In the Box

• Salad Mix
• Baby Red Choy
• Cilantro
• French Breakfast Radishes
• Scallions
• Braising Mix

There are a few new items in this week’s box. Cilantro is a wonderful herb used in a lot of Mexican and Asian dishes. It has a distinct flavor. I do find that folks either really love or really dislike cilantro. I fall in the camp that really loves cilantro. I love the fresh, citrus-like flavor and will eat it by the handful. Cilantro does not handle heat well. So chop it and add it to a hot dish right before or after you turn off the heat.

The other new item in your boxes is the baby red choy. Choy (also called choi, bok choy or pac choi) has been cultivated in China since the fifth century. It arrived in Europe in the eighteenth century and from there choi came to this continent. Today it is cultivated on every continent except Antarctica.

Choi comes in many sizes and shades of red and green. The leaves are very tender and can be cooked like spinach. The stems are crisp and can be used like celery or asparagus. I usually cook them together.

The choi in your boxes has been a little stressed by the weather recently. (Who hasn’t?). It began to bolt. Bolting is the growth stage where the plant shoots upward and begins to form buds or seed stalks. I found, much to my surprise, that the buds are delicious. They have a broccoli-like flavor. Rather than leave them in the field, I decided to harvest the plants with the buds and let you try them.

On another note, those of you who have members last year may have noticed that not everything in last week’s box was bagged in plastic. I am attempting to cut down on the farm’s use of plastic bags. So, for items that are bunched, they will be packed in the box without being bagged. I’d like some feedback on this. If you think the quality of the produce is suffering, let me know and we will bag them.

Some Words on Recipes

I always welcome recipe submissions. If I can use them, I definitely will.

I try to choose recipes that are easy and use lots of the items in your box. I don’t promote any type of diet except for one that includes lots of veggies. If a recipe includes meat, I try to list meat substitutes for our vegetarian or vegan members. I personally eat a little meat, lots of vegetables, and whole grains and pasta. These days I’ve set aside my inner cheese head and eat very little dairy products. Of course, I do have my weaknesses - chocolate and coffee being the chief ones.

This Week’s Recipe

Stir-Fried Choi with Mushrooms and Cashews over Rice Noodles
(from Farmer John’s Cookbook)

Note: Rice noodles can be found in the Asian food section of a grocery store. Rice vinegar can be found there as well. You can substitute wheat noodles and apple cider vinegar.

• ¼ cup coarsely chopped, unsalted cashews
• 8 ounces dry rice noodles
• 6 tablespoons peanut oil or mild flavored vegetable oil, divided
• 3-4 baby choi, stems cut diagonally into ¼-inch pieces, leaves sliced into ½-inch strips
• 8 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced, OR 8 dried shitake mushrooms rehydrated in hot water for 20 minutes, strained and sliced, water reserved
• 3 scallions, sliced in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup water (if you are using dried shitakes, use ¼ cup of the soaking water instead)
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• sugar (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast the cashews in a heavy dry skillet over high heat until they begin to brown slightly. Transfer the nuts to a dish to cool. Cook the rice noodles according to the directions on the package. Meanwhile, heat a wok or large skillet over high heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the peanut oil and let heat for 30 seconds. Add the sliced choi stems and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, scallions, and choi leaves. Add the water (or shitake soaking liquid). Cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 12 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and toasted sesame oil. Add a little sugar to taste, if desired. Pour this mixture over the vegetables in the wok and toss until well combined. Drain the noodles and add them to the wok along with the sauce. Toss to combine. Serve warm or chill for 1 to 2 hours. Garnish with the cashews and cilantro just before serving.

News from the Farm

We have had four rain free days. The mud is starting to dry up and the puddles in the low spots are receding. I’ve also stopped spending quality time with the sump pump I bought last week though my basement is still wet.

The farm has survived this flood for several reasons. One, the sandy soil drains better than a heavy soil. This is a great advantage in a flood and a great disadvantage in a drought. Two, the farm is not located on the banks of a river. And three, the land slopes gently down to 2 wetlands that help drain the farm. There are no bowls to form ponds on the farm.

After seeing all the devastation on area farms, I feel fortunate that the damage here is minimal. Some plants are unhappy about having wet feet for so long. But others are starting to recover and look good. The wet weather can lead to disease issues, so I will be monitoring those. Also, we have some plants - eggplant, peppers, basil, parsley, melons, pumpkins, gourds and lots of lettuce - that have been sitting around waiting their turn to be transplanted. I hope to get most of them in this week. But the harvest of some of these crops will be delayed.

We do have more crops coming on. The peas are flowering so we will have peas soon. Head lettuce is starting to mature and I’ve seen flowers on the zucchini and cucumbers. Soon the bounty will be overflowing.