As I write this there’s a nice thunderstorm happening outside and the power went out. Not that we needed the rain, but what can you do?! And I’m not sure how long the battery on the laptop will hold out, so I need to get this blog posting DONE!
I hope that you all enjoyed the fantastic lettuces this past week! We will be bringing more gorgeous heads along with salad mix and spinach this week. We also have a few new items:
Fennel – Crunchy and fibrous raw, fennel is a great addition sliced into salads. It’s like crunching on celery but with a light anise flavor. You can also roast it, which adds a hint of pine nutty flavor. Just slice the bulbs into thick pieces, rub with olive oil, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar (and salt/pepper to taste), and cook in an aluminum foil-lined baking dish at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the fennel is cooked through and ready to carmelize. Delicious and easy!
If you want to try something a bit more complex (but still pretty easy), see below for a lentil salad with fennel.
Sugar Snap Peas – Last week I thought he was bringing them. This week, I know he is bringing them. Our kids are completely crazy about the peas. It’s hard to get them to pick ‘em without eating ‘em! These peas are best eaten raw either on their own or tossed into a salad. It’s a great snack a work, too! When your co-workers are bringing out the cookies and chips, you can reach for your bag-o-peas.
Kohlrabi – Looks like a root, but it’s really a swollen stem of a brassica (broccoli family). We prefer to just lightly peel it and then cut it into matchsticks and eat in a tahini dip (tahini, a dash of fresh lemon juice, a dash of soy sauce or Bragg’s, and water to get it to the preferred consistency). It’s a wonderful snack. You can also julienne it into a salad – it has a great apple-like texture. Be sure to cook the greens as well – simply sauté in sesame oil and soy sauce for a nice Asian-tinged side dish.
Swiss chard – There are lots of Swiss chard devotees out there, and for good reason. Swiss chard is just fantastic. We typically ribbon it up and then lightly sauté it with other greens. Basically, it can be treated like spinach for cooking purposes. I’d say more, but I’m afraid the computer battery is ready to die.
I did cut-and-paste the following recipe from www.culinate.com for fennel, if you’re interested.
Lentil Salad with Herbs and Fennel
From the Matthew Card collection at www.culinate.com
Introduction
While this salad can be served on its own or as accompaniment to grilled chicken or seafood, it also serves as a base for all manner of additional ingredients — sliced radishes, tomatoes, feta cheese, walnuts, pickled onions, etc. The salad should be tasted before serving and adjusted for salt and acidity, which will mellow as the salad sits.
Ingredients
3 qt. water
8 garlic cloves, peeled
3 bay leaves
½ onion, peeled but intact
~ Kosher salt
2 cups du Puy (French) lentils
2 Tbsp. white-wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
~ Large pinch of sugar
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
~ Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme or savory
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large fennel bulb, diced
Steps
1. Combine the water, garlic, bay leaves, onion, and 1 tablespoon salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, return to a simmer, and reduce the heat to medium, or just enough to maintain a slow but steady simmer. Cook until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Drain, discard the onion and bay leaves, transfer the garlic cloves to a small bowl, and spread the lentils onto a baking sheet to cool.
2. With a fork, mash the garlic cloves to a paste. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar and whisk together; whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled lentils, thyme, parsley, and fennel. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the lentils and fold the mixture with a large rubber spatula until well blended. Adjust the seasoning to taste (the lentils should taste fairly salty; the seasonings will mellow as the salad sits).
4. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
You can also check out www.culinate.com for a new posting from chef Deborah Madison. She’s a great cook and writer.
I’ll leave you with a final few notes and then the list of what we’re bringing. I’ve recently fallen in love with the podcasts from www.slate.com. They’re politically progressive, but not ugly and mean like you’d find on most talk radio. We’re going to the upcoming Ralph’s World show at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts on June 28. It’s only $5! If you haven’t heard them, let me assure you that Ralph’s World is a GREAT children’s band. Bill and I have been known to listen to him without the kids being at home!
I heard there’s a new documentary out called Food, Inc. Michael Pollan is involved, so it must be good.
For the next market, here’s what you can expect:
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Sugar Snap Peas
Swiss chard
Head Lettuce
Spinach
Garlic Scapes
Beets
Green Onions
Garlic
Salad Mix
Kale
Collard Greens
Arugula
Ruby Streaks
Radishes
Parsley
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at 309-467-9228. You can also email us at blueschoolhouse@yahoo.com, although during the farm season we can’t guarantee that we’ll be checking the email as often as usual.
Best,
Mercy
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