Week 3 - June 16 & 19

The new item this week will be garlic scapes. These are curly tops from the garlic plant. The plant sends out a seed shoot and you cut them off so that the plant can concentrate on making a bulb instead of making seeds. Here's a link for ideas on how to use these: http://www.ehow.com/how_2325835_use-garlic-scapes-shoots-recipes.html. Many people have recommended garlic scape pesto - raw garlic scapes used in place of basil or other green item using basically the same recipe you would use for basil pesto or nettle pesto or whatever. Enjoy!

This week's box includes the following:

1. A nice bunch of chard - blue band. This will most likely be Fordhook Giant which is a green chard.
2. A bunch of either kale (Siberian Improved which is a smoother leafed kale or Lacinato which is a savoy or crinkled leaf) or collards - green band
   
3. A bag of lettuce - might be banded
   
4. A bunch of tatsoi/joi choi cabbage - red band. These are small versions of bok choi. They're full of water and are very tasty either fresh or added into a stir fry or sauteed. I think they'd probably be excellent in combination with the garlic scapes - all sauteed together.
   
5. 4 or 5 beets. You might have a Chiogga (red and white rings when you slice) or Detroit Red. They are young and can be peeled and eaten raw or you can take off the tops and just cover with water in a sauce pan - bring to a boil and then simmer until tender (up to an hour for large beets but maybe 30 minutes for smaller beets). After they are tender, run under cool water and rub the beets. The skins will slip off and you can serve with dinner. The greens are good sauteed.
6. Arugula - Yellow band - this may include blooms. You can eat the flowers and buds and leaves. Excellent source of protein for a green. Eat fresh or cooked.

Optional (on the table to take)

1. A box of broccoli or a box of peas. The peas are either Coral Shelling (don't eat the shell) or Sugar Snap (use the whole pea, shell and all).
   
2. Herbs - a bunch of EITHER basil or parsley, one or two sprigs rosemary, one or two sprigs chocolate or pineapple mint, 2 or 3 sprigs cilantro, a small handful of thyme, oregano, and sage.
   

I'm going to put the following on the extras table:

1. Mustard greens - Yellow Band - this is getting really spicy so I thought I'd let you spice lovers take it if you'd like
2. Maybe arugula blooms
3. Maybe some spinach - it's bolting now so there might be a little I can cut but it's going to be tilled under soon.
   

Bug Info. - There might be a few small slugs on the lettuce or mustard so just keep an eye out for them.