Explosion of Veggies!

Blackberries transplanted earlier this spring are growing strong. Aisles are managed with white clover established in the walkways last year for the u-pick flower patch. Good for the soil and the pollinators.

This week brings us so many new veggies - a couple notes on each are below:

Cabbage - everyone knows cabbage; it is a member of the same family that brings us kale, broccoli, turnips and many other veggies so is very nutritious. It is obviously used in cole slaws - a good use for the current heat wave. Mix the cabbage for your cole slaw with chard, kale, scallions and even garlic scapes. Cabbage is also delicious as a stir fry component. As with lettuce, cabbage does not like to sit it water, so if when you bring it home it is wet, place a towel in the bottom of whatever container you store it in. We have lots of recipes for cabbage on this site, some slanted to the veggies we are receiving now.

Fennel - is a very versatile veggie - delicious raw, roasted, braised and even grilled. It stores quite well in plastic in the fridge. Two ways of enjoying it for me is slow cooked with lentils (and then place a nice piece of grilled or roasted fish on top), or in the perfect summer dish Shaved Fennel and Parmesan Salad. There are a lot of summer friendly fennel recipes on this site.

Celery - you all know about celery, but this fresh, organically raised celery will not store as well as the product you get at the grocery store, so enjoy it within the week you receive it - perhaps with the Fennel and White Bean Dip! Don't throw the leaves away: add them to salads, or put in the plastic bag in the freezer with your other soup greens.

Cucumbers and zucchini - everyone has their favorite ways of enjoying the two of these. As I say with so many of the farm veggies, since they are just washed and still wet when we get them, make sure your dry them before placing in fridge - they will start to get bad spots fairly quickly if they sit in water.