In Your Share This Week
Fennel, Perfection – We’re having a great fennel year! We try to have it 5 times per year, but this year we might do better. According to From Asparagus to Zucchini, “fennel’s history is as rich as its flavor! For centuries fennel has been utilized as a food, medicine, herb and even insect repellent…. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans believed fennel an excellent aid for digestion, bronchial troubles, poor eyesight and nervous conditions. In most Indian restaurants, “fennel seed is used for seasoning as well as chewed after the meal for a breath freshener and digestive aid.” What’s not to love?!
Cucumbers – Marketmore (“slicers”) or Wautoma (“pickling”) The cucumbers are labeled in quotations as picklers or slicers as that is how the catalog organizes them. To be sure, the picklers tend to have skins a little tougher so they can withstand the long time in the jar without going mushy. However, our experience is that you certainly can slice a pickler onto your salad or sandwich, and you can make quick or refrigerator pickles with slicers. Both kinds make great dressing (see back), or for use in sushi rolls.
Peppers, Healthy – Our second sweet peppers! They’re just coming on and are not sweet yet; eventually they’ll turn red, but add nice crunch & color in the meantime. Add to any paste, stir fry or egg dish.
Little Gem Lettuce – This is a baby romaine, very popular with our restaurants for many years and now seen in our local stores and coops. Use like any other lettuce, or try cutting in half and briefly grilling.
Scallions, Evergreen Hardy – Use these with potatoes, eggs, meats, stir fries, soup, etc.
Summer Squash – Golden (yellow), Dark Star (green) or Bennings Green Tint (scalloped)
Romano Beans, Gold of Bacau Forgot to mention last time that these can also be used like pasta!
Basil, Large Leaf or Genovese (Mon & Tues ONLY)
Parsley, Survivor (Italian or Flat Leaf) and/or Forest Green (curly) (Thurs ONLY)
Tomatoes! – Taxi (yellow), Stupice & Glacier (red) A week later than hoped, they’re coming on strong.