I've been swamped the early part of the day, but I want to get the lists up first so you know what you have in your share. Pictures to follow as soon as I can unpack my box.
SMALL
spinach
oregano
young garlic
shallot scape
garlic scape
asparagus
great lake lettuce
baby leeks
basil microgreens
strawberries (just a couple, they just started to ripen)
green bean sprouts
MEDIUM
small +
red sail lettuce
red amaranth
Chinese snow broccoli
shungiku
LARGE
medium +
green romaine
swiss chard
green amaranth
watercress
baby spinach
wheat grass
purple basil microgreens
purple radish microgreens
baby bok choy
baby yu choi
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| Top left moving clockwise: spinach, great lake lettuce, oregano, asparagus, box of strawberries, bean sprouts, and basil micros |
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| LtoR: young garlic, shallot scape, garlic scape (has leaves), and leeks |
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| top: red sail lettuce bottom: shungiku, red amaranth, Chinese snow broccoli |
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| top: romaine, wheat grass / microgreens, bok choy, baby spinach bottom: yu choi, watercress, swiss chard, green amaranth |
Leeks
These are mild relatives of onions, and I'm guessing most of you are familiar with them. Great with potatoes, or in sunchoke soup (sorry, I couldn't resist).
Watercress
These are the new green with tiny flowers on them (at least in my batch -- it was how I could tell them from the Yu choi and the green amaranth). They are peppery relatives of the mustards, and really pep up a salad in small doses. Also good as a bed for grilled meats and seared scallops, where the heat of the juices can slightly wilt the greens.
Yu choi
Apparently this is the young leaves and stalks of rapeseed, better known in this hemisphere as Canola. Treat as you have the Chinese broccoli and mustard greens, as the flavor and preparation are pretty close. David told me that the stalks are tastier than the leaves and that he likes them lightly blanched with a sprinkle of salt.
Other suggestions:
You've got a passle of young garlic, and that is a great start to some pesto. I'll get a recipe up in a day or so for several variations that will store well. If you're already a pesto pro, try a little variation -- watercress pesto, or a milder spinach pesto. If you're a fan of oniony flavors, a scape and garlic pesto is a simple topping for any pasta.
We did a pesto this week with the scapes, young basil, garlic, a bit of oregano, salt & pepper, olive oil and lots of spinach. It was fantastic. I also used almond sliver in place of pine nuts, which tastes similar after they are well blende, but saves a bunch of $$.
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