Category Archives: kohlrabi

In the Share – Week 30

Garlic, kohlrabi, mulching

KOHLRABI  We ate one today just snacking while we worked and we found it to be crunchy and juicy.

LETTUCE  Mostly red-leaf lettuce this week.  Everyone gets two.
TAT SOI  Bok choy’s dark green cousin. 

CARROTS  Chantennay – type are fat and pointy

RADISHES  High tunnel radishes are so mild and juicy. 

CABBAGE  Small heads just the right size for a cole slaw.  See Tom’s post for several slaw recipes.

CHARD, KALE OR GAI LAN Your choice of greens.

HERB CHOICE  cilantro, dill or dried herbs or dried peppers

NEXT WEEK:  lettuce, sweet potatoes, leeks, spinach, endive and turnips

FARM REPORT: 
The planting of next year’s garlic crop went well this week.  6,000 cloves were planted for the main crop, plus several hundred more for greens. 

The soil hasn’t been the same since the summer deluge and the work was slowed by the need to remove cobbles of soil from the planting row.  We are counting on the winter freeze-thaw activity to soften the soil in time for Spring.  That is if winter ever comes. . .

Yes I am daring winter to come!  It is time for some cold, rainy days to soak the ground and chill the air.  The task of mulching is best performed on a cold day when you can wear layers to protect yourself.  Saturday morning was chilly enough to provide pretty favorable conditions.   

In the Share – Week 23

kohlrabi, onions, watershed, wet

KOHLRABI F  I have heard from many kohlrabi lovers since I mentioned that it is not everybody’s favorite.  One said, “I LOVE kohlrabi. It’s yummy raw, kind of like broccoli stems or jicama, and it’s delicious roasted. Great for salads or in sticks for dipping in dips like hummus. What’s not to like?” Others offered that they make kohlrabi fries by dipping them in batter and baking them. “ You’ll have your chance to try a new recipe.  Since the positive comments began pouring in, the kohlrabi have swelled to softball size.

BULB FENNEL F/P  See Tom’s post for more on the finocchio

LETTUCE F2/P1  We rescued many a head from the mud today.  They are triple-rinsed but will need a final rinse in your kitchens.

BEETS OR HAKUREI TURNIPS F

POTATOES F/P  Purple Viking is our new favorite potato.  Large and pretty in purple with white, fluffy flesh. 

GARLIC F/P

CABBAGE F  The last of the compact varieties.  The big heads are starting to mature.

GREENS CHOICE F  Bok choy, tat soi and yukina savoy, all great in a stir-fry.

GOLD BALL TURNIPS P  Just the roots with the tops removed to make them a bit more manageable.

BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER OR NAPA CABBAGE P  The first two are almost done.  The Napa is just starting.

NEXT WEEK:  More lettuce, cabbage, greens.  Watermelon radishes, carrots and leeks.

FARM REPORT:
The farm is very soggy and we are worrying over the tender crops left in the field.  We are approaching 10 inches of rain in the month of October.  Most vegetable crops like 1 inch per week and much more than that leads to pooling and stagnant conditions.  A soil is like a sponge and right now ours is full of water, not air.  The stiff north wind that blew today was a good first step in getting things to dry out.  Sunshine is forecasted for the next five days and should do a lot of good.

 

In the middle of this wet weather, Tom and I took a couple of days off the farm and ended up visiting our water downstream.  The farm resides within the Fishing River watershed which enters the Missouri River near Missouri City.  Across the river sits Fort Osage, originally constructed in 1808 to conduct trade with our allies, the Osage Indians.  The usual story of death, displacement and hardship followed.  The Osage are in Oklahoma now and our farm sits on their old hunting grounds

the river view from Fort Osage

What to Do With Your Share—Week 4

csa, kohlrabi, Mmmthistastesyummy, radish, sustainable agriculture

Physical exhaustion is the name of the game this time of year, so we are glad that most of the vegetables we grow are edible raw. A simple stringing and a snap pea is an appetizer, a Hakurei turnip is ready to go right out of the bag, and quick washing, tearing and spinning makes a lettuce salad.

Believe it or not, one of the tastiest of raw vegetables is the kohlrabi. We pulled some of this week’s share last week, as they were at prime picking stage, and we didn’t want the hot weather to toughen them up. Some may have a little bit of fiber in the very center, but the ones that we have been noshing on have been crispy and juicy.

One thing that can perplex folks is how to peel a kohlrabi. Well, former FSF apprentice and local urban farmer Julie Coon can show you the proper way. In a new video series she is working on, she and cooking partner Danika Hanson prepare a scrumptious mix of lentils, couscous, Hakurei turnips, kohlrabi and curry.

Go to about the 5:00 mark to see the simplest way to peel a kohlrabi. You cut off the top and bottom, and then set it on the counter and cut down the sides, like you are taking corn off a cob.

So now, what else to do with that wonderful kohlrabi? The simplest thing is to cut it into slices or chunks and smother it with your favorite dressing. A more “complex” approach is to make a refined and tasty salad.

Depending on your tastes, you can make whatever you want. If you like Asian cooking use a dressing like the one in last week’s stir fry salad. If you are a hard core Midwesterner, use ranch dressing. Another style is to copy a jicama salad recipe and substitute the kohlrabi for the jicama. That is what we did last year, so check out that blogor simply search for jicama or kohlrabi salad.

Radish Dip
Last November, member Ann Flynn sent me this recipe for radishes. If you still have some in the fridge (and some dill and green garlic), this is a great way to use them. In Ann’s words “This dip is delish.”
1 cup finely chopped radishes
1 package of cream cheese (8 oz)
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dill weed

Combine all ingredients. Use as a sandwich spread or on crackers or vegetables.

Finally, a shout out to our good friend Bill McKelvey, who took such beautiful photos and portraits during his visit last weekend. Here is Bill in front of the lens, and someone not pictured in Rebecca’s post…Rebecca!

In the Share – Week 24

csa, fair share farm, kohlrabi, sustainable agriculture, tomato plants
Looking like it came from the stars, the kohlrabi

Don’t forget!: FAIR SHARE FARM HARVEST DINNER – THIS Saturday, Oct. 29, 4-6 pm at St. James Lutheran Church, 1104 Vivion Road, Kansas City MO

LETTUCE (F/P) 2 for the full shares, 1 for the partials

BULB FENNEL (F/P) We love us some bulb fennel and this crop has turned out well. See Tom’s post for ideas for use if you are new to it.

TOMATOES (F/P) Amazing to all of us, we still have tomatoes ripening in our packing room from the big pre-freeze harvest. Most of the ones you are receiving this week are not quite ripe, so let them ripen on your countertop or in a closed paper bag if you want to speed up the process.

SWEET PEPPERS (F) Also from the big pre-freeze harvest. I am not a huge fan of green peppers, but boy these sweet things have me thinking different.

CABBAGE (F/P) An assortment of types to choose from.

BROCCOLI OR CAULIFLOWER (F)  They are smaller this week. I think all the hot, dry weather has finally caught up with them. Continue to check for any caterpillars we may have missed.

ROOT MIX (P) 2 beets. 2 watermelon radishes and 1 turnip. See last week’s post for more info. on the watermelon radish.

GREENS CHOICE (F) Tat soi, bok choy or Swiss Chard

KOHLRABI (F/P) Fall is when these beauties really shine. Once you peel it thoroughly, you get to the tender, juicy crunch.

HERB CHOICE (F/P) Cilantro, dill, parsley or a dried herb.

ALSO THIS WEEK: Parker Farms shares

NEXT WEEK: You are on your own folks. I’ll bet you will still have some FSF veggies in the fridge and on the counter. If you are ready for more, check out the friendly folks down at the BadSeed Market on Friday nights. We plan to offer, as we have the past few years, a pre-Thanksgiving share to be picked up at the BadSeed Market on Nov. 18. More information will be coming in November.

FARM REPORT

The last week of the CSA season has arrived. It is always bittersweet to say goodbye to the growing season. In the last week, the first freeze marked the end to the tomatoes and other warm-weather plants. On Saturday, the CSA helped remove the tomato plants from the field, a good practice to prevent disease.

Other late fall tasks include planting garlic, mulching perennials and overwintering leeks and collecting the irrigation equipment. All of this we are trying to do this week as the farm team will be changing. Dani Hurst will be leaving us to join her fiancé working on his medical residency out of state. We have really enjoyed Dani’s enthusiasm and thoughtful attention to the work since she joined us in August. Lucas Knutter has been working at the farm since last fall and will be continuing with us through the winter on a part-time basis. Lucas has been invaluable to the farm team for the past year and we hope he will find time for us now and again while he builds a farm of his own on family land nearby.

Our farm crew of four relies on a membership of 120 families. Every one of you pitched in this season and helped make the harvest a success. We succeed as a sustainable business and farm thanks to all of you who have lent your hands to our endeavor. We appreciate all the time, energy and creativity that you gave freely to the farm and the CSA this season. Because of you our farm is a productive, thriving example of what happens when a piece of land is supported by a community of people. Tom and I cannot put into words the depth of our gratitude. Thank you!

I think all of our hard work deserves a celebration!

So join us for the  Eighth Annual Fair Share Farm CSA Harvest Dinner, October 29, 4-6 pm at St. James Lutheran Church, 1104 Vivion Road, Kansas City MO.

Look for your evite in your inbox to see what type of dish to bring to the best potluck you’ve ever attended.

Kids Costume Contest!! Adults costumes welcome!

Raffle for lovely items donated by the best green businesses in town, including: The Farmhouse, Green Circle, Sturgis Materials and the Grass Pad.   Raffle proceeds to benefit the Veggie Voucher Fund. 

Come party down with your favorite farmers and your fellow locavores! See you there.