Pickled Radishes

My mom found this on Pinterest.  These radishes are delicious on salads, tacos and sandwiches. They are also good  just by themselves!  My mom has made this recipe a few times.  They turn out a pretty pink color which jazzes up your salads a bit.

• 1 bunch of thinly sliced radishes
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 t. sea salt
• 3 T honey
• 2 whole peeled garlic cloves.  (I used my garlic scapes!!)

Heat everything but the radishes and garlic in a sauce pan until everything is dissolved.

-Pack clean canning jars with radishes and garlic.  Pour hot liquid to cover and cool down.

-They will be ready in 24 hours and they store for 3-4 weeks in the fridge.

Day Before CSA Pick Up Stir-fry

It's the day before CSA pick up and you look in your fridge and realize you still have a smattering of produce from last week (any maybe even a bok choy from two weeks ago).  This is a good time to whip together a spontaneous, no-recipe-needed, fridge-cleanin' stir fry!  Since I said there is no need for a recipe, let me just give you a few guidelines I like to follow when making a stir fry.  

First off, just about any vegetable can be thrown into a stir fry and either taste delicious or be hidden amongst the deliciousness that is this dish.  Radishes, kohlrabi, cabbage, no problem!  

Secondly, I like to have something in the onion family, a few roots, and some leaves.  It's all the better if you've got some tasty cilantro or parsley hanging around.  You can add the vegetable mix to either noodles, rice, or some other grain.  There are many kinds of sauce you can make and add in and I've added a couple of types towards the bottom of this page.

• Take a wok or large frying pan out and add a slosh of olive oil and set at medium heat.  
• Add onion family first (scallions, onion, garlic, leeks, garlic scapes) and let sizzle.  Cook for a bit until the onions/scallions/leeks are translucent or start to soften.
• Then add any root-ish veggies (radishes, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, turnips) that you sliced up all cute and cook for a bit until they feel tender.
• Stems!  If you've got some bok choy, chard, or beets throw those stems in before the greens so they cook down a bit.  These only take 3-5 minutes to cook.  Don't use kale stems!  They will make your dish no bueno.
• Follow with some leafy greens.  This could be bok choy, chard, kale, collards, turnip greens, radish greens, or some salad mix.  If I use salad mix, I like to add it right at the end and just have it wilt a teensy bit.  Cook all other greens until they brighten up and wilt.
• Remove from heat and add sauce.  Mix around.  Serve over rice, noodles, or your choice of grain.

Peanut Sauce

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (we prefer chunky)
• 1 T. honey
• 1/4 cup water
• If using salted peanut butter no salt is needed.  If unsalted, add 1 t. salt.
• 1-2 T. lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• red pepper flakes to spice things up, if you're into that kinda thing

Put ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth.

Soy Sauce Sauce

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 T. rice vinegar
• 1 t. sesame oil (I've omitted that and used olive oil instead)
• pinch of hot pepper flakes
• 1 t. grated ginger
• a touch of honey

Put ingredients into a bowl and whisk until smooth.

Kohlrabi Fritters

Ingredients:

1 kohlrabi
1/2 cup scallions (finely chopped)
1/2 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free all purpose or whole wheat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
olive oil for frying

Remove leaves of kohlrabi (save for later) and then peel off outer skin of the root.  Grate kohlrabi and add to scallions.  You’ll need 3 cups, so if your kohlrabi and onion combo isn't quite large enough add another vegetable such as garlic scapes or radishes. Wrap the kohlrabi in cheesecloth or a clean dish towel and squeeze as much water out as you can. Transfer the kohlrabi/onion combo to a mixing bowl, and combine with remaining ingredients.  Destem those kohlrabi leaves you saved, chop them up and throw them in the bowl with everything else.

Heat a thin layer of oil over medium high heat in a cast iron skillet. Pan-fry kohlrabi in 1/4 cup scoops, about 2 minutes per side until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with a cilantro lime sauce, hot sauce, or another another sauce of your choice.

Adapted from Early Morning Farm

Garlic Scapes!? What To Do With These Spring Treats

Garlic Scapes only come but once a year and when they arrive, they sure are prolific.  These gems are what the flower of the garlic plant would be.  They spiral up all funky and have a mild garlic flavor with the consistency of asparagus.  You can use these as a substitution for garlic cloves. Just chop them up and throw them into the dish you are making and you will be amazed!  

Some people also like to make a garlic scape pesto.  At market on Saturday a handful of people came up to our stand and raved about last year's garlic scape pesto.  One woman slathered it on top of salmon and another used it with pasta.  My only warning here is this:  your pesto will be very garlicky!  This isn't your typical basil pesto!  

In order to make a pesto, throw garlic scapes, olive oil, nuts of your choice (I've seen recipes with pine nuts, walnuts, and pistachios), salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese in your blender or food processor.  Whirl these ingredients together until smooth.  If needed, add more oil to make a thinner consistency.  Enjoy!!