July 21 veggies

Has it been a whole week already? Look at all the goodness that's been growing all this very hot week at the farm! Your nose probably tipped you off right away to the fact that there's basil in your bag... one of the most wonderful smells there is.

Here's what else you'll find:

::beanie bag: Shweitzer Risen snow peas, fava (or broad) beans, Provider green beans

::full share brassica bag: broccoli (some are slightly flowered, due to our hot weather), cauliflower, kale and/or Swiss chard
::half share brassica bag: broccoli (some are slightly flowered, due to our hot weather) and/or cauliflower, kale and/or Swiss chard, guy lan (Chinese broccoli)

::lettuce: Romaine, curly, speckled butterhead, and red oakleaf are some of this week's varieties

::Garlic, onions and herbs: garlic scapes (flower buds), onion leaves, and a mix of herbs, dill, parsley, and basil. Some of the basil is cinnamon, some lime, and some is good for pesto.

::A bunch of shunguku (edible chrysanthamum for salad) and a surprise tomato or small jalapeno pepper!


The tiny bit of flowering on the broccoli shouldn't make a difference to the taste or texture. You can simply cut the flowered bits off if you like. The stems might want peeling (just with a regular potato peeler) before you cook them, but they will still be delicious.


If you've never cooked fresh fava beans before, you might not know that the beans inside the pods have to be peeled. This isn't difficult at all, and popping the beans out of their tough skins is actually kind of fun. There's a great step-by-step tutorial here, with beautiful photos. You can add fava beans to soups or stews, puree them in dips, add them to risotto or pasta, or just eat them steamed, as a side dish, with a little butter or olive oil and salt. They're plenty good for you, and tasty indeed.

Happy eating!