What’s in the box?

Squash, rapini, bibb lettuce, shishito peppers, sweet peppers,

green beans, onions & garlic.

We have picked the first of our winter squash. Choose either a butternut or a sweet dumpling squash this week.

Rapini (also known as broccoli raab) is a green vegetable with edible leaves, buds, flowers & stems with a slightly bitter flavour. Rapini is usually blanched for several minutes in salted, boiling water to reduce it’s bitterness before being sauted, stir-fried or roasted.

5 Ways to Serve Broccoli Rabe (from https://www.masterclass.com)

1. Sautée it over low heat in extra virgin olive oil with onions, garlic, and black pepper to make a simple and delicious side dish, or to add to a main dish.
2. Combine it with olive oil and nuts in a blender to make a broccoli rabe pesto.
3. Roast it like you would broccoli in the oven at medium-high heat until crisp. It can then be served alone, with other roasted vegetables, or added to sandwiches, or as a pizza topping.
4. Broccoli rabe is commonly a leafy addition to Italian-American pasta, often paired with spicy Italian sausage, parmesan cheese, and black and red pepper.
5. Sautéed broccoli rabe with red chili flakes, garlic cloves, and guanciale, is a common side dish for pork recipes like grilled ribs, porchetta, and Italian sausages.

Also check https://www.cookwithwhatyouhave.com/category/raab-kale-broccoli-collard for additional recipes.

We are growing several kinds of bibb lettuce this season. Bibb is a beautifully coloured, leafy, ruffled lettuce with a compact, soft heart. Try it and tell us how you like it.

Enjoy some shishito peppers in your share this week. They were last in the box back in week 11. Here’s a quick review of how to best prepare shishitos. Char them in olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook the peppers whole, turning occasionally, until they begin to blister on all sides. This only takes a few minutes. Sprinkle with salt & pepper and a splash of lime juice and some parmesan cheese, and serve immediately. Eat the whole pepper – except the stem.

Sweet peppers, green beans, onions & garlic complete the box this week.

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Around the farm this week …

The morning after a heavy night rain is a beautiful time.