CSA Week 8

1 head lettuce

1 bunch asian greens

1 bunch greens

1 bunch carrots

green beans

ailsa craig onions

summer squash

cucumbers

Islander - Sweet Purple Pepper

eggplant

2 bunches herbs

Rooty Goodness and Travel Tales:

 Assistant Manager Shannon Gilpatrick Checks In.  

ENJOY!!!

I, like most of you have never had a hard time finding reasons to love carrots.  They’re sweet, they have a satisfying crunch and are great for your vision.  I was recently made aware of another reason to love them,their grounding ability.  Immediately it made sense to me that a veggie that grows straight into the ground carries properties that can help connect your energy to the earth as well.  More specifically, root veggies such as carrots, onions and garlic are healing to the root chakra, and your heart chakra is nourished by things such as leafy greens, cabbage and basil.  So what does all of this mean?  It means that not only are you making sure that your belly is fed, but you’re actually investing in spiritual and emotional growth.  DEEP!!!! I bet you didn’t realize the complexity of joining a CSA.  By no means does this knowledge now make you any sort of guru, but it does allow you to think more about your intent as you eat your food.  You can think of how you’re feeding your creativity center in your sacral chakra as you eat a watermelon, and healing any hurt feelings in your heart chakra with parsley.  No to mention, eating squash brings  growth to your financial chakra......Sweet! 

I’ll now step down from my soapbox to say “hello again” to all the members I met last year and “nice to meet you” to the newbies.  Here we are for another round of fun and fashion at BKF.  It feels weird to be saying that now as we approach August, but I’ve been way too busy being the lettuce master and kicking it in my hammock in the meadow to write a newsletter.  Plus, I enjoy reading the ones Laura writes as much as you do.  So what’s been going on you ask? Well, at the end of last season, after doing some interrogating of everyone I know that travels, I decided to spend my winter in Indonesia, Thailand and a few other amazing southeastern countries.  I couldn’t pull myself completely away from farming and did a little work on an island close to Bali.  And I thought our springs were rainy!!!!!  It definitely made me grateful for the weather we have here.  Sure, it can be a little dry or a little wet, but in all honesty, it is all pretty ideal.  Because of the humidity in Bali, I couldn’t even think of working after 11am or so.  Imagine if we could only work those hours here? Nothing but a few cukes and a sad bunch of kale would make it into your weekly veggie share!  All in all my experience was great.  I came back even more addicted to rice and with a new appreciation for tofu, even though I’m still too lazy to cook it.

Ginger Garlic Green Beans

Gourmet  | September 2009

by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger

2 teaspoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Cook beans in a 6-quart pot of boiling well-salted water, uncovered, until just tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain in a colander, then plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain beans and pat dry.

While beans cook, mince and mash garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt, then stir together with soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, and oils in a large bowl.

Add beans and toss. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Eggplant Marinara Flatbread

Bon Appétit  | October 2010

by The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen

 4 tablespoons (about) olive oil, divided

6 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick eggplant rounds (3 to 4 inches in diameter; from 1 large)

1 loaf ciabatta or pain rustique, cut horizontally in half, trimmed to 9-inch length

1 1/4 cups purchased fresh marinara sauce

2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil plus 6 whole leaves (for garnish)

1 cup coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle eggplant with salt and pepper. Place in skillet. Cover. Cook until tender, turning, 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Brush cut side of bottom half of bread with rest of oil. Cook in skillet, cut side down, until golden, 1 minute.

Place bread, cut side up, on baking sheet. Spread with 3/4 cup sauce. Crumble goat cheese over; sprinkle with chopped basil. Top with eggplant. Mound mozzarella on eggplant; spoon remaining sauce over.

Bake bread until topping is hot and crust is crisp, about 12 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces. Garnish with basil leaves.

Cucumber, Mustard, and Dill Salad

Gourmet  | October 2004

2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon mild olive oil

1 pound cucumber

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoon finely diced sweet onion

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and sugar in a bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking.

Slice cucumbers into disks.  Add cucumber, diced onion and dill to vinaigrette, toss to coat.

You are all great cooks and have great ideas, please share with the BKF community!!!  Let me know if you have any favorite recipes, veggie musings or thoughts on eating local and getting the most out of your CSA share.  I will shout them loud and proud!

CSA Week 7

1 head lettuce

1 bunch asian greens

1 bunch carrots

1 pound new red potatoes

1 bunch dill

cippolini onions

summer squash

cucumbers

Islander - Sweet Purple Pepper

Hungarian Hot Wax - Medium Heat

We are crank, crank, cranking it here at the farm, and the proof is in the share this week.  We’ve got greens to roots to herbs to onions, potatoes, to pep, pep peppers!!!!  July is a whacky whirlwind of weeding emergencies, bug bug outs and the onslaught of the glory days of sun baked bodies, rocking farmer’s markets and endless harvests.  If we had to choose, our absolute favorite color is green, but it does feel pretty wonderful to witness the rainbow of Kettle chow starting to unfold.  Celebrate a rockin’ summer!  Cook, eat, share, savor the glorious flavors and feel the local love, from this Kettle to yours. 

Major events happen at the farm each and every day!  For example, we officially evacuated the greenhouse and transplanted the last bit of lettuce for the season!  After firing it up back in March and having it kind of, sort of on my brain at any given time for the last 5 months, there are no more greenhouse chores of watering, seeding, or monitoring temps.  Fans are off, doors are open, but there is nobody home, the greenhouse is closed for business for the 2012 season.  Huge.

The greenhouse may be done, but the Kettle crew rages on!  Shannon is a veritable pro on the Farmall Cub tractor, a 1950’s gem that is no picnic to maneuver and even tougher to start.  She has mastered bed prep and weed management aboard the Cub, not to mention managing the deliveries to the local shelter and plugging in for runs to Portland and Portsmouth Farmer’s market.  Samantha, apprentice extraordinaire, is no longer the new girl on the farm.  A committed carrot thinner, irrigation expert, wizard on the hula hoe and super pro buncher of all things veggie, she now knows how to do most everything on the farm with at least one ear plugged into her iPod and a general swing in her step.

With all your well wishes and words of positivity, Steve appears to be on the mends. Still shaky on his feet, he doesn’t go outside yet and is clearly decompressing and collecting himself after his accident, but he still finds the strength and wear with all to sneakily attack me while I am petting him and then scratch and maul my already scratched and mauled furniture.  Here’s to your health dear friend and integral spirit of the Kettle!  Mean Kitty is still a major weirdo, what can I say, even with all this summer action, motion and activity some things never, ever, change.

Very Important Announcements:

Volunteer day @ Black Kettle Farm is not just for weeding the onions.....it’s for weeding any thing and every thing!  Open invite to come on down to the farm:

Mondays 1-5 or Thursdays 8-12 or 1-5.  Let me know when you are interested in coming and we can save you some extra fun tasks.  Bring a water bottle and a open mind and major fulfillment, extra veggies and a cool dip in the lake await!

Mark your calendar!  Plan your veggie pot luck dish!  Find a cute outfit and limber up that croquet elbow!  Black Kettle Farm CSA Appreciation and Friends of the Farm Gathering is Sunday (by which I mean Super Fun Day!!!!!) August 26th.  

Rain and/or shine.  Details to follow.

Carrot, Dill and White Bean Salad

www.101cookbooks.com

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (OR CIPPOLINI ONIONS)

more olive oil for cooking
2 cups sliced carrots
3 cups cooked white beans
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and shallots/Cippolinis in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with a splash of olive oil.  Let them cook in a single layer - they'll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for another five minutes, or until the beans as well heated through. You may need to add a bit more oil to the pan.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the 3/4 of the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Hot-and-Sour Peanutty Noodles with Bok Choi

SELF  | April 2012

by Kerri Conan

8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti or rice noodles

2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

1 tablespoon vegetable or sunflower oil

1 onion, sliced

1 piece (about 1 inch) ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 pound baby bok choi, leaves and stems separated, roughly chopped

1 bell pepper, sliced

3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock or water

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 cup chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)

Cook pasta as directed on package with 2 teaspoons salt until just tender. Drain and rinse pasta with cool water. In a large nonstick skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Cook onion and ginger, stirring, until just brown, 1 minute. Add bok choi stems, bell pepper and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until peppers are crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer contents of skillet to a plate. To same skillet, add bok choy leaves, stock, soy sauce, sesame oil and vinegar. Cook, stirring, until leaves are soft and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Add bell pepper mixture, pasta, peanuts and pepper flakes to pan. Toss to combine; serve.

*****this could be really good cold with shredded carrot added and a perfect dish to add your Hungarian Hot Wax pepper to!  YUM.

CSA Week 6

1 head lettuce

 salad mix

1 bunch red russian kale

cippolini onions

summer squash

cucumbers

asian eggplant

2 bunches herbs

Who says farming is a lonely, isolating endeavor, wrought with toiling, hardship and general pain???  No doubt, there is that element and sometimes it rears it’s “woe is me” head more then others, but not these days at Black Kettle Farm.  Bumpkins we are not, farmers that move and shake with amazing connections and community we  most certainly are!

The farm has been host to an ever evolving and revolving slew of guests, volunteers and family members this past week.  Kicking off this major buzzzzz of activity has been the arrival of two bee hives stationed in the apple orchard.  There are beautiful, healthy, super active and industrious honey bees absolutely every where working their magic from the perennial herbs to the flowers to the veggie fields.  Great to have them hard at work as members of the Kettle team.

The first volunteer day on the farm last Thursday was a great success!  Alfred natives Amy Titcomb and two month old baby girl Nyanna gave the weeds in the onions the what for and really cleaned up shop out there.  Who knew that weeding in the hot, hot sun was such an infant friendly activity? Lucky for us, when the tasks seems to be increasing and the work week accelerating, the right folks always seem to show up at the right time.  Case in point, Carmen, a good friend of Kettle crew member Samantha, and expert weeder and carrot thinner, came outta no where and got us over the hump with a few projects that just wouldn’t seem to quit.

So, have you been enjoying the unique, refreshing and utterly fabulous flavor of your heirloom Boothby’s Blonde cucumbers?  Jake Smith, the head chef at The Black Birch, a new restaurant in Kittery, and another visitor to the farm this week, sure does too.  Black Kettle was paired with his restaurant and Beach Pea Bakery, also in Kittery, for the first annual Farm-A-Q put on by Slow Food Seacoast and the Heirloom Harvest Project which links local growers and chefs to promote the use of heirloom vegetables and regional sustainability.  Because we sometimes like to pencil in just a little bit of fun, the Black Kettle Farm crew got all sorts of gussied up and journeyed down to Lee, NH this past Sunday for said Farm-A-Q, a truly, splendid afternoon of sampling some of the best food on the Seacoast.  We were thrilled to see so much our our produce, heirlooms and others, put to good use by such skilled chefs at such a beautiful and collaborative event.  You are all coming next year.

If this weren’t all enough to prove how interwoven the Kettle is with it’s web of supporters, from CSA members, to local chefs, to happy buzzing pollinators, my wonderful family has descended on the farm!  Older brother from California and parents from NY, we’ve been cooking, recreating, doing projects and enjoying the sweaty fun that summer time in Maine has to offer.  

As for the pigs, all they can seem to do is lolly gag kiddy pool side and wait for the sun to go down so they can get back to rooting, snorting and running in circles.

We can always use more help!  Skip Zumba class and tap a toe for a rain dance! 

Kettle Ka-Bobs!!!!

Laura Neale, Black Kettle Farm, Lyman, Maine

Asian Eggplant

Cippolini Onions

Summer Squash and Zucchini

Fire up the grill and find your skewers.

Cube vegetables into nice sized chunks.  Arrange vegetable pieces on the skewers in a decorative and enjoyable way.  Place veggie skewers in a baking dish and generously brush with olive oil.  Shake on salt and pepper to taste and a savory dried herb like oregano, thyme, or parsley.  Place on the grill at medium heat with the cover on and cook until slightly brown, turning as needed.  Truly delicious!!!

Kale and White Bean Ragout

From the book Farm to Fork by Emeril Lagasse

2	Tbsp. olive oil
	1	bay leaf
	2	garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped
	¼	tsp. crushed red pepper
	1	small onion, sliced
	1½	lb. kale, rinsed, patted dry, and cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide slices
	¾	tsp. kosher salt, plus more if needed
	¼	tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more if needed
	3½	cups cooked white beans, or two 15-ounce cans cannellini beans or white beans, drained and rinsed
	1	cup canned diced tomatoes, with their juices
	½	cup vegetable or chicken stock, or canned low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
		Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the bay leaf, garlic, crushed red pepper, and red onion. Cook until the onion begins to wilt and the garlic begins to turn golden around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the kale, salt, and pepper, and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add the white beans, tomatoes, and stock. Cover, and cook until the kale is wilted and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.Transfer the ragout to a serving dish, and drizzle it with the extra-virgin olive oil to taste. Serve hot.

CSA Week 5

1 Head Lettuce

1/2 pound salad mix

1 Bunch Collards

1 Bunch French Radish

Purple Kohlrabi

Summer Squash

Cucumbers
1 bunch basil

This is for real.  It’s not just a novelty anymore.  It’s week 5 of the BKF CSA and you are in deep.  Just like the farm, as the season progresses, members find their veggie rhythm.  At this point, you’ve marveled at the flavor of garlic scapes, you can’t remember a day when you didn’t have a fresh salad, you’ve swapped chips for turnips, you think greens in eggs every day is normal, you’ve shredded kohlrabi, and you’ve wilted mustard greens.  You cook and love fresh food.  Not to mention you are obsessed with the health and well being of your farmer’s cat and you secretly do a mini-rain dance every now and again because you know the Kettle fields could use a drink.  You are  a full fledged, full on CSA member, with a link to a community of folks and one specific farm.  We are all in it together, come collards, come cabbage!

Before we go any further, let’s be real, we didn’t invent this amazing concept, CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) has been on the scene across the globe for many, many moons, involving many, many farms, eaters, pieces of land, visions and intentions.  Here’s some super fast CSA history:

In the 1960’s a group of women in Japan contacted local farmers and sought out their produce in response to a growing concern about the use of pesticides and the safety of imported food from distance places.  They coined the term “Teiki” which meant putting the farmer’s face on food, and joined producers and consumers and aimed to stimulate the local economies and promote healthy, safe eating in Japan.  Similar concepts in co-operative based agriculture were also popping up in Western Europe at that time and eventually made there way over the Atlantic in the 1980’s and specifically to western Massachusetts to Indian Line Farm, which is considered the first CSA in the ol’ U.S. of A.  

Currently there are over 4,000 CSA farms in the U.S., according to Local Harvest (www.localharvest.com) and close to 200 in Maine, accroding to the Maine Organic Farmer’s and Gardeners Association (www.mofga.org).  Now that’s a lot of kohlrabi, no??  

CSA drives the intention of this farm.  We are here to grow safe food for folks (that’s you!!!) that want to eat it (and a whole lot of it), all the while highlighting the amazing flavors of our home zone.  Tomatoes in August and no sooner, rutabaga come October and kale throughout.  The economics of CSA make this farm function.  As a small business of growing vegetables, the farm relies on the contributions of CSA members in the off months and the guaranteed income throughout the season.  So even though we didn’t invent it, we sure do love it!  Yay CSA, thanks so much for being a part of the farm, your energy, positivity and enthusiasm keep these Kettle fires a burnin’!!!

Balsamic Zucchini/Summer Squash

Gourmet  | July 2004

4 lb medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch-thick slices

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 1/2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)

1/3 cup pine nuts (1 oz), toasted and finely chopped

Toss zucchini/squash with oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Arrange zucchini in 1 layer in 2 shallow baking pans (1 inch deep). Broil 1 pan of zucchini 3 to 5 inches from heat, without turning, until browned in spots and beginning to soften, 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle 2 tablespoons vinegar over broiled zucchini and shake pan a few times, then continue to broil until most of vinegar is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over broiled zucchini and broil until cheese is melted, about 1 minute more. Cook remaining pan of zucchini in same manner. Cool to room temperature and serve sprinkled with pine nuts.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Radishes, Cucumbers, and Tarragon Pesto

Bon Appétit  | April 2009

by Janet Taylor McCracken

1/4 cup (packed) fresh tarragon leaves plus 2 teaspoons chopped

1/4 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves

4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided

5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided

2 teaspoons chopped shallot

6 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing

4 boneless chicken breast halves

4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French or sourdough bread

1/4 pound mixed baby greens

1 cup thinly sliced radishes 

1 cup thinly sliced cucumbers 

Place 1/4 cup tarragon leaves, parsley, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and shallot in mini processor; chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil by teaspoonfuls to thin, if necessary.

Whisk 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon, remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush chicken breasts on both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until grill marks form, skin is crisp, and chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; let rest 5 minutes. Using clean brush, brush both sides of bread with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until dark-brown grill marks appear on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Place greens, radishes, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 4 plates.

Cut grilled chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 sliced chicken breast atop salad on each plate. Spoon tarragon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts over salads. Serve with grilled bread slices.

CSA Week 4

2 Heads Lettuce
1 Bunch Kale
1 Bunch Chard
Purple Kohlrabi
Summer Squash
Cucumbers
Garlic Scapes

Farm, farm, farm.  Veggies, bugs, hot, hot sun.  Farm, farm, farm.  

The news of the week is not the fact that our field is getting absolutely packed with food, food and more food, or the fact that our days are long, hot and action packed.  Every thing has been a bit of a blur, as a key member of the Black Kettle family went through a major ordeal from adventure to trauma to ultimate victory and now recovery.  One week ago, last Tuesday evening, dear friend, Kettle defender and spiritual leader Steve, the once barn cat turned extremely important companion, ate some kibble, sat next to me and purred and darted out the door, as per usual, to work on after hours projects, prowl the farm under the stars, asses all that needs assessment, inventory the spirits, and hopefully eat a mouse or two.  Our typical morning ritual consists of him waiting for me outside in the window box by the kitchen.  I let him in, he chows kibble, takes a few laps around the kitchen, works out the residual excitement of his evening’s antics, gives his cosmic thumb a good licking, listens to be a bit of NPR with me and crashes out for the remainder of the day, whilst I toil in the field and do my best to assist the veggies and feed the likes of you all.  That’s how Steve and I roll, we both have a lot going on.

Anyway, to make a long, long story, ever so slightly less long, Steve never showed up last Wednesday.  And then never showed up on Thursday.  And Friday.  Every one said that cats do this, they go on walkabouts, especially in the summer and they eventually get it out of their system and come on back.  I released Steve to the universe and blessed him on his journey and decided that he was on a big, huge and very important adventure and he would in fact come on home.  My heart was heavy and the farm missed his presence.  It just wasn’t as fun, nor did the place feel complete without him.  Even the pigs seemed to be vibrating on a lower frequency.  It was tough.  

Friday evening rolled around, the work day over, the hardworking crew clocked out, veggies harvested and the van packed for market, I finished up a quick project in the field, returned to the barn and laying by the door to the house was none other then STEVE!!!!!!  Three nights away, and there he was, but also there he wasn’t.  We will never know what happened.  Was he hit by a car?  Did he fall from a huge height? Was he in a fight with an evil gremlin warlock who was threatening the farm???  All that matters is that he got himself home, we got himself to me and I got him to safety and treatment.  Either he dragged himself to the barn, or he caught a ride on the back of an unicorn angel, he was a mess and his hind end was not working.  It was another three nights away, this time in the ER in Scarborough, which is both a wonderful place and the saddest place I have ever been.  The worst case scenario did not prove to be the actual case.  Our boy is very badly banged up, broken in a few places, sad, tired, shaved here and there, but home quiet and healing with all his limbs and organs intact.  

So it goes as a rugged farm cat.  Yet another reason to give thanks, put June behind us and rock on into July!  The farm lives in deep gratitude for all it’s community members from neighbors to veggie eaters to Mean Kitty, who sporadically lurks and eats food in the barn, to the good bacteria in the soil, to the whacky, whacky pigs.  We are all key collaborators.  With that in mind, on this day of Inter-Dependence, let’s acknowledge our amazing and glorious community and give our collective support and healing love to the number one feline inter-planetary superstar S-T-E-V-E!!!  steve!  Steve!  STEEEEEEVE!

Kohlrabi Home Fries

MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN

New York Times, March 6, 2012

1 large bulb kohlrabi

1 tablespoon rice flour, chickpea flour or semolina (more as needed)

Salt to taste

2 to 4 tablespoons canola oil or grapeseed oil, as needed

Chili powder, ground cumin, curry powder or paprika to taste

Peel the kohlrabi and cut into thick sticks, about 1/3 to 1/2 inch wide and about 2 inches long.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy skillet (cast iron is good). Meanwhile, place the flour in a large bowl, season with salt if desired and quickly toss the kohlrabi sticks in the flour so that they are lightly coated.

When the oil is rippling, carefully add the kohlrabi to the pan in batches so that the pan isn’t crowded. Cook on one side until browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then, using tongs, turn the pieces over to brown on the other side for another 2 to 3 minutes. The procedure should take only about 5 minutes if there is enough oil in the pan. Drain on paper towels, then sprinkle right away with the seasoning of your choice. Serve hot.

Sautee some greens with garlic scapes, fry an egg, fire up these homefries and fancy brunch is served!

Marinated Kohlrabi Salad

www.karascuisine.com

1 lb. kohlrabi, washed and sliced

1/4 red onion, sliced

1/2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

2 1/2 Tbsp. capers, drained and chopped

2 cups leaf or Bibb lettuce

Rinse red onion in a strainer and pat dry with a paper towel. Place sliced kohlrabi and sliced red onion in a large bowl.  Add the lemon juice, lime juice, salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine and set aside for 10 minutes.

Stir in the olive oil and capers.  Add the lettuce and toss to combine.  Season again with salt and pepper.

Still not sure what to do with your Kohlrabi this week??  

Do like the BKF crew, eat it raw, down the hatch, just like an apple, OR shred it right on top of your delicious salad OR cube it up and add it to your yummy garlic scape, greens and summer squash veggie sautee.  

Nothin’ says CSA believer/local food hardcore like a truly dedicated Kohlrabi Lover!  Go there BKFers!  The good ol’ cabbge turnip is the best!