Tis the season for spring greens. If you have been a member with our CSA before, you will remember how the first few weeks have a lot of leafy greens. Saturated in an alphabet of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, leafy greens also lowers your risk of type 2 diabetes by 14% according to a recent study. Some of you may have trouble getting through them all so here are some tips to help. Firstly when you get your greens, process them by soaking in cold water in your sink. We wash all our produce, however having a sandy farm you should give it another dunk. Tear into bite sized pieces, spin dry and store in vegetable bags in your crisper. Once a week make up a jar of vinaigrette and you will be able to have a salad made in a few minutes. If you are getting sick of salads, here are some other options to consider. Blend them into a smoothie, gently wilt them and add to beans, lentils, grains or roasted veggies, make a fruit salad (throw in a handful of greens), make a bed for your eggs, fill out a sandwich or use as a bun for burgers, sausage or wraps. At Rumar Farm we make a hot supper salad with grilled beef, feta cheese and sautéed mushrooms and onions on a bed of dressed lettuce. Serve with a baguette and you have a light summer meal.
Here is what you can expect this week:
Rumar Farm Tender Lettuce Mix Freshly harvested a mix of red and green lettuces.
Garlic Scapes These are the tender shoots that grow out of the ground from garlic and are a early summer treat. They have a garlicky punch, to tame their bite is to blanch them. They become milder and sweeter when cooked. They make a great pesto which you can add to yogurt for a nice vegetable dip. Whisk finely chopped garlic scape into your homemade salad dressing, or put them in a frittata or scrambled eggs. Grilling them on the BBQ is our favourate way to use them. Coat them in olive oil and place them directly on the hot grill (or use a grill basket) for about 10 minutes turning. Season with salt and pepper, great as a steak topping or side.
Spring Onions Sweet and more mellow than regular onions you can use the greens and bulbs. They add a wonderful fresh flavour to salads and sandwiches when sliced and eaten raw. They have a delicious sweet, savory and mild flavour when cooked. Store in a vegetable bag in the fridge and use within five days.
Tarragon Herb Leafy green herb that is highly aromatic with subtle licorice flavour. Add a fresh, spring taste and a bit of elegance to a variety of recipes including salad dressing. Commonly used in French cooking. Dry any unused amount to enjoy year-round.
Garden Peas Also called sweet peas or English peas. The pod is not edible so you will need to shell them first. They don’t have to be a side dish, you can add them to everything you are cooking this spring. Fresh pasta with peas, pea chowder, green pea dip, stir fry on rice, salad with peas……you get the picture.
Frisee Lettuce Also referred to curly endive, a member of the chicory family. This green has a deliciously bitter edge. Frisee can bring dimension and texture to any salad with its mildly peppery flavour and crunchy leaves. This green can be sautéed with olive oil and a few finely chopped garlic scapes and bacon for an interesting side dish.
Potted Basil Plants Both sweet and thai basil plants are one of the most popular herb. Keep it inside in a sunny window or plant them outside in your garden or larger patio pot. Just one plant will supply you with about 1/2 cup’s worth of basil each week. Make sure you prune your plants to encourage a more rounded, less leggy plant.
Enjoy.
