Carrots
Bok Choy
Lettuce Mix
Chinese or Flat Cabbage
Cucumbers
Scallions
Kkeannip (perilla)
In this week’s share we are still offering lots of green things: bok choy, cabbage, and a simple lettuce mix. We hope you enjoy these while they last as they may be fleeting with all this hot weather we are looking forward to in the coming weeks. We are happy that we also have a few carrots for the shares as well. We have had a struggle with carrots over the last 6 months, either poor germination, carrot rust fly damage, or most recently insane weed competition. Carrots are always the most time-consuming crop, they have small greens and grow very slow, so May rains gave the late spring weeds a 10/1 advantage. Anyhow we have a few and are happy to get them to you. They pair fabulously with Chinese cabbage and cucumbers, the most abundant crops in this week’s share. Salting cucumbers or cabbage for a simple refrigerator pickle, or salad is such a refreshing side to any meal. Add some aromatics and chilies and you have a great topping for a delicious rice bowl. Our Kkeannip (perilla in English) comes from 2nd generation seeds, a small seed growing company in California, focusing on Korean crops. It is very closely related to shiso, although slightly milder and can be used in both savory or sweet applications. It is most commonly marinated, as in the first recipe below; but can also simply be finely chopped and used as a garnish on a cucumber or cabbage salad. If you would like to store the leaves for longer, pick from the stems and layer in paper towels inside an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Check out the recipes and enjoy the share…..Brian & Autumn
Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad with Fresh Scallions & Cilantro
Ginger Bok Choy Soup with Noodles
Napa Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw
Shiso Granita – Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
15 green shiso leaves
¼ cup granulated sugar
Place the shiso leaves in a medium-sized bowl or 4-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Heat the sugar and 3 cups water to boiling in a medium saucepan, stirring the sugar to dissolve. Pour the boiling sugar water over the leaves and steep until cool. Set a strainer over a plastic container large enough to hold 3 cups and strain out the leaves. Cover and transfer the shiso-flavored sugar water to a freezer shelf. Let sit, undisturbed, in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove to the countertop, open the lid, and gently stir in the crystals that have formed on the perimeter. Repeat this operation every 30 minutes, breaking up any larger crystals as you go. The finished granita should be flaky. Serve alone in a glass bowl or goblet. This is also wonderful served alongside Fig Ice Cream and Plum Sorbet. Keeps frozen for several weeks.
Carrot Slivers Stir-fried with Soy Sauce– Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu
3 Tbls rapeseed or light sesame oil
2 small dried peppers, torn in half
4 cups julienned carrots
2 Tbls soy sauce
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add the peppers and warm until fragrant. Turn the heat up to high and throw in the carrots. Toss several minutes over high heat until the carrots have softened but not wilted. Test for doneness by sampling a piece or two. Splash in the soy sauce and toss for a couple of seconds to draw the soy sauce flavor into the carrots. Ratio: vegetable: oil: soy sauce- 1cup: 2 tsp: 1 ½ tsp