Kohl-Robby

Before we left for the beach, we picked the garden clean (thus the shock when we came home and found the mutants).  We brought with us on vacation beautiful beets, green beans, cucumbers, pickles, swiss chard and lettuce.  We have a tradition - first night fried beach food and clam chowder (and pizza for the kids) and the next few nights meals that get rid of the vegetables before they go bad (remember #1 goal).  This year we also had the addition of my bro-in-laws CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) vegetables.  He brought a TON of lettuce, basil, beets and swiss chard, fennel and most importantly - Kolhrabi.  As different as we are, he has the same goal as we do - these garden gifts should never be wasted, so he worked hard to get Kolhrabi on our table.

Kolhrabi is a member of the cabbage family, but it looks like a turnip with floppy leaves on thin stems growing from the top (sometimes called cabbage turnip).  If they are very young and fresh, the leaves can be sauteed like greens, but the little green bulb is the sweetest part to taste.  Cut off the leaves and stems, peel the bulb, and eat it raw or boiled or steamed.  It is a high-carbohydrate, high potassium, high fiber veggie that is an excellent source of vitamins B and C.  It is also high in calcium, iron, and phosphorus. 

Needless to say, the Kolhrabi became a vacation joke.  We even encouraged Gina to have another baby so they could name him Cole Robert (you had to be there).  It was fun and the Kolhrabi recipe he found was delicious.

His CSA is from Cropsey Farm in New City, NY.  They've got an amazing site and recommend those close to New City support this local farm.  Their website is http://www.cropseyfarm.org/.  It has some really great recipes and ideas.  And while we're on the topic, our local RI CSA is Simmons Farms in Middletown, RI.  Their website for their CSA is http://simmonsorganicfarmri.com/csa/.

I did find a great Kolhrabi recipe that you could use with the Tzatziki recipe from last night....

Kohlrabi Cakes

4 Kohlrabi bulbs
1/4 cup chopped scallions
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons dried bread
1 tsp salt
1//2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

1.  Peel and shred the kohlrabi bulbs.  Squeeze out any excess moisture.

2.  Combine all ingredients (except oil) in a mixing bowl.  Stir until well blended.

3.  Heat the oil in a large skillet, and drop the mixture into it by large spoonfuls.  Saute the cakes until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Drain on paper towels.

Serve with Tzatziki

 

We took a two week vacation...the garden did not

We just returned from an amazing two week jersey shore vacation.  My plan was to keep blogging (my advisers recommended I do so), but the sun and the beach had other ideas.  My plan is to spend the next few blogs catching up - working backwards and I will try not to whine too much.

Let me set the stage.....we were gone a little over two weeks.  Had a blast (separate blog) and enjoyed beautiful weather, amazing family, and great friends.  We drove home early Sunday morning.  The first sign the day was not going to be as planned was the humidity and the pouring rain.  Pulled into the driveway around 10am and bee-lined for the garden (tiptoed thru the knee-high grass (weeds really)) (also separate blog) and stumbled upon the mutants - cucumbers so big they turned yellow, green beans so big they were like branches, and describing the size of the zucchini would just be cliche.  We picked and weeded in the pouring rain.  The good news was nothing died and all plants were thriving.  It wasn't a very pretty garden but it was doing what it was supposed to do. 

Getting the big inedible fruit off the plants in order for them to flower and continue producing was job #1.  It goes against everything I believe in to throw food away, but we had no other choice.  We did employ pickers while we were away and I am thankful for their help, but next year we will have to have a more organized effort.  This is prime harvest time for the cucumbers, green beans, zucchini and eggplant.  Picking every other day or so is required.  The winter squash garden looked amazing.  No red tomatoes but any day now.  Brussel Sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower don't look great - further investigation is required.  Salad garden pretty much done; we will work this weekend of getting the fall crop in.  Lawn - disgusting.  Flowers - long story.  Pepper plants are CHOCK full.  Jalapeno poppers anyone?

We wheeled what we could back to the house and started researching recipes and cooking (in between unpacking the car and going grocery shopping).  It is important to repeat our #1 goal - to never ever have any vegetables rot on the vine or in the refrigerator.  Vacation puts a crimp in that goal but I'm learning to let go a little and not be so obsessive.

I'm not ready to share the recipes of everything we cooked as I'm still not sure they are worth sharing.  However, here's a list of what we cooked:

Froze 2 lbs of green beans (but threw away about 5 lbs - boo hoo)

Baked and froze 2 zucchini breads

Cooked and ate for lunch zucchini fritters with fresh tzatziki

Made a ginormous pot of Caponata (used about 5 giant japanese eggplant)

Made a delicious pot of Pasta Norma for dinner (used a giant globe eggplant and left out the Ricotta Salata)

Shredded and froze 4 1lb bags of zucchini

The rest of the stuff is in the downstairs fridge.  Oddly the only thing I'm going to post is the tzatziki recipe.  It's beyond delicious and so, so easy.  Tomorrow night will share Caponata.  Fritters need tweeking.  The rest of the recipes will be posted before end of week.

Couple of things.....I am always looking for ideas and comments.  FB me, send me email or comment right to the blog.  My thought is to start a conversation.

Thank you to my wonderful friend Patti for the beautiful flowers and  the wonderful welcome home Zucchini Pie.

Tzatziki
One 6oz container of Greek yogurt
One seeded cucumber - grated
Couple sprigs of mint
Juice of half lemon
Course salt and pepper
One garlic clove - minced

Combine and adjust seasoning to taste.  Eat alone or put on everything you can find.  Delish!