I hope you’re ready for Green Garlic, because thankfully—it is ready for you! I’m going to ring in this year’s season by dunking slices of Green Garlic Toast in my soup for dinner tonight. If you’re new to Green Garlic, welcome to your new favorite vegetable of the season. Bunched up, it looks a whole lot like its cousin the green onion, but it is indeed garlic through and through.  The aroma lets you know even before the flavor does. If left in the ground each stalk would eventually swell out into a fully mature bulb of garlic, but we pick it in its "green" state, because it is very mild, tender and brings out the best in so many other Springtime foods and meals. It gets bonus points, because it takes very little effort to cook, which we find extra helpful during the busy planting season.  So many good, last-minute meals start with a bit of olive oil, chopped Green Garlic and whatever random vegetables or proteins I've been neglecting in the fridge. Greens?  Into the garlic.  Nuts, Prawns, Tofu?  Into the garlic.  Potatoes?  Asparagus? Pizza? Grains? Pasta? Salads?  You get the gist.  It is the perfect base to just about any stir fry, happens to be amazing chopped up and mixed in with your burger of choice. Toss some in with the greens from this week’s Radishes, and you’ll have an incredible Springtime Pesto to spoon over your Pasta, Potatoes and such.

The Tomato Plants look absolutely lush in the greenhouse, but the temperature outside is still trending colder than they or we would prefer. I cannot send them home with anyone to plant in good conscience just yet, so I’m going to postpone Tomato Plant sales one more week. So, get those pots and beds ready for the week of May 7th! In the meantime, we’ll have a few Sugar Snap Pea starts and some greens to get you started.

Best,
Katie

IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:

• Green Garlic

• Red Radishes

• Tokyo Turnips or Spinach

• Celery Root

• Cosmic Crisp Apples

  
  

AT THE FARMSTAND THIS WEEK

RECIPES & SEASONAL TIPS

RADISH LEAF SOUP
David Lebovitz

• 2 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, peeled and diced, or 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

• freshly ground black pepper, (I used a total of about 1 teaspoon of pepper)

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

• 2 medium potatoes,, washed and diced, (12-16oz, 340-450g)

• 2 cups (500ml) water

• 12 cups (lightly packed) fresh radish leaves, rinsed very well (9 oz, 270g)

• 3 cups (750ml) chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/2 cup (125ml) heavy cream, sour cream, mascarpone, or creme fraiche

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

ROASTED RADISH & GREENS WITH BALSAMIC
White on Rice Couple

• 1 bunch radishes with tops (about 10 radishes)

• 2 Tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

• 2 teaspoons (10 ml) balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

• black pepper to taste

CONTINUE TO RECIPE 

CELERY ROOT & APPLE SALAD
Gourmande in the Kitchen

• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

• 2 Tablespoon apple cider or white wine vinegar 

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 2 Tablespoons walnut oil 

• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

• 1 medium celery root

• 1 medium tart apple (like granny smith or fuji)

• 4 medium celery stalks

• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ a large lemon)

• 2 Tablespoons, fresh celery leaves, finely chopped

• ¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

• ¼ cup/ 28g walnuts, toasted

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SPICY GREEN GARLIC CHICKEN SOUP
David Tanis

• 4 large chicken legs (thigh and drumstick), about 3 pounds

• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large yellow onion, diced, about 3 cups

• 4 medium carrots, peeled, cut in 2-inch chunks

• 1 celery stalk, diced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 clove

• 2 bunches green garlic shoots, about 12 shoots (may substitute wild ramps)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

FERMENTED HOT GREEN GARLIC
Alison Roman

• 8 green garlic bulbs, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

CONTINUE TO RECIPE