In the Kitchen

When you get this box home, you'll want to put it all in the refrigerator. Remove the beets from the greens first. Everything goes in plastic bags in the crisper drawer.

Bunched Mini Red Onions are basically what the name implies, small red onions that you can use just like a large red onion. In general onion terms, these have a milder flavor than a standard yellow onion. The greens have a nice flavor as well, although they lack the tenderness of a scallion.

The earthy flavor of beets comes from the same chemical compound that soil organisms secrete to make the characteristic smell of freshly-tilled soil. If you are reluctant to try beets because of some leftover trepidation resulting from canned and boiled conventional beets from you childhood, then please try our beets. The best simple preparation is to bake them in a covered baking dish at 425 for about an hour, although these quick beets are a household favorite, as well.

Quick Beets

1 1/2 lbs Beets, julienned
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 fresh squeezed lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill

Heat a medium pan and add olive oil and beets. Cover for 5 minutes to lightly steam in own moisture. Uncover and saute (you may need to add a tich more oil) until lightly browned. Toss the beets with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and dill. Serve.

Beet greens are awfully good, too. Use them just like you would spinach, especially cooked.

While peas have been cultivated for some 8,000 years, Snap Peas only became popular in the late 1970's. This is our last picking for 2009, in a significantly smaller quantity than last week. Don't forget to take the strings out by pulling on the peduncle.

I've never understood why Red Russian Kale is called a kale, since it's the same species as turnips. The flavor and texture lack traditional green kale's hearty overtones, as well as the spicy flavor and almost ethereal texture of turnip greens. Cut into thin ribbons, you can serve it as a salad. I like it best with strong flavors of soy sauce or red pepper flakes.

Red Russian Kale with Pancetta

2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced pancetta
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch Red Russian kale, stemmed and chopped into 1-inch ribbons
1-1/2 cups chicken broth

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion and pancetta until the onion is translucent and the fat has rendered from the pancetta. Add the kale and toss to coat the leaves with oil. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until the leaves are tender, about 8 minutes. Raise the heat and boil, uncovered, until the pan is dry. Season with fresh ground pepper and serve.

Sweetly pungent and sharp tasting, fern-y Dill Leaf is used as a seasoning in everything from green salads to fish dishes.

Yogurt-Dill Sauce

1 cup plain yogurt
3 Tbsp fresh dill leaf
1/2 cup chopped onions or scallions (mini-onions work great!)
1/2 tsp salt

Mix ingredients together to make a sauce for fish or raw vegetables.

We grow Baby Bok Choy because I am slightly afraid of the huge size of the regular-old bok choy. The vase-like shape is very appealing, and the stems have a delightful raw crunch, while the leaves have a contrasting mild tang to them. One of my favorite treatments here is to use the spoon-shaped ends to hold a dollop of something delicious, like a thick red-pepper sauce or spicy tuna salad. On the other hand, I have been loving the grill this spring, and bok choy responds quite nicely to the smoky flavor it adds.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy

Slice the bok choy head in half lengthwise (it will still look like a vase.). Soak in cool water for ten minutes and rinse vigorously, then shake and pat to dry. Slice off the tender leaves and set aside. Brush bok choy heads with oil, sprinkle the cut sides with lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and place cut side down on a heated grill for about 8 minutes. Turn the heads when they have have begun to show a golden color, and drizzle a little soy sauce over the cut side. Cook for a few minutes before turning again. Remove from grill when fork-tender. If desired, chop and sauté the leaves and serve over the grilled stems.