When you grow and sell fruits and vegetables for a living, nothing feels as good as telling people that they only have to cook if they actually feel like it on a hot June day. Snacking on the first Sweet Red Cherries of the season, munching on Sugar Snap Peas and crunching on slices of summer Kohlrabi is about the best thing we could ask for on these long hot days leading up to the Solstice. Throw in some lovely heads of lettuce from our fields and way cool onions that successfully overwintered, and we’re looking at some good stuff for you all this week. Some of these vegetables might be new (and/or exciting to see after a loooong winter). So, read on if you could use a quick primer/refresher:
First up, Kohlrabi. The most beloved oddball vegetable we grow, Kohlrabi is a literal cross between a cabbage and turnip, which means it tastes like a sweet broccoli stem. The summertime varieties of this vegetable are smaller than the winter storage types and have edible leafy tops to start. There are plenty of ways to actually prepare and cook Kohlrabi, but more often than not, I slice it into half moons, about 1/4 inch thick, and dip it into hummus. It makes a unique and yummy addition to a vegetable tray (or lunchbox). You can peel the bulb if you’d prefer, but when they’re small and tender like this in Summer, I tend to chop and go.
Sugar Snap Peas may look like an English shelling-type pea, but the pods are edible as a whole—no peeling or shelling necessary. This makes them another favorite for dipping and snacking on the go, but you can cook them if you’d prefer, chopped or whole with the tiny stem end removed. We’ll only pick Snap Peas for a few weeks in early Summer, so we hope that you enjoy them as much as we do…and have been. They’ve been thoroughly qc’d by every member of the crew:)
Many Thanks,
Katie & Mark
IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:
Lettuce
Kohlrabi
Onions
Sugar Snap Peas
Red Cherries
SEASONAL RECIPES & HELPFUL HINTS
LOVING THE ALIEN: YOTAM OTTOLENGHI’S KOHLRABI RECIPES - The Guardian
SAUTEED KOHLRABI (WITH THE GREENS) - It’s a Veg World After All
STANLEY TUCCI’S TROPEA ONIONS & SPAGHETTI - Food Hunter’s Guide to Cuisine
GRINDER BEAN SALAD- Violet Witchel
SOUR CREAM & ROASTED RED ONION DIP - Sarah Jampel
CHERRY CLAFOUTIS- Once Upon a Chef
SNAP PEA SALAD WITH ZESTY LEMON VINAIGRETTE- Minimalist Baker
MORNING OATMEAL WITH CHERRIES & PISTACHIOS - Martha Rose Shulman
BLK (Bacon-Lettuce-Kohlrabi) SANDWICH- Dishing Up the Dirt
KOHLRABI SLAW - Love & Lemons
SESAME SUGAR SNAP PEA SALAD - gourmande in the Kitchen