Dill

Dill (Anethum graveolens)

This feathery herb has blue-green leaves with a bright, clean, summery taste. It has an assertive but clear aroma like celery, with a freshness like parsley and a hint of anise-like sweetness. It is common in European cooking and is the standard flavoring for pickles. It also combines well with green beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, parsnips, potatoes, spinach, squash, eggplant, and eggs.

Try adding it to yogurt sauces or baking it in bread.

Edamame

Edamame (Glycine max ) is a member of the Fabaceae family, or legumes! They make a great and nutritious snack or side dish.

Edamame is immature soybeans that are cooked in their pod. In China, their common name translates to “fur peas” for the hairy pods.

Their name in Japanese translates to “stem peas” because they are harvested right on the stem! In fact, here at Brookfield, we recommend shareholders to pull up an entire edamame plant and take it home before removing the pods and cooking them.

Cooking Tips:

• Boil, steam, or microwave the pods and add salt to the boiling water. Or, salt the finished pods!

Storage Tips:

• Although they are best eaten fresh, edamame can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator in a plastic bag to maintain humidity. If pods turn brown, they are no good.

• You can also blanch and freeze edamame for eating later in the year.

Eggplant

Eggplant (Solanum melongena)

Much of the world knows this fruit by the word "aubergine," but the name 'eggplant' derives from its white, egg-shaped Indian ancestors. Related to tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers, eggplants are marvelously versatile, lending themselves to Italian, Greek, and Middle Eastern cuisines. They are not particularly nutritious, but eggplants are a good source of folic acid.

Storage Tips:

• Eggplant is best eaten fresh. Store unrefrigerated at a cool room temperature, or in hydrator drawer of refrigerator, for up to one week.

• For longer-term storage, dishes like baba ghanoush and ratatouille freeze well in airtight containers.

Escarole

Escarole (Cichorium endiva)

Escarole is a member of the daisy family, and is also known as Batavian endive. It has a bushy head and a slightly bitter taste. It descends from the wild chicory plant, which was first cultivated in ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. It is rather high in vitamin A and provides some vitamin C.

Storage Tips:

• Wrap escarole in damp towel or place in plastic bag and keep in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator.

• Escarole is best used fresh but will keep for 2-4 days if kept moist and refrigerated.

Fennel

Fennel is a native of southern Europe, where it was cultivated and used as medicine, food, insect repellent, and herb. According to Greek mythology, when humans received news from Olympus, it was sent in the form of a hot coal within a fennel stalk. New England Puritans called fennel seed the "meetin' seed" as it was commonly nibbled during church services. Fennel has a distinctive anise-like taste and has vitamin A, calcium, potassium and iron.

Storage Tips:

• Store fennel in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

• The delicate leaves will go limp. Wrap them in a moist towel and refrigerate.

Garlic and Scapes

Garlic Scapes (Allium sativum)

The scapes are the stem and bud of the hard neck garlic plant preparing to flower. We snap off this stem so that the plant can put its energy into developing a large bulb. Garlic scapes have a sublter, though still rich, garlic flavor, and can be used in place of garlic cloves in any recipe.

Storage Tips:

• Store scapes in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Garlic (Allium sativum)

The bulbous member of the lily family, Liliaceae, is a favorite of cultures both in the west and in the east. While garlic suffered from unpopularity in the United States for much of its history, it is now widespread in popularity, and in some circles has developed quite a faithful and enthusiastic following.

Storage Tips:

• If garlic is cured, store unpeeled, in a cool dry place.

• If garlic is fresh, refrigerate for best storage.

Green Beans

Green Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The first cultivated beans in America were grown in Peru some 8,000 years ago. Along with squash and corn, beans quickly became a staple of the American diet and remains one of the most widely used garden vegetables in the U.S. Whether green, yellow, or purple, beans are cholesterol-free, high in vitamins A, B1 & B2, calcium and potassium, soluble fiber and protein. Beans are good for the soil as well, as they are nitrogen-fixers. When they're plowed under, they become a great green manure.

Storage Tips:

Refrigerate beans in a plastic bag. Use as soon as possible. Beans will maintain their integrity quite well for up to ten days.

For long-term storage, beans can be easily frozen. Wash, trim, and blanch for 2 minutes. Rinse in ice-cold water and pack into zip-lock bag or airtight container. Freeze.

Greens

Mixed Greens (arugula, mizuna, tatsoi, swiss chard, mustard green, bok choy, spinach, braising mix, komatsuna)

Storage Tips:

• All of Brookfield's cutting greens (arugula, mizuna, tatsoi, hon tsai tai, swiss chard, etc.) are very perishable and need to be handled carefully in order to store well in your fridge.

• If you don't plan to use them right away, rinse them and dry them in a salad spinner. Then place them in a dry plastic bag and they should last for up to five days.

• Freezing greens: Clean greens in cold water and remove all weeds, debris, and bad leaves. Put into pot of boiling water for 90 seconds. Remove from water and immediately place in cold clean water for 90 seconds. When greens feel cooler remove from water. Shake out excess water (you can't get it all out). Stuff into plastic bag, twist, suck out excess air, twist-tie, and place in the freezer.

• When you want to use frozen greens in the middle of winter, thaw in the morning to use at night. Slow thawing helps greens from getting too mushy. One pint sized bag of frozen greens will be enough for a meal for 1 - 3 people.

Hakurei Turnip

Hakarei Turnip (Brassica rapa)

Also known as 'Japanese Turnips' or 'Salad Turnips', these are smaller and sweeter than their bitter cousins. As the name Salad Turnip implies, Hakareis are tender and sweet enough to be eaten raw, although they are also delicious when lightly cooked.

Storage Tips:

• You can store turnips in a root cellar, moist sand, or the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator

Culinary Herbs

We grow a wide variety of culinary herbs to spice up your cooking and enhance the flavors of your meals.

For most herbs, we eat the leaves. For herbs with woody stems such as basil, rosemary, thyme, and sage, pinch leaves off the stems before chopping. For more tender herbs such as cilantro and chives, you can chop the whole herb. Parsley stems are tender but have a very strong flavor so compost most of the stem and just use the leaves!

Using fresh and dried herbs can take your cooking to a whole new level! Experiment with different combinations of herbs and don’t forget to get creative with herb pestos!

It can be tricky to keep herbs fresh for many days after harvest, but read below for some tips to extend the life of your herbs:

Harvest and storage tips:

• Cut sprigs of fresh herbs using scissors and the plant will continue to produce more!

• DO NOT refrigerate basil, rosemary, sage, tarragon or thyme. Store on the counter with their cut ends in a cup of fresh water and change the water every day.

• DO refrigerate chives, parsley, and cilantro. Store with cut ends in a cup of water with a plastic bag over their tops. Change the water every day.

• Make your own dried herbs using a dehydrator, or you can use your oven on low with the door propped open for airflow. Or the easiest way is to hang them upside down in a dry, warm part of the house until leaves crumble at the touch.

Peppers, Hot

Hot Peppers (Capsicum annuum and frutescens)

When he arrived in the Americas, Columbus found chile peppers to be the most commonly used spice by Native Americans. He named them "pimientos" after the black pepper he had hoped to find and bring back to Iberia. Hot peppers spread like wildfire across the globe: they were carried by the Portuguese to East Africa, India, and the East Indies. The pepper diaspora happened so quickly, and the peppers naturalized so well, that many cultures mistakenly believed the peppers to be their own native plants. Nowadays, hot sauces are essential ingredients to many ethnic cuisines. Hot peppers are very high in vitamin C and also contain vitamin A.

Storage Tips:

• To dry hot peppers (especially the long red ones), string them with needle and thick thread through the stems and hang them in a dry warm place.

Kale

  
Kale is the most ancient and among the earliest cultivated member of the cabbage family. It was a favorite vegetable in ancient Rome and has remained a particularly popular vegetable in Scotland and Ireland. Nutritionally, kale is vastly superior to most vegetables. It is very rich in vitamins A and C, and calcium. B vitamins and other minerals are also in excellent supply. Kale also has the highest protein content of all of the cultivated vegetables.

Toscano Kale

Green "curly" Kale

Storage Tips:

• Wrap kale in damp towel or place in plastic bag and keep in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator.

• Kale is best used fresh but will keep for 2-4 days if kept moist and refrigerated.

• For long-term storage, kale can be frozen. Wash, de-stem, and blanch leaves for 2 minutes. Rinse in ice-cold water and pack into zip-lock bag or airtight container. Freeze.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi (brassia oleracea var. gongylodes)

Kohlrabi shares its botanical name with its close relative, broccoli. However, 'kohl' (cabbage) and 'rabi' (turnip) better describes this delicate vegetable. Many botanists believe kohlrabi is actually a hybridization of these two vegetables.

The vegetable appeared suddenly in Europe in the middle of the 16th century. It offers generous amounts of vitamins A and C and emphasizes the minerals potassium and calcium. Kohlrabi is high in fiber and sports only 40 calories per cup serving.

Storage Tips:

• Store kohlrabi globe and leaves separately. The globe will last for a month refrigerated in a plastic bag.

• Wrap leaves in a damp towel or plastic bag and keep in hydrator drawer of the refrigerator. Use greens as soon as possible.

Komatsuna

Komatsuna (Brassica rapa var. perviridis or var. komatsuna)

Komatsuna is a dark leafy green in the same family as collard greens and kale. This green is rich in calcium and can be prepared any way you might prepare bok choy or spinach.

Storage Tips:

• Wrap komatsuna in a damp towel, or out in a plastic bag and place in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator.Store for up to one week.

• Leaves will lose integrity and wilt if allowed to dry out.

Leek

Leek (allium porrum)

Native to the Mediterranean area, leeks may have originated in Egypt where they were cultivated and worshipped: "... where onions are adored, and leeks are gods..." Leeks have been a cooking staple in Europe for centuries. France and Wales have particularly glorified the leek in both their lore and cooking.

Storage Tips:

• Refrigerate leeks unwashed and dry with roots attached for up to two weeks. Wrap lightly in plastic to avoid aroma spreading to other foods.

• For longer term storage, leeks can be buried in moist sand and kept in a cool but not freezing location for part of the winter.

Lettuce

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Lettuce is world's most popular salad green. It is said that it has been in cultivation since at least 4500 B.C. Our varieties will change as the season progresses with cool weather loving leaf lettuces in the spring and fall, and heat tolerant 'batavian' types in mid summer.

Storage Tips:

• Keep in the hydrator drawer of the refrigerator.

• Lettuce is best used fresh but will keep for up to a week or so, if kept moist and refrigerated.

Mizuna

Mizuna (Brassica rapa, japonica group)

Mizuna is a small, toothed, salad green with a crisp, peppery flavor. Makes a spicy addition to any salad.

Storage Tips:

• Store mizuna in a plastic bag in the hydrator drawer in the refrigerator.

• Store for up to one week. Leaves will lose integrity and wilt if allowed to dry out.

Okra

Okra is in the mallow family, which includes hibiscus! The flowers are gorgeous, white, hibiscus-like flowers but the part we eat is the seedpod/fruit. Okra is native to tropical and subtropical regions, and is a common ingredient in southern and equatorial cuisines.

Okra is known for its sliminess and its ability to thicken soups, and it is an essential ingredient in gumbo. The pods should be picked tender (before they get woody) and can even be eaten raw!

Okra pods can be cooked in soups, stir-fried, chopped into salads, pickled, fried, or stuffed with cheese and spices.

Storage Tips:

• Don’t wash okra until you’re ready to use it

• Store in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag for up to 1 week

• To freeze okra for winter soups, blanch in boiling water for no more than 1 minute

Onions

Onion (Allium cepa)

The onion is a native of west-central Asia has been cultivated since prehistoric times. They were believed to have curative powers by the ancient Babylonians, Greeks, and Egyptians. Indeed, onions, garlic and chickpeas reportedly made up the bulk of the food ration given to the 100,000 laborers of the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Onions' internal layers were considered a symbol of eternity-an idea espoused by Russian architects, who constructed onion-shaped towers hoping to ensure that the buildings would stand forever. Onions are high in vitamin C.

Storage Tips:

• Bulb onions will store for several months in a cool, dry ventilated place. Warmth and moisture will cause sprouting.

• Store onion in the refrigerator in an air-tight container to avoid transference of flavors to other foods.

• Store chives or scallions wrapped in a damp towel or plastic bag in hydrator drawer of fridge for 2-3 days.

Parsnip

Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa)
 

Parsnips are native to Europe and western Asia. They have been cultivated for their yellowish, carrot-shaped roots since the time of the ancient Greeks. Parsnips were introduced to North America at the beginning of the seventeenth century, and their use spread rapidly among Native Americans. Now, the vegetable gets as many quizzical looks as absolute raves. Their taste is best only after the frost, so we wait until the bitter end to harvest these. If you are unfamiliar with them, wash, peel them, steam them, and mash them for an amazingly sweet, distinctive taste. Parsnips are rich in vitamin C.

If you are unfamiliar with them, wash them, peel them, steam them, and mash them for an amazingly sweet, distinctive taste.

Storage Tips:

• Trim off parnsips tops and refrigerate unwashed in a plastic bag for up to two weeks.

• For longer term storage, bury in moist sand and keep in a very cool but not freezing location.

• Parsnips may be frozen. Blanch 1" chuncks for 2-3 minutes. Run under cold water. Drain and pack into airtight containers. Parnisp puree freezes well also.