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Lexington Community Farm
52 Lowell Street, Lexington, MA
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Week of June 22, 2015 (Week #3)
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What's In Your Share This Week
In the Farm Stand
Pick Your Own Crops This Week
- Lettuce
- Choice of Parsley or Dill
- Mint
We do our best to predict what will be available but the CSA newsletter hits the press before the week's harvest begins. That means that sometimes you'll see vegetables at the stand that aren't on the list, and sometimes vegetables on the list are not actually ready for harvest.
Additional storage and preparation tips plus many recipe ideas can be found on the LexFarm website.
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Notes from the Field
With the passing of the summer solstice, it is easy to think the days are getting shorter and summer is winding down, but don't fret! The season is just getting started. Warm weather crops like eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes have been in the ground for a few weeks and are starting to take off. Flowers are slated to be planted this week, and as always, we will continue battling back the weeds.
As we impatiently wait for our cucumbers, our tomatoes, and our peppers, it is a crucial time to monitor for pests. Warm wet temperatures create ideal conditions for fungal diseases, some of which enter on the wind, and some of which can be introduced by contaminated seed. We will be monitoring our tomatoes and summer squash closely. Additionally, with the accumulation of hot days, many insects are emerging in numbers. Colorado potato beetle (which also likes tomatoes), leaf hopper, and cucumber beetles are all reaching peak emergence and crops must be scouted regularly to ensure populations are not getting too large. An advantage of using extreme discretion in spraying pesticides, and of planting cover crops, is that we have plenty of beneficial and predatory insects crawling and flying around the farm to keep pest populations in check. We will hope for good weather as we wait for our tasty summer crops to start producing!
- Tim Hines, Lexington Community Farm
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Featured Vegetable: Garlic Scapes
All About Garlic Scapes
Garlic scapes are the curly stems and unopened buds of hard-necked garlic. They are often cut off to allow the plant's energy to go towards the growth of larger, plumper garlic bulbs to be harvested in the fall.
These stalks are edible. They have with a mild garlic, slightly sweet, flavor and can be eaten raw without being overwhelming. In fact, eating them raw as the starring ingredient, as in a pesto, or as a complementary aromatic is recommended. You can also cook garlic scapes, but the mild flavor will get even subtler (though not lost completely).
Preparing
Cut off the bud and the bottom end. Some say you can snap off the bottom where it changes from tender to woody, much like an asparagus stalk, but I've always found it sufficient to cut off the bottom ½-inch.
Storing
You can store scapes in a paper or plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for a few weeks. If you plan to keep them longer, you should chop them to the length you like and freeze them in a freezer bag (blanching is optional). Frozen garlic scapes will store for a few months, though flavor will be lost as time goes by.
Further Information
Read more about garlic scapes at Mother Earth News.
- Betsy Pollack
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Recipe: Garlic Scape Pesto
I've been making a batch of this pesto every year since the first summer when I discovered garlic scapes. It's perfect on pasta, though you could spread it on bruschetta, dip in crudities, or throw a dollop on anything that needs it. If you can't figure out how to use it, this pesto freezes beautifully until you have need it. This is the original recipe from Dorie Greenspan.
10 garlic scapes, buds removed and and ends trimmed, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan (to taste and texture)
1/2 cup whole almonds
1/4 cup olive oil (or more)
Salt to taste
Place the chopped garlic scapes, 1/3 cup cheese, almonds and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Process until all the ingredients are combined. Taste for texture. If you think it's too chunky, add some more olive oil and process again. If you think it's too smooth, you can add more cheese. Once you're satisfied with the pesto, season it with salt to taste.
If you don't use it right away, cover the surface with plastic wrap to keep it from discoloring. Store in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for a few months.
Makes about 1 cup
Betsy Pollack is a LexFarm member with a passion for cooking. She tries to eat as mindfully as possible, thinking about where food comes from, geographically and otherwise, eating seasonally, and supporting local agriculture.
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More Ideas for Garlic Scapes
The simplest way to use garlic scapes is to add them as an aromatic to salads, stir fries or anything else you are making. You can use garlic scapes in place of scallions, shallots, or even garlic. Finely chopped garlic scapes also make a delicious garnish.
You can make pesto just with garlic scapes or mixed with Swiss chard or kale.
Garlic scapes work well with a variety of cooking techniques. You can roast them or grill them.
Sauté them with zucchini and summer squash.
Caramelize them and add them to a egg salad sandwich.
Pickle them in a quick brine or a lactic acid starter.
Puree into salad dressing: a simple one or maybe one with mustard.
Use garlic scapes to flavor vinegar, aioli, or a compound butter.
You could stuff naan with chutney.
Add them to okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes) or spring rolls.
Garlic scapes can flavor this risotto-like orzo.
For a dramatic look, try them whole on top of pizza along with zucchini slices.
Add flavor to a white bean or zucchini dip.
Add to pasta carbonara.
Toss them into biscuits.
For even more ideas, check out Canadian Gardening and Serious Eats.
Compiled by Jackie Starr & Betsy Pollack
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Featured Vegetable: Kohlrabi
All About Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi is an alien-looking bulb from the cabbage family. It tastes like a crispy blend of cabbage, jicama, turnips, broccoli stems, and radishes. Sometimes the bulb can be pale green or purple, though the inside is always a creamy color. Often, the leaves will be attached to the bulb. These leaves can be eaten in similar ways to kale.
In the summer, when the bulbs are younger, they will be smaller, about 2 inches in diameter. Later on, in the fall, the bulbs will be larger, more like 4 inches across.
Preparing
You will need to peel kohlrabis with thick woody skin. Be sure to peel deep enough to remove any woody parts. It is easier to peel kohlrabi with a sharp paring knife than a vegetable peeler.
Storing
If the leaves are attached to the bulb, remove the leaves before storing. Cut them off close to the bulb. Wrap the leaves in a damp paper towel and store in a plastic bag or container. The leaves will keep for up to a week.
Kohlrabi can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. If you plan to store it longer, place it in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator in a plastic bag. You can store them for a few weeks, though the texture might get woodier over time.
Freezing
To freeze, cut off the tops and roots of the bulb and peel if the skin is tough. Cut into ½-inch cubes and blanch for 1 minute, then cool, drain and pack into the best serving size for you, in plastic bags or containers, removing as much air as possible. Kohlrabi can be frozen for up to a year.
- Betsy Pollack
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Recipe: Kohlrabi Fries
Kohlrabi fries make a healthy alternative to French fries. I like the tangy dip, but then again, I'm not a fan of ketchup.
4 kohlrabi roots
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
Salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 425F.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, chili powder, salt, and cumin.
Peel kohlrabi, if necessary. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 1/2-inch slices, then across each slice to make 1/2-inch wide matchsticks. Place in a large bowl. Pour the flavored oil over the kohlrabi and toss to coat.
Transfer matchsticks to a baking sheet. Spread into a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.
To make the dipping sauce, whisk all the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with dipping sauce, or if you prefer (I don't), ketchup.
Serves 4
Betsy Pollack is a LexFarm member with a passion for cooking. She tries to eat as mindfully as possible, thinking about where food comes from, geographically and otherwise, eating seasonally, and supporting local agriculture.
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More Ideas for Kohlrabi
Kohlrabi is delicious raw, as a crudité. Munch on a combination of sliced kohlrabi, carrots, and watermelon radishes dipped in hummus.
Steam, roast, or stir-fry and serve with pasta or a grain and tomato sauce, with or without other vegetables.
Kohlrabi adds a crunchy note to salads. There are so many different variations:
Substitute kohlrabi for Chinese broccoli in this black bean shrimp dish.
Martha Rose Shulman’s kohlrabi-filled phyllo pie sounds delicious.
Substitute kohlrabi for broccoli in this pasta dish.
Make this winter vegetable curry using carrots, potatoes, and kohlrabi, served over millet or rice.
Make a quick pickle from shredded kohlrabi.
Roast it or mash it.
Roast with broccoli for this salad with a cashew-ginger sauce.
Butter-braise kohlrabi, which is similar to the recipe we offered last week for salad turnips
Slice thinly for oven-fried chips.
Try kohlrabi fritters, alone or combined with carrots.
For a fun garnish, watch this video showing how to carve a kohlrabi bulb into a rose.
Discover even more ideas at The Kitchn, Martha Stewart, Food52, and the New York Times.
Compiled by Jackie Starr & Betsy Pollack
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Keeping Your CSA Share Under Control
You might enjoy this fun article about eating vegetables like a Californian.
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Logistics
If you are unable to pick up your share on your assigned day, we have set up a Google group to help you find someone to swap with when you are planning ahead. So far, it seems like the group is working smoothly to arrange swaps. Keep in mind that there is no guarantee that you will find a swap. If you did not receive your invitation to the Google Group or are having trouble joining, send email to csa@lexfarm.org for assistance.
You are always welcome to send someone else to pick up your share for you. This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce a neighbor, friend, or co-worker to the farm. If you don't pick up your share, the food will not go to waste. Our volunteer food access team will deliver unclaimed produce to area food pantries.
If someone else is picking up your share, whether it's a shareholder swap or you're just sending someone in your stead, they should check in under your name. We don't update the weekly sign in sheets based on swaps or alternates.
If another member of your household wants to receive their own copy of the weekly newsletter, just let us know.
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Farm Stand Open to Public
We hope you're enjoying the new variety of locally produced foods at the farm stand. The farm stand is open to the public, so tell all your friends to stop by!
Farm Stand Hours:
Wednesdays-Fridays: 3-7 pm
Saturdays: 9 am - 4 pm
Sundays: 11 am - 4 pm
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If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or to add another member of your household to the mailing list for this weekly CSA newsletter, send an email to csa@lexfarm.org.
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Staff
Tim Hines
Farm Manager
Jaclyn Fishman
Farm Stand Manager
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LexFarm Board of Directors
Allison Guerette, President
Carolyn Goldstein, Vice President
Ralph Clifford, Treasurer
Amanda Maltais, Clerk
Susan Amsel
Mark Gabrenya
Marcia Gens
Whitney Kakos
Linda Levin
Susan Schiffer
Mary Rose Scozzafava
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