May 21, 2017
First of the Season - Greens!
By Linda Dansbury

Welcome to new members and welcome back returning members! I am the Recipe Coordinator - which means that I am here to help you enjoy the beautiful and plentiful veggies from Anchor Run Farm. There are tons of recipes on the internet for each veggie we receive. What I do is find and create recipes that often incorporate more than one of the crops in a single recipe and that for the most part are seasonal at the same time so that we can eat as close to a "local diet" as possible. I also welcome all of you out there to share with membership what you do with your harvest by sending it to me at lindadansbury@comcast.net. I will share with fellow members in the newsletters.

Green garlic is a new offering for Anchor Run Farm and for me it is a very welcomed item. Green garlic is an immature garlic plant. Garlic bulbs are planted in the fall before the first frost where it begins growing roots. In the spring it starts to grow vigorously, putting up green stalks that look similar to scallions and leeks. Green garlic is much milder and sweeter than mature garlic and so should not be cooked for long periods because the subtle flavors will be lost. Pestos, stir fries, dips, salad dressings or added near the end of long cooking recipes all work well.

You may or may not be familiar with mizuna. In the stores it is often mixed with other greens and labeled as something like "spring mix". The mizuna we just received is very tender and mild. Although it can be sauteed or added to soups and stews, I like to mix it in with other greens in salads. It adds a nice taste, texture and visual complement to other greens in a salad.