
Next week look for new potatoes, carrots, Swiss chard, beets, parsley and cabbage.
Broccoli Rabe with Oil and Garlic
From Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich
Sometimes you see broccoli rabe cut into little pieces, but I like to serve the whole stems with the leaves attached. If you peel and trim them the way I describe below, the stalks will cook at about the same rate as the leaves. Broccoli rabe is a vegetable I like al dente. By that I don’t mean really crunchy, but with some texture left to it.
1 pound broccoli rabe *see notes below
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
Salt
¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper, or to taste
¼ cup (or as needed) water
Makes 4 servings
To trim the broccoli rabe, first cut off any wilted or yellow leaves and the tough ends of the stems. Then, holding a stem with the florets in hand, nick a little piece of the end of the stem with a paring knife and pull the little piece of the skin toward you, peeling the stem partially. Continue working your way around the stem until it is peeled. As you peel the stem, some of the large, tough outer leaves will also be removed; discard those as well. Repeat with the remaining stems. Wash the trimmed broccoli rabe in a sinkful of cold water, swishing the stems gently to remove all dirt from between the leaves. Let the leaves sit a minute or two undisturbed, to allow the dirt to settle to the bottom of the sink, then lift the broccoli rabe from the water with your hands or a large skimmer. Drain in a colander. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden brown, about 1 minute. Carefully lay the broccoli rabe into the oil and season lightly with salt and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Stir and toss to distribute the seasonings. Pour ¼ cup water into the skillet and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet tightly and cook, lifting the lid to turn the stalks occasionally, until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 10 minutes. Taste, and season with additional salt and crushed red pepper if necessary. Serve hot.
*You don’t have a pound in your share, but it should be enough for 2 servings, so adjust the ingredients as needed. Most of the stems won’t need trimming as described above, they are much thinner and more tender than Lidia describes in her recipe.
Hungarian Cabbage and Noodles
4 (or more) slices thick cut bacon (0ne can never have too much bacon!)
2 T butter
3 T sugar
1 large onion, sliced
½ head cabbage (about 8 cups), sliced thin
3 links of Slovene Sausage from Al’s meats, cut into 1 inch pieces*
2 cups noodles, cooked and drained**
Cook bacon until crispy and remove from pan. Add butter and sugar to bacon drippings and sauté onion until soft. Add cabbage.
When cabbage has begun to wilt add sausage. Stir frequently. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Add a little more sugar if needed. Keep warm while cooking noodles.
Add noodles and warm together. Serve.
* This is our favorite (Al’s Quality Meats, 563 W Tuscarawas Ave), but you could substitute kielbasa, or for a bit of kick Al’s Hungarian sausage. Al’s Quality Meats is in Barberton, just down the street from Al’s Restaurant, open for lunch daily- the best area Hungarian dining!
http://www.chew.hu/giving_hungarian_food_a_good_n.html
** Al’s market has a locally (made in Cleveland) noodle. I met the noodle lady (Lyda?) on one of my visits to Al’s meats. They are wonderful egg noodles available in a variety of widths and thicknesses and worth stocking up on.
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