In Your Share (July 13th edition)

This week your share may include…

  • Beans: Green Beans got an early start this season! This one is a bush bean called Provider. We also have purple pole beans and yellow beans and edemame coming soon…  
  • Beets: Red, Golden & the Italian heirloom Chioggia this week. Use the greens up with your chard. The stems are also tasty – chop them first and start them in the saute pan a few minutes before the rest of the leaves. I often wilt everything with some olive oil on higher heat, then add a bit of water or stock, cover the pot and turn the heat to low for a few minutes to finish cooking. 
  • Chard:Rainbow Swiss Chard, with it’s exuberant leaves and beautiful colors is one of my favorite summer greens. Baby chard can be eaten raw, but mature chard leaves like these are best cooked to help break down the oxalic acid – that’s what gives the raw leaves a tangy flavor similar to wild oxalis. Try my grandmothers Chard Bisque (below)
  • Fresh Garlic: This is lots bigger than green garlic, but a little different than what you usually see at the store. These heads are almost full size with nice big cloves inside, but they have not been dried down so the result is fresh, juicy bursting with flavor garlic. Enjoy them while they last! 
  • Lettuce Heads: This beautiful red and green romaine lettuce will make a great ceasar salad.
  • Parsley: Flat leaf Italian parsley is still sweet despite the heat!
  • Potatoes: Beautiful new potatoes – the red is called Mountain Rose and the purple is Purple Majesty. As potatoes mature the skins thicken and “set” which helps protect the tuber during storage. This time of year we are harvesting immature aka New or Creamer potatoes. These have fabulously thin fragile parchment like skin which may even begin to come off when you wash them. New potatoes are prized for their high moisture content an creamy texture – try them steamed or roasted. 
  • Spring Onions: Super sweet Walla Walla’s again this week. For more ideas on how to use spring onions visit CSA shareholder and Nostrana chef Kelly Myers blog.