Don't peel beets until after cooking. When bruised or pierced, beets bleed, losing some of their vibrant color and turning a duller brownish red. To minimize bleeding, wash beets gently under cool running water, taking care not to tear the skin since this tough outer layer helps keep most of beets' pigments inside the vegetable. To prevent bleeding when boiling beets, leave them whole with their root ends and one inch of stem attached.

Beets' color can be modified during cooking. Adding an acidic ingredient such as lemon juice or vinegar to the water when boiling beets will brighten the color while an alkaline substance such as baking soda will often cause them to turn a deeper purple. Salt will blunt beets' color, so add only at the end of cooking if needed.

Beets are wonderful roasted -- beets contain a lot of sugar and they carmelize when roasted making them almost sweet.

Simply grate raw beets for a delicious and colorful addition to salads or decorative garnish for soups. Add chunks of beet when roasting vegetables in the oven. Serving homemade vegetable juice? A quarter of a beet will turn any green drink into a sweet pink concoction, pleasing both the eyes and the taste buds. Beet greens can be used in place of greens in most recipes. Marinate steamed beets in fresh lemon juice, olive oil, and fresh herbs.

A wonderful salad using beets can be easily prepared by whisking together 2 parts canola oil to 1 part rice wine vinegar, a bit of Dijon mustard, chopped fresh tarragon, chopped chives or scallions, salt, pepper, and a sprinkling of toasted pecans or walnuts, and feta cheese.

Bok Choy is a familiar vegetable in Chinese restaurants, where it appears in soups and many stir-fried dishes. It can also be steamed, roasted or eaten raw in salads and the stems are excellent dipped in hummus or other dips. Bok choy has crunchy stems and crinkled, spinach-like leaves. Baby bok choy is what you will receive at the farm, and they're more tender than the larger variety.

Broccoli raab is often used steamed or lightly sauteed in olive oil. Some like to give it a quick blanching to minimize the bitterness.

To prepare broccoli raab, trim the bottom 1/2 inch off the stems, then roughly chop, using stems, leaves and flowers together. Blanch in salted boiling water for 2 minutes if desired, then plunge into an ice water bath to stop the cooking. A simple way to enjoy it is to then lightly saute sliced or chopped garlic in olive oil for just a minute or so. Add the broccoli raab to the pan, and keep stirring until wilted and the stems are to desired tenderness. Add salt and pepper to taste. It can be enjoyed this way, or a squeeze of lemon juice, or drizzle of balsamic vinegar add a nice acidic punch. A sprinkle of good quality parmesan or romano cheese is also tasty, as is a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Wash carrot roots and gently scrub them with a vegetable brush right before eating. Unless the carrots are old, thick or not grown organically, it is not necessary to peel them. If the stem end is green, it should be cut away as it will be bitter. Depending upon the recipe or your personal preference, carrots can be left whole or julienned, grated, shredded or sliced into sticks or rounds.

Carrots are delicious eaten raw or cooked. Beta-carotene is not destroyed by cooking; in fact, cooking breaks down the fiber, making this nutrient and carrots' sugars more available, thus also making them taste sweeter. Take care not to overcook carrots, however, to ensure that they retain their maximum flavor and nutritional content.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Shredded raw carrots and chopped carrot greens make great additions to salads.
Combine shredded carrots, beets and apples, and eat as a salad.
For quick, nutritious soup that can be served hot or cold, purée boiled carrots and potatoes in a blender or food processor, and add herbs and spices to taste.
Spiced carrot sticks are a flavorful variation on an old favorite at parties or at the dinner table. Soak carrot sticks in hot water spiced with cayenne, coriander seeds and salt. Allow to cool, drain and serve.
Combine freshly squeezed carrot juice with soymilk and bananas to make a nutrient-dense breakfast shake.

Celeriac is loaded with Vitamin C, potassium, and phosphorous.The flesh is crispy when raw, silky smooth when cooked.

Try different cuisines that feature hot peppers, including Thai, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and of course, Mexican.

Chili peppers are used around the world to make dried spices and a wide variety of sauces, known as hot sauce, chili sauce or pepper sauce. There are countless recipes.Add minced chili peppers to many dishes to add another dimension to the dish. I often add them to both hot and cold pasta dishes; frittatas; salsas; soups such as gazpacho; dips; stir fries.

Unwaxed cucumbers, like the ones from Anchorrun, do not need to be peeled but should be washed before cutting. Waxed cucumbers should always be peeled first. Cucumbers can be sliced, diced or cut into sticks. While the seeds are edible and nutritious, some people prefer not to eat them. To easily remove them, cut the cucumber lengthwise and use the tip of a spoon to gently scoop them out.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Use half-inch thick cucumber slices as petite serving "dishes" for chopped vegetable salads.
Mix diced cucumbers with sugar snap peas and mint leaves and toss with rice wine vinaigrette.
For refreshing cold gazpacho soup that takes five minutes or less to make, simply purée cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers and onions, then add salt and pepper to taste.
Add diced cucumber to tuna fish or chicken salad recipes.

Eggplant can be baked, roasted in the oven, or steamed. If baking it whole, pierce the eggplant several times with a fork to make small holes for the steam to escape. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes, depending upon size. You can test for its readiness by gently inserting a knife or fork to see if it passes through easily. A few quick serving ideas:

For homemade babaganoush, purée roasted eggplant, garlic, tahini, lemon juice and olive oil. Use it as a dip for vegetables or as a sandwich filling; mix cubed baked eggplant with grilled peppers, lentils, onions and garlic and top with balsamic vinaigrette; stuff miniature Japanese eggplants with a mixture of feta cheese, pine nuts and roasted peppers; or, just brush with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and grill til tender.

Both types of endive are used in salad mixtures with blander- flavored lettuce to prepare a salad with a "little bite" added to the flavor. They can also be used in soups, or sauteed in olive oil and garlic and then tossed with pasta along with walnut pieces and your favorite cheese. Or try these options:

Crumble blue cheese over endive or a mix of greens and sprinkle with green onion. Drizzle over a vinaigrette of olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Or with goat cheese: Crumble some chèvre on your salad. Garnish with red onion and slivers of garlic. Dress with olive oil, lime juice and honey.
Country style - with bacon bits, croutons and garlic. For a light meal, add a hard-boiled egg.
Autumn salad - endive lettuce, beets, apples, walnuts.
Italian - with a vinaigrette of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard and garlic… and with some dandelions!

Fennel is a versatile vegetable that plays an important role in the food culture of many European nations, especially in France and Italy. Its esteemed reputation dates back to the earliest times and is reflected in its mythological traditions. Greek myths state that fennel was not only closely associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of food and wine, but that a fennel stalk carried the coal that passed down knowledge from the gods to men.

Fennel is composed of a white or pale green bulb from which closely superimposed stalks are arranged. The stalks are topped with feathery green leaves near which flowers grow and produce fennel seeds. The bulb, stalk, leaves, and seeds are all edible. Fennel belongs to the Umbellifereae family and is therefore closely related to parsley, carrots, dill, and coriander.

Fennel's aromatic taste is unique, strikingly reminiscent of licorice and anise, so much so that fennel is often mistakenly referred to as anise in the marketplace. Fennel's texture is similar to that of celery, having a crunchy and striated texture.

Fennel is a good source of Vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber.

Good-quality fennel will have bulbs that are clean, firm and solid, without signs of splitting, bruising or spotting. The bulbs should be whitish or pale green in color. The stalks should be relatively straight and closely superimposed around the bulb and should not splay out to the sides too much. Both the stalks and the leaves should be green in color. There should be no signs of flowering buds as this indicates that the vegetable is past maturity. Fresh fennel should have a fragrant aroma, smelling subtly of licorice or anise. Fennel is usually available from autumn through early spring.

Although you can store fresh fennel in the refrigerator crisper, where it should stay fresh for about four days, it is best to consume fennel soon after purchase since as it ages, it tends to gradually lose its flavor. While fresh fennel can be frozen after first being blanched, it seems to lose much of its flavor during this process.

The three different parts of fennel—the base, stalks, and leaves—can all be used in cooking. Cut the stalks away from the bulb at the place where they meet. If you are not going to be using the intact bulb in a recipe, then first cut it in half, remove the base, and then rinse it with water before proceeding to cut it further. Fennel can be cut in a variety of sizes and shapes, depending upon the recipe and your personal preference. The best way to slice it is to do so vertically through the bulb. If your recipe requires chunked, diced or julienned fennel, it is best to first remove the harder core that resides in the center before cutting it. The stalks of the fennel can be used for soups, stocks and stews, while the leaves can be used as an herb seasoning.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:
Sautéed fennel and onions make a wonderful side dish.
Combine sliced fennel with avocados, and oranges for a delightful salad.
Braised fennel is a wonderful complement to scallops.
Next time you are looking for a new way to adorn your sandwiches, consider adding sliced fennel in addition to the traditional toppings of lettuce and tomato.
Top thinly sliced fennel with plain yogurt and mint leaves.

Garlic scapes have a pleasant, subtle garlic taste and can be treated as a replacement for green onions, garlic, chives, or shallots in recipes you cook every day. Eat them raw or cooked. Just slice the beautiful curves (flower tops and all) into long wands or thin rounds and add them to a dish—just at the end, if you are cooking them. Too much cooking destroys the fresh flavor.

Try dicing scapes into scrambled eggs, adding to a veggie sauté or using as garnish for rice. However, the best way to understand the beauty of the scape is to pulverize them into pesto. Instead of pine nuts, you can use heart-healthy walnuts. The garlic flavor is fresh and light.

Make string beans into a wonderful salad, using a dijon vinaigrette.
Sauté green beans with shiitake mushrooms.
Prepare the perennial favorite, green beans almondine, by sprinking slivered almonds on healthy sautéed beans. Roast green beans, red peppers and garlic, and combine with olive oil and seasonings to make a delicious salad.
Add chopped green beans to breakfast frittatas.

Before eating or cooking, wash the kale leaves thoroughly under cool running water to remove any sand or dirt that may remain in the leaves. Both the leaves and the stem of kale can be eaten. After removing any dirt that remains, you can just cut it into the desired shape and size.

If your recipe calls for the leaves only, they can be easily removed. Just take each leaf in hand, fold it in half lengthwise, hold the folded leaves near the base where they meet the stalk, and with the other hand, gently pull on the stem. You can also use a knife to separate the leaves from the stems.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Sauté kale with fresh garlic and sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil before serving.

Braise chopped kale and apples. Before serving, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and chopped walnuts.

Combine chopped kale, pine nuts and feta cheese with whole grain pasta drizzled with olive oil.

The taste and texture of steamed kale makes it a wonderful topping for homemade pizzas.

Kohlrabi can be eaten raw as well as cooked. Leaves of young plants may be used like spinach, or mustard greens. Small kohlrabi bulbs which are young and tender generally do not require peeling. Medium to larger sizes should be peeled to remove the protective outer skin. The crisp flesh can be served raw in salads, as a relish, or as a crunchy accompaniment to dips. Use the leaves as alternatives to kale or turnips in recipes.

One way to cook them - the recipe calls for salting them first. I cooked them without the pre-cooking salting and thought they were good.
2 kohlrabi, 3 if small
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp fresh herbs (thyme, sage, chives, etc.)

Grate kohlrabi, place in colander and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes to drain. Heat oil, add onions, and sauté a few minutes over medium heat. Stir in kohlrabi, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in fresh herbs.

• Romaine: Also known as Cos, this variety of head forming lettuce has deep green, long leaves with a crisp texture and deep taste.
• Crisphead: With green leaves on the outside and whitish ones on the inside, this variety of head lettuce has a crisp texture and a watery, mild taste. The best known variety of crisphead lettuce is iceberg but you are likely to see other types at the farm.
• Butterhead: These types of lettuce feature tender large leaves that form a loosely arranged head that is easily separated from the stem, a sweet flavor and a soft texture. The best known varieties of Butterhead lettuce include Boston and Bibb.
• Leaf: Featuring broad, curly leaf varieties that are green and/or red, the leaf lettuces offer a delicate taste and a mildly crispy texture. Best known varieties of leaf lettuce include green leaf and red leaf.

Salads can be prepared in so many ways and everyone has their favorites. Check out the website recipes for some ideas. Whatever salad combinations or dressing you choose, make sure the greens are dry. Wash them well to make sure to remove any grit. If you do not already have one, invest in a salad spinner. It can be used for all of your greens or veggies to wash and then spin the water off of them.

The superfresh delicate greens of early season do not need much. Try whisking together salt, pepper, a little bit of dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice and/or red wine vinegar with olive oil -- I find the best ratio is 1 part lemon juiceor vinegar to 3-4 parts olive oil. Try this and then adjust oil up or down to your liking. You can add fresh chopped herbs such as parsley, chives and/or basil -- mix it up how you like it and vary the acid to different vinegars, or citrus juices!

Okra exudes a unique mucilaginous juice which is responsible for its thickening power in the famous Louisiana Creole gumbo dish. Aside from gumbo, okra compliments tomatoes, onions and corn, shellfish and fish stock. Okra has a subtle taste, similar to the flavor of eggplant.

Some simple ways to enjoy your peas:
Add some fresh peas to green salads.
Sauté snap peas with shiitake mushrooms.
Mix green peas with chicken, diced onions and almonds to make a delicious and colorful chicken salad.
Mix snow peas in with your favorite vegetable stir-fries.
Fresh pea pods are a great food to pack in a lunch box.

Use a paring knife to cut around the stem and then gently remove it. Peppers can be cut into various shapes and sizes. To easily chop, dice or cut the peppers into strips, first cut the pepper in half lengthwise, clean out the core and seeds, and then, after placing the skin side down on the cutting surface, cut into the desired size and shape. Peppers can also be cut horizontally into rings or left whole for stuffed peppers after carefully removing the seeds from the inner cavity.

When preparing hot peppers, it is best to wear rubber gloves. The hot elements from the peppers do not readily wash off, and if you rub your eyes after handling a hot pepper, it will burn, water and turn red -- take it from one who knows -- it hurts a lot!

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Add finely chopped bell peppers to tuna or chicken salad.

Steam cored peppers for five minutes, stuff them with your favorite rice salad or grain pilaf, and bake in a 350©F oven until they are hot.

Healthy sauté chopped peppers, celery and onions, then combine with tofu, chicken or seafood to make a simple Louisiana Creole dish.

Purée roasted and peeled peppers with healthy sautéed onions and zucchini to make a deliciously refreshing soup that can be served hot or cold.

Bell peppers are one of the best vegetables to serve in a crudité platter since not only do they add a brilliant splash of color, but their texture is also the perfect crunchy complement for dips.

Radish bulbs are well known to eat by themselves or as an addition to salads, but do not throw away the tops or greens from the farm radishes. They have a great spicy flavor that can be added to tossed salads, sauteed, added to soups, or substituted for arugula.

Since these kales are more delicate than the kales you see in the fall, they cook up much faster. They are tasty steamed, stir-fried or in salads.

• Gently saute kale with fresh garlic and sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil before serving.
• Braise chopped kale and apples. Before serving, sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and chopped walnuts.
• Combine chopped kale, pine nut and feta cheese with whole grain pasta drizzled with olive oil.
• The taste and texture of steamed kale makes it a wonderful topping for homemade pizza.

Raw, the leaves have a mild mustardy taste. The pungency disappears when you cook it. Mixed with other vegetables in a stir fry, or all by itself sauteed with olive oil and garlic, senposai is a sweet flavored green. You only need to cook it a few minutes!

Swiss chard has a similar taste profile as spinach and can be used as a substitute in recipes.

Do not cook chard in an aluminum pot since the oxalates contained in the chard will react with the metal and cause the pot to discolor. Since the stalks are thicker in texture, they will take longer to cook than the leaves, so their cooking should be started a few minutes earlier. Some publiscations say that Chard is one of the vegetables that they recommend quick boiling (as opposed to steaming or healthy sauté) since this helps to free the oxalic acids it contains and makes the chard less bitter and more sweet. I don't find it necessary to do this.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Wrap Swiss chard leaves around your favorite vegetable and grain salad and roll into a neat little package. Bake in a medium-heat oven and enjoy this nutrient-superstar alternative to stuffed cabbage.
Toss penne pasta with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and cooked Swiss chard.
Add zest to omelets and fritatas by adding some steamed Swiss chard.
Use chard in place of or in addition to spinach when preparing vegetarian lasagna.

Tat soy is tangy and the stem is juicy. It is often found in bags of mixed baby lettuces or in braising mixes. It may be used as a salad green or used in many of the "greens" recipes.

A simple way to prepare tat soi is to heat a little olive oil (1 Tablespoon is plenty), and cook just until the greens are wilted but the stems are still crunchy. Add a drizzle of sesame oil and freshly grated ginger for added flavor

Remove the cellulose husks and wash the tomatillos thoroughly. You'll notice they have a slightly sticky surface. This is normal.

Raw: Tomatillos can be chopped and added to any salads.
Tomatillos make an excellent addition to a raw soup when you want that tangy, lemony touch. Begin with just 1 tomatillo in the blender along with your other soup ingredients, and taste. Add more as needed.
Make your own Salsa Cruda with chopped tomatillos, chopped tomatoes, chopped onions, chopped jalapeno, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and a touch of salt.

Stir fried: Tomatillos can be briefly stir fried in a little olive oil, vegetable broth, or water. They have a high water content so don't add too much liquid. Cook along with some onions, garlic, and bell peppers for a tasty side dish. Season to taste with a little salt and pepper.

Simmered: Salsa Verde is a typical sauce served with enchiladas or burritos. Combine chopped tomatillos, chopped onions, chopped cilantro, chopped garlic, chopped serrano chiles, salt and pepper in a saucepan and cook gently 6 to 8 minutes.

Tomatoes are so versatile, both raw and cooked. Add them to salads, make bruschetta, make a salad of just tomatoes, onions, basil and olive oil and vinegar, with herbs of your choice.

To make a tomato sauce, saute a couple of cloves of chopped garlic and/or 1-2 large chopped onions a couple of minutes until translucent, then add 8-10 chopped whole tomatoes, a teaspoon of dried or several teaspoons of fresh chopped oregano, basil, and any other herbs you enjoy, such as parsley or rosemary, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Remove from the heat, drizzle with olive oil, and add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. For a fancier version, sauté chopped olives and/or mushrooms along with the garlic and onions.

Tomatoes are a great addition to bean and vegetable soups.

Purée tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers and scallions together in a food processor and season with herbs and spices of your choice to make the refreshing cold soup, gazpacho.

For international salad ideas:
Greek: Combine chunks of tomato, red onion, bell pepper, and cucumber in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese over the salad. Dress with olive oil, white wine vinegar that has been mixed with chopped fresh oregano. Garnish with sliced Greek olives.
Latino: Overlap slices of tomato, red onion, and avocado. Whisk together 3 T lime juice, 3 T olive oil, 2 T chopped fresh cilantro, salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Drizzle over the salad.
Israeli: Combine 1 cup each finely chopped tomatoes and cucumber. Mix together 1/4 cup cider vinegar with 2 T vegetable oil and 1 T parsley. Toss dressing with salad and add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
Salad Caprese: Overlap slices of tomato and fresh mozzarella. Whisk together 3 T olive oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar, 1 T finely chopped basil, and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and garnish with whole basil leaves.

After washing winter squash, cut it in half and remove the seeds and fibrous material in the cavity. Depending upon the recipe preparation, you can either use it peeled or unpeeled. Quick serving suggestions:

Top puréed cooked winter squash with cinnamon and maple syrup; steam cubes of winter squash and then dress with olive oil, tamari, ginger and pumpkin seeds; top "strings" of spaghetti squash with pasta sauce; add cubes of winter squash to your favorite vegetable soup recipe.