Prior to 2015 I had never planted a garden before June 1.  This year not only did I have everything planted by the middle of May but I also planted a lot of things that I had not only never planted but have never eaten.  One of these things I discovered this week.  And it will be added to my list of favorites.  I’m so excited about this that I had to share…

Chinese (Napa) Cabbage-  This particular variety-China Star you will receive for the first time in Week 3.  There will be more weeks of it to come so there is chance for experimenting.  When I cook the first time is just to figure out how I can tweak the recipe to make it better for the next time.  My husband doesn’t prefer this method of cooking ;)  Back to the cabbage…  I made fresh cole slaw with home-made dressing.  It is awesome.  The first time even.  To prep it I just cut the bottom, maybe an inch or so just enough to get the leaves separated.  I then put it in a cold bath in my sink.  Doing this immediately after harvest cools the produce and helps it store better.  (It will also drown any earwigs that are crawling around inside)  Then I started at the bottom and sliced it very thin then chopped it into smaller pieces.  I wasn’t sure about the thick mid rib but it is delicious so don’t leave it out!  It was super fast and easy I also added carrots thinly sliced and chopped up peas because I had them, other produce to add could be cucumbers, bean sprouts, onions etc.

I have the book Well Dressed ; salad dressings by Jeff Keys.  He owns Vintage Restaurant in Sun Valley.  I looked up slaw dressings and found two that I really was curious about.  The one for my cole slaw was just the basic (included below) and the other was for Asian slaw (also included below).  I tried the latter immediately and ate the entire bowl. 

Poppy Seed Slaw Dressing

1 ½ C Mayonnaise
½ C real apple cider vinegar
1/3 C Sugar
Pinch of cayenne (optional
1TBSP Poppy seeds (optional)
1/8 tsp black pepper (optional) 

Whisk together and pour on slaw mixture. 

Asian Slaw Dressing  

Rice Vinegar
Sugar 

Add each a little at a time and taste until you love it!  It is so good.

 

A few other ideas for cabbage

-use large leaves to wrap up stir fry or fried rice (can also be done with lettuce leaves)
-Kimchee (next on my list to try)
-Spring Rolls

Everyone has gotten their first basket and some are already enjoying their second.  I have gotten some great questions that I hope we can address so that you get the most out of every single basket.

In my world, you walk out the back door and fresh pick vegetables as you walk along for your lunch and most likely go back out for your dinner.  The key is that I don't store my vegetables in my kitchen I store them in my garden where they are happiest.  When you pick up your basket, you have a whole collection of vegetables that you will most likely be storing for at least a few days.  Not all of them should be handled the same to keep maximum freshness.  You can't just stick them all in the fridge and come back to happy veggies!

• Store basil, cilantro and parsley in a glass of water like a bouquet.  Parsley can be stored in the fridge but the others would prefer room temperature.
• Chives, thyme and other woody herbs should be wrapped in a damp paper towel and stored in the fridge.
• Carrots, beets, turnips, etc will come to you with the tops still attached.  Remove the tops to keep your root crops crisp.  Store the roots and greens separately in the fridge.  Please experiment with eating these greens...they are nutritious and can be a great addition to the standard list of vegetables.
• Summer squash should be refrigerated in a loosely sealed plastic bag.
• Tomatoes should be not be refrigerated.

Specific question?  Never hesitate to call!