‘Tis the season! Nettles are popping up – fresh, green and nutritious! Yup. Stinging nettles. But after you pick them carefully, dump in a bowl of water and rinse, the sting recedes and disappears. First I made nettle soup. I sauteed onion, added to some cooked carrots and potatoes in soup stock. Herbs like thyme are nice, too Next I added the nettles to wilt and ran the soup through a blender. Just before serving …
Today I spent a couple hours in the kitchen. I had wanted to make a liver spread. But I didn’t have any mayonnaise. So … I made some mayo. But mayo only requires yolks. So I used the leftover egg whites to make macaroons. Loyal has nudged me to up my game with dipping the cookies in some melted semi sweet chocolate So we had a picnic like lunch wit cress salad and some salmon …
I have been eating great greens from the farmers market. As the week ends, I look at what remains. When I get over enthusiastic about greens, I wilt them so I can finish them up. Here are some beet greens and a couple green onions Chop Here is a bit of sausage and the onions Add greens and wilt ; they will turn bright green and shrink – just a minute or two Add a …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has summer spinach, chard, kale, mixed brassica greens, beet thins, bok choy, green onions, rutabagas, and herbs – parsley and marjoram and the last of the strawberries Field Notes. Ken has been planting and weeding. He plants some crops like greens throughout the season. Others like peppers he plants and transplants once. As the plants grow he keeps the plants ahead of the weeds so …
Here at Keppers we emphasize greens. We usually have lettuce and salad greens, braising and cooking greens and green fresh herbs. This week we have arugula, an Italian cool weather favorite with a peppery flavor. We like it in salads. I like to add it to cooked beets with a sour cream or yogurt dressing and some toasted walnuts or pecans; the sweet earthy beets pair nicely with the fresh pungent arugula, and the nuts …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has lettuce, spinach, salad mix, asparagus tips, green onions, chives, radishes, and herbs- probably dill. Field Notes. Ken has transplanted the tomatoes and peppers inside the mobile high tunnel. He has also been busy transplanting in the garden – onions and brassica family. After the torrential rain – 2 1/2 inches in less than an hour (nearly 6 inches total), Ken had some places where soil was …
Spring greens also include some stronger flavored greens. In Asia and Europe cooks work to provide the bitter flavor as part of any meal. In America we usually avoid it. In Europe folks buy bitter tonics as a digestive and spring tonic. In Japan every meal we were served had a sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami (savory or brothy). Here we currently offer chicory and turnip greens. we have offered dandelion greens. Each …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s box has greens – lettuce, salad mix, spinach, wild mustard, green onions, chives, potatoes, celery root, beets, and herbs. Field Notes. Ken has been planting and transplanting: his nursery inside the mobile high tunnel, his pepper and tomato plants in the germination cabinet, and the onion seedlings. He has also been cleaning up the greenhouse in the field; perennial crops have perennial weeds. And to avoid any possible boredom, …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has the last of the summer tomatoes, peppers, onions or leeks, garlic, sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, salad and braising greens, radishes, and parsley. Field Notes. Monday morning Ken made a wooden box trap for voles. Voles can move into a green house and wipe out an entire crop. Think of it – a warm place to live and a salad bar to boot! A well …
Greetings from the Garden! This week’s CSA box has tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, onions or leeks, garlic, salad and braising greens, sweet potatoes, squash, and herbs. Field notes. This unusually warm weather has enabled Ken to catch up on some outdoor tasks – chimney cleaning, opening up spots in the field for green manures, etc. We took a morning off – together ! – to pick up some grain for the animals. It was …
