Calypso Farm Note for the Week of June 26, 2006
Your Share This Week:
• Salad
Greens
• Chinese Cabbage
• Butterhead Lettuce
• Arugula
• Bunching Onions
• Radishes
The garden is has now officially bounced back from the cool spring and early June frost. Everything is looking healthy and we anticipate a bountiful harvest all season!
This year, we are experimenting with a range of lettuce varieties. The result is a beautiful patchwork of colors and textures in the field and in your shares! This week your lettuce is a red butterhead. Butterhead lettuce is a gourmet favorite which in recent years has become increasingly available in the grocery stores. You can chop or tear the lettuce and add it to your mixed salad greens or use it separately for a delicious side salad.
With some trepidation, we have included some extra strong arugula in your share this week. These plants took a beating in the June frost, but pulled through to produce a sea of lush greens. However, this is some of the strongest flavored arugula that has ever taken root on the farm. The results of weekend taste trials, were varied – from complete adoration to indifference to a wrinkled nosed refusal to take a second bite… For those of you who enjoy strong flavors, we suggest you experience the flavor raw by adding it to your mixed greens or creating an arugula salad. For a milder experience, try using the arugula in one of the cooked greens recipes.
Enjoy all of these leafy greens! --Susan
P.S. Come join us
this Thursday, June 29th, for a belated Goodbye and Appreciation Potluck
Picnic for our former Development Director, Leah Sansone, at the Ester
Park at 6:30pm. We hope to see you there! (yes, this party was rescheduled
from last week…)
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Cooking Tips for Chinese Cabbage
• Chop and add raw to salad or cole slaw recipes • Chinese cabbage is a classic and popular stir-fry vegetable and main ingredient in egg rolls • Chinese cabbage cooks quickly. Steam for 3-5 minutes, or until leaves are wilted down but still slightly crisp. Be careful not to overcook! •
Substitute Chinese cabbage for common cabbage recipes, but reduce
cooking time by 2 minutes |
Chinese Cabbage
Summer Salad
(serves 6)
1/2 head Chinese
Cabbage, chopped
1 bunch green onions , sliced
1 bunch radishes, sliced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari
½ tablespoon honey
Mix the Chinese cabbage,
green onions, and radishes in a bowl. Mix vinegar, oil and tamari, and
honey - toss with salad mixture. To extend the salad for more servings
either add more of the Chinese cabbage or add some salad greens.
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Cabbage Adapted from Vegetarian Dishes from Around the World This is a very quick way to cook and serve cabbage. 1 head Chinese cabbage ½ cup sour cream Chop the Cabbage
into medium sized pieces, steam the cabbage until just wilted. While
still warm, mix in the sour cream, pepper, sea salt and caraway
seeds. Serve warm |
Calypso
Farm Fritata
Fritatas are a farm favorite! They are quick and easy to prepare yet filling
and delicious. We often eat meals like this at the end of long work days
in early summer. They are very versatile – most farm vegetables
can be included. Here is an idea for this weeks share:
1 bunch arugula (if
the arugula is too strong flavored, substitute with salad greens or cabbage)
3 cups salad mix or Chinese cabbage
½ cup sliced bunching onions
5 eggs
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese*
½ cup feta cheese*
¼ cup parmesan cheese*
*(cheese is optional and any type of cheese can be substituted)
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup roasted sunflower seeds (optional)
Preheat oven to 350
degrees. Lightly steam the greens until just wilted. Place greens in a
glass pie dish or medium sized cast iron pan. Add chopped onions. In a
separate bowl mix eggs and cheese, salt and pepper. Pour egg and cheese
mixture over the top, stir lightly to mix. Bake for approximately 20-30
minutes or until slightly browned on top. Serve with a butterhead lettuce
salad!
Back to the 2006 Farm Note Archives!