Summer - Week 2

First - the fun news.  Here's the list of planned veggies for this week:

1. Lambs quarter - this is a relative of spinach.  Most people think of it as a weed but we find it tastier than spinach.  I like it sauteed with salt & oil.  It can be eaten raw.  To prepare, remove any woody stems, wash, spin and sautee in some oil with a little salt.  Here's a link re. nutrition facts.  Here's a summary: The good: This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Niacin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
   
   Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2469/2#ixzz2VBCj9hi7
2. Nettles - another unconventional offering.  Most people run away from this plant but we love it!  I generally would not serve it to so many people because it is a lot of work to harvest - due to the fact that we will be attacked by mosquitos and will also receive multiple stings (even if we wear gloves, unless maybe they're leather) from the nettles themselves.  In small quantities, they're easy to harvest.  But, since the veggies in the field aren't ready, we'll have to bite the bullet.  Long story short, this is your bonus week.  These lovelies will be prickery.  The stings do promote blood flow.  But, if you don't want to deal with being stung, wear gloves or just plunge the leaves in cold water and scoop out with a spoon or sieve.  Then sautee in oil and salt.  They sometimes have a lobster flavor.  There's a good nettles soup recipe on our blog page as well.  Here is the nutritional info for nettles.  This shows they have a huge amount of Vitamins A & K as well as high amounts of minerals.  Since both lambs quarter and nettles are native to our area, they are said to have high amounts of antioxidants which are most applicable to our area as well (i.e. they've adapted to the pollution here and can help boost our immune systems via their strength).  I don't have a degree in nutrition but I have read this in many places.  http://skipthepie.org/ethnic-foods/stinging-nettles-blanched-northern-plains-indians/
3. Some sort of greens mix - probably a mix of young kohl rabi leaves, mustard, arugula, yukina, etc.
4. A small bunch of hukurei turnips.  These are the turnips we handed out last week.  They'll probably be a big larger.  They are generally harvested at the size of a 50 cent piece to silver dollar size.  These are sweet and are generally eaten fresh - slice, salt and enjoy.  You don't need to peel them.  The leaves are also tasty so throw them in with another green and cook them.  Or you can eat them fresh if you like stronger greens.
5. A bunch or bag of sorrel.  Not sure if we'll have a lot but we'll do our best to get you enough to make a dish with.  This is also good for pesto - freshly ground with some salt.  It makes a nice condiment when served with fish (it has a lemon flavor and is quite acidic).  If we don't have enough for everyone, we might sub in pea shoots.
6. A bunch of cilantro (they're pretty small but tasty).
7. A bunch or rhubarb or some sweet peas or maybe a little of both
8. Lettuce
9. Spinach
10. Herbs.