Beets
Truthfully, I have spent a lot of time trying to like beets. I’ve tried them baked, boiled, pickled, raw and hidden among other veggies. It has taken me practice to appreciate them and their many health benefits. I particularly have grown to love their greens. If you do not really like them the first several times you eat them, keep at it, its worth your health!
Beets are packed with essential vitamins, minerals and medicinal plant compounds. They help regulate blood pressure, increase your oxygen use up to 20%, and combat inflammation. Aaaaaand, they are very good for digestion, keeping you regular!
- Spicy roasted golden beets
- Spring greens with pickled veggies- a pickled beet might be my favorite beet. This is a bomb salad and you can just quick pile whatever it is you have!
- Marinated beets with pistachios– this salad is delicious and can be made with whatever nuts you have on hand. We’ve made it a few times and immediately packed it as lunches for the week. Its easy and great.
- Barley, fennel & beet salad– this is my favorite of the beet salads. It is filling, tangy and feels homey.
Storage information: should store for 1 month or more
- cut off the green tops of your radishes
- you can use the greens in a stir fry, a soup, or just wilt them on toast with a little butter for breakfast
- store your beets in your vegetable or crisper drawer
Broccoli
I grew up eating broccoli from the pressure cooker, mashable with a fork if one was so inclined. When I started to cook on my own I swung the opposite direction, barely steaming it and drawing my family’s protest at it’s unforgivable chewiness. Now I seek more of a middle ground of texture and opt for a skillet or baking sheet far more readily than any pot of water to cook it. On the farm we grow sprouting broccoli that is far more tender and prolific than the single massive crowns found at the grocery and cook much faster too. They can be roasted, grilled, sauteed, and stir fried handsomely.
- Simple sauteed broccolini– this is a super fast way to cook up a bundle of brocols & is often what I do after a long day when I just want something hearty and green on my plate.
- Crispy roasted broccoli with tahini– tangy lemon juice, creamy tahini, and crunchy broccoli make this.
- White beans with broccolini & burrata– crispy cannellini beans, lemon juice, hot pepper, parsley, and burrata
- Broccolini with sesame & ginger– the solid base for a stir fry or eating with some steamed rice.
Storage information: should store for 1 week
- trim the end like a flower bouquet and submerge in cold water if the stalks have softened
- store your broccoli in a plastic bag in your vegetable or crisper drawer
Cabbage
On the farm we grow 2 types of cabbage, but there are hundreds of varieties. You will likely see a cone shaped cabbage called Caraflex that has thin and sweet leaves. It is perfect for use raw. We also grow a variety called Red Express which is a sturdier cabbage that either needs to be sliced thinly for eating raw or cooked. This is a very beautiful cabbage, but we don’t just love it for its eye-catching physique, Red Express reduces the risk of osteoporosis, combats chronic disease and promotes a healthy gut.
- Mustard glazed red cabbage– this is one of the better cabbage recipes out there. I will often forgo the apple and add some garlic right at the tail end of cooking.
- Red cabbage porterhouse– one of the best things we have put in our mouths!
- Addictive again cabbage salad– yes and yum. I never add the romaine to this and sometimes I’ll add some crushed up raw ramen noodles for some added texture.
Storage information: should keep from 21 days to 2 months
- keep all of the leaves on the cabbage until you are ready to use it (this helps to lock in the moisture of the innards and allows the cabbage to store longer)
- do not wash the cabbage before putting it in your fridge
- store it in a vegetable or crisper drawer (if it is too large for a drawer, wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it anywhere in the fridge)
Garlic scapes
Garlic scape season is one my favorite times of the year! Garlic scapes are only around for 3 weeks and they do not store very long, so its an extra special time in the garden. The garlic scape is the start of the garlic flower. It pops right up through the middle of the plant about a month before its time to harvest. We pop it off the plant so that the bulb will continue to grow and ready itself to be harvested. Personally, I’m partial to a grilled scape, slightly crispy. I can also get down with a sautéed scape with eggs or scape pesto.
Storage information: Garlic scapes will go floppy quite quickly. The good news is that floppy still tastes great for these delectable twirls. You can store them in a closed plastic bag inside of the crisper drawer. This should help to keep their moisture in and keep them crisp longer, but there is no need to go through too much effort to preserve their crispness.
Mustard greens
Mustard greens deserve a full page to themselves. They are so wide-ranging in flavor, shape, size, and color. From the mild mizuna to the near-wasabi flavor of curly green mustard, there is something for everyone. There is purple frilly mustard and huge round red mustard. There are delicate baby mustards and elephant ear-sized leaves. The ways to cook them are just as numerous, but a basic saute, stir fry, or curry will always suit them.
- Creamed greens– you can also use chard, collards, or kale for this.
- Souffle of bitter greens– mustard greens, eggs, and ricotta are the base of this. So light and airy.
- Simple saute– Garlic, butter, chicken stock or other salty broth. This calls for bacon, but you could also use salty black beans or seasoned tempeh for protein.
- Sarson da saag– North Indian dish with tomatoes, onions, garam masala, and mustard greens.
Storage information: store for 1 week
- trim the end like a flower bouquet and submerge in cold water if wilted
- store in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge
freshtown farm 