Mustard Greens
Yu Choy or Zucchini
Radishes or Hakurei Turnips
New Potatoes or Sugar Snap Peas
Mesclun Salad Mix or Arugula
Scallions
We are excited about this share, zucchini has come on super early (thanks climate change), the yu choy is abundant and delicious, and the mustards are peppery and lush. We also have new potatoes and sugar snap peas, yay! We begin these two crops in a high tunnel in early February each year. We do this for a few reasons: we can get a jump on the season and have them ready in early- mid May and we can control the environment a bit more, especially from excessive rain, which peas do not like when paired with our heavy soil, or wildly fluctuating temperatures which are becoming more and more common. These crops both pair well and complement our greens, whether raw salads or sauteed heartier greens; both things we have in abundance this time of year. But they are also just fabulous in the most simple solo preparations, boiled new potatoes with salted butter for example will not disappoint. Check out the recipes below and enjoy the share….. Brian & Autumn
Hot & Sour Seared Tofu with Snap Peas
Shiro Miso Soba Noodles with Poached Eggs, Yu Choy, & Turnips
Stir Fried Zucchini & Baby Bok Choy
(use yu choy and garlic scapes in this)
Zucchini Scallion Pancake with Soy Dipping Sauce
Roasted Potato Salad with Mustard Greens & Tahini Dressing
Young Scallions with Miso Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
Very thin young scallions
Organic brown rice miso
Clean the scallions. Cut off the root bottoms and any brown tapering of the tops. Peel off the tough or discolored outer layers. Spoon out a dollop of miso onto a medium sized plate. To eat, dip the scallion into the miso, scooping up about the same volume of miso to scallion. This simple dish makes a fresh before dinner appetizer and is especially good with mixed drinks or a beer.
Bitter Greens with Dashi – Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
2 small bunches (1 1/3lb) Bitter Greens: mustard, turnip, or komatsuna
1/3 cup Dashi
2 Tbls Soy Sauce
2 Tbls freshly shaved katsuobushi or 3 Tbls hanakatsuo
Bring a large pot of hot water to a boil and place a large bowl of cold water on the kitchen sink. Hold the bunches of greens by their tops and lower the stems into the boiling water. Count to ten or twenty, then drop the greens into the pot and cook an additional 1-3 minutes. Scoop out the greens with a strainer and dump them immediately into the cold water. Turn on the tap and plunge your hands into the water, lifting the greens up directly into the stream of cold running tap water to cool them. Pull out a few connected strands and squeeze down the length of the greens to express the excess water. Ley the greens on the cutting board, cut off the end tips, and slice into 2” lengths.
Squeeze the greens one more time and arrange the clumps attractively on a medium-sized saucer with the cut sides face up. Season the dashi with soy sauce, pour over the greens, and sprinkle with shaved katsuobushi right before serving.
Variation: Also nice with some slivered citrus peel, such as yuzu or meyer lemon. Although in this case I would cut back, or omit the katsuobushi.