WILD HARE WEEKLY, SUMMER #4

Blueberries are turning blue, Zucchini and Favas are fattening up, and even the smallest handful of our very earliest tomatoes are showing a little color out there in the field. When I'm building the share for any given week, I try to strike a really delicate balance between things that are almost always sure to please (this year's amazing crop of Sugar Snap Peas falls square in that category, for instance) and types of things that I think of as "rut-busters," the kinds of crops that inspire us to try something new. These specialty crops are often something we grow because they're a great fit for our maritime climate, because they're good for our soils and crop rotations, because a chef asked us to, and/or most importantly, because one of the best things about a CSA is getting to enjoy produce that you aren't likely to find at the grocery store--at its peak no less!

This week, we're going to dive in with some fun Italian greens, some of which we're harvesting at Wild Hare for the first time this year. We finally gave it a go with a couple varieties of Italian leaf broccoli called Spigarello. Looks like Kale, tastes like Broccoli. Some is flat, some is curly. They say it is a less bitter ancestor to Broccoli Raab, and we just loved sauteeing a bit up with some snap peas and spicy garlic scapes for dinner last night. We just served it up over bread and cheese and had ourselves a picnic.

If the idea of broccoli that isn't really broccoli wasn't exciting enough, we're harvesting from not only one, not just two but three unique types of Chard this week. (I know. Try to remain calm). Aside from the lovely wide-stemmed traditional Swiss Chard that you know and love, we'll harvest a more compact, delicious Italian heirloom variety from the region of Bari that bears a striking resemblance to Bok Choy, hence the pet name "Chard Choi." Great for stir frying or chopping up into a salad quickly! We also did a trial run with another Italian Chard called Verde da Taglio, a thin-stemmed Italian type that is compared frequently to Spinach in taste and texture. If you love spinach, you'll want to give this one a go. Spinach gives us farmers serious grief during the hot months, so we're excited to see how this green grows for us this Summer.

If it seems like I'm leaning in a little hard on the Chard for you all this week, it is with good reason. I was a relative latecomer to the Chard party--I bought a bunch for the first time on a whim when I was shopping the Farmers Market in grad school, and then spent hours avoiding my thesis/ searching for recipes, ultimately settling on a dish like this one. The rest is history. Fast forward fifteen years, and I'm up to my elbows in gorgeous greens almost every day--Chard is powerful stuff, people! Because it tends toward sweetness, I think Chard really benefits from being balanced out by the "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat" treatment. Just add cheese, lemon juice, garlic, chile, or--even some of the Balsamic Cherries I've included in the recipes below.

Here's to trying new things!
Katie

IN THE FARMSHARES THIS WEEK:

Snap Peas
Romaine Lettuce
Garlic Scapes
Barese Chard aka "Chard Choi"
Verde di Taglio Swiss Chard or Spigarello
Sweet Red Cherries

SEASONAL RECIPES, TIPS & INFO

BALSAMIC PICKLED CHERRIES
The Brewer and the Baker

• 4-5 1/2-pint canning jars with lids and rings

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 cups water

• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 1/4 pounds cherries, stems and pits removed

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

GARLICKY SWISS CHARD & CHICKPEA STIR FRY
Dishing up the Dirt

• 1/2 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil (or oil of choice)

• 4 garlic scapes, finely chopped (or sub with 4 cloves of thinly sliced garlic)

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1 large bunch of swiss chard, ribs and stems chopped into 1/4 inch pieces and leaves coarsely chopped

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (if from the can rinsed and drained)

• 1/2 cup raisins (soaked in warm water for 5 minutes to soften)

• salt + pepper to taste

• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice + more to taste

• 2-3 Tablespoons minced dill

• goat milk feta cheese for topping (optional)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

BURRATA WITH CHARRED & RAW SUGAR SNAP PEAS
Smitten Kitchen

• 1 8-ounce ball burrata

• Olive oil, for drizzling and brushing

• Flaky sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• Half a lemon

• 1 pound sugar snap peas

• 1 to 2 thick-cut slices crusty bread (I’m using miche here)

• A handful of mint and basil leaves, torn or thinly sliced

• Chiles in oil or red pepper flakes to serve

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

TORTA DI BIETOLINE E RICOTTA
(CHARD & RICOTTA PIE)
The Silver Spoon: Puglia

• 1¼ lb Swiss chard leaves and tender stalks, soaked in salted water for 30 minutes

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 1 small onion, chopped

• 1 egg, beaten

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• salt and pepper

• 4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• 6 tablespoons olive oil

CONTINUE TO RECIPE