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.

Peas

Peas (pisum sativum)

Peas are most certainly a seasonal treat! Savor them fresh while they last! Peas are as ancient a cultivated food as wheat, barley, and garlic. They have been found in famous excavations dating back to 7000 and 10,000 PC. Perhaps originating in northern India, peas moved to the Near East, the Mediterranean, northern Europe, the British Isles, and England.

Peas have much to offer nutritionally. They are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, and the Bs. They are also high in the minerals iron, potassium, and phosphorus. All of this in a high protein, high carbohydrate, high fiber package!

Storage Tips:

Snow, snap, or shelling peas:

Clean peas in cold water and remove stems (or pods for shelling peas). Place into pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from water and immediately place in cold clean water for 2 minutes. When peas feel cooler remove from water. Shake out water. Place into plastic bag, twist, suck out excess air, twist-tie, and put in the freezer.

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

Potato

Potato (Solanum tuberosum)

Potatoes are the fourth most important crop in the world (after rice, wheat, and maize). They were domesticated in Peru some 10,000 years ago, and were a staple of the Andean diet. These ancient Peruvians grew hundreds of varieties of potatoes-sweet, bitter, red, blue-which were baked, boiled, and even eaten for dessert. Now, in America, 65% of the potatoes we grow are used to make processed products-potato chips, French fries, hash browns, etc. Potatoes plus milk make a complete protein-which is why the crop has historically been so important to the world's poor. In America they are a leading source of vitamin C, and are also rich in potassium, niacin, iron, and B6.

Storage Tips:

You may find that you get too many potatoes to eat in one week - no problem. Just keep them in a paper bag, in a dry and cool (40 F) part of the house - the garage is good until it freezes at night, then the basement is usually good - away from the furnace.

Pumpkins, Jack O'Lanterns

Pumpkin (cucurbita pepo)

Cultivation of the cucumber dates back 9,000 years ago to its native regions in South and Central America. Naturalized to the eastern United States, the Native American tribes in the New England area cultivated pumpkins and other squashes as staples of their diet long before the arrival of the Europeans.

Pumpkins are an important winter vegetable for the seasonal eater, providing the greatest vitamin A of all common fruit and vegetables. They are also high in iron, potassium, and phosphorus. They offer excellent nutrition as well!

Storage Tips:

• Store pumpkins in a cool, dry place. Pumpkins will last at room temperature for several weeks, and at 40-50 degrees for several months. Do not refrigerate unless cut open.

• Pumpkin may be cooked, pureed, and packed into airtight containers and frozen for later use in soups or baked goods.

Radicchio

Radicchio (Cichorium intybus)

Radicchio is a red leaved, white veined vegetable whose leaves make a small head. Its strong bitter flavor makes a great addition to salads. It is also often grilled or roasted to obtain a milder flavor.

Storage Tips:

Radicchio can store in the hydrator drawer of your refrigerator for at least 2 weeks.

Radish

Radish (Raphanus sativa)

Radishes come in a multitude of shapes, sizes and colors besides our common round, red radish. In Eastern Europe and Russia, black radishes are commonly mixed into various dishes. The daikon radish of East Asia is grated and eaten raw, cooked into soups and stews, and pickled.

At the farm, we also grow a "watermelon" or "meat" radish which is white/green on the outside and pink on the inside.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb is an early spring delight and a perennial crop (meaning it comes back year after year)

The edible part of rhubarb is the stalk of the leaves. Its crisp texture and tart, sour flavor pair well with sweet fruits, desserts, crumbles and pies. Or, try making a rhubarb simple syrup for use in cocktails!

Harvest tips:

• pull stalks off of plants, then trim off leaf before cooking

• unwashed rhubarb will store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days

• freeze rhubarb by cutting into pieces and freezing on a baking sheet before storing in a freezer bag

Rutabaga

Rutabaga (Brassica napobrassica)

The rutabaga is a relatively modern vegetable that resulted from a cross between a Swedish turnip and a cabbage. The rutabaga's flesh is yellowish, and it's taste is milder than that of the turnip.

Storage Tips:

• Rutabaga will store adequately at room temperature for up to one week, or refrigerated in plastic bag or hydrator drawer for up to one month

• For longer term storage, rutabagas may be packed in moist sand and kept in a cool but not freezing location

Salad Greens

Salad Greens

A salad mix can be as specific and as satisfying as your grandmother's favorite dish, and the components of a salad mix are as variable as your imagination allows. Chicory, mustard, cress, endive, mizuna, kale, dandelion, arugula, tatsoi; plus your choice of lettuce(s) are all options to experiment with. Even some of our "favorite" farm weeds taste great in a salad; like purslane and amaranth.

Storage Tips:

This mix will have to be lightly washed before eating to ensure that it has no grit in it. Leave it out to dry (or put it through a salad spinner) if you plan to store it in the refrigerator for more than a couple of days.

Scallion (Green or Bunching Onions)

Scallion (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.

Spinach

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)

Spinach hails from southwestern Asia; it was given to China as a gift from Nepal in the first years of the T'ang Dynasty (early seventh century A.D.). Spinach spread slowly, finally reaching Europe with the invading Moors. It was popular on the Continent because it grew well in the early spring, when other fresh vegetables are still scarce. Popeye (who made his cartoon appearance in 1929) inspired a 33% increase in spinach consumption among children. Indeed, it is rich in beta-carotene, calcium, folacin, and various minerals.

Storage Tips:

• Store spinach in a damp towel or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

• For longer term storage, spinach may be frozen. Blanch for 1-2 minutes, rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process, drain well and pack into airtight containers, such as zip-lock freezer bags.

Strawberries

Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa )

The first garden variety of strawberries was cultivated in Brittany, France from a cross of a species native to the East Coast of North America and another species from Chile.

The strawberry is not, from a botanical point of view, a berry. Technically, it’s an aggregate fruit—each “seed” on the outside of the fruit is actually a separate fruit with its own seed inside it!

Strawberries are sweet and delicious and full of vitamin C!

Pick strawberries ripe—they don’t continue to ripen after picking.

Storage Tips:

• Strawberries are best eaten fresh and soon after picking.

• You can keep unwashed strawberries for a few days in a colander in the refrigerator. Wash before eating.

• Try freezing strawberries to enjoy all year: sort out any mushy fruits, wash the remaining ones and cut off the tops. Let dry for about 10 minutes in a colander and then spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet (this keeps them from freezing into a solid block). Freeze overnight. Then pack the loose frozen berries into freezer bags. These work great for smoothies and baking!