The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady's fans. The oyster mushroom has...

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Vegetables Category Archive

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Florence Fennel

For a light delicate taste reminiscent of licorice and anise, choose Florence fennel.

Florence fennel--which is also known as bulb fennel and in Italy as finnochio—is a pale-green, feathery-topped vegetable, with celery-like stems and swollen bulb-like base of overlapping broad layers.

Fennel can be served raw in wedges or sticks, finely sliced in salads, parboiled, steamed, stir-fried or sautéed, braised, or chopped and added to soups. The flavor of Florence is more delicate after it has been cooked.

The harvest season for this cool weather vegetable is early fall through spring.

Continue reading "Florence Fennel" »

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide is a how-to guide on planting, growing, and preparing more than eighty vegetables and herbs. This handy home companion is perfect for avid cooks, foodies, and both beginning and expert small scale vegetable gardeners.

Round-headed Cabbage

There are three kinds of round-headed cabbage: white, red, and Savoy.

The leaves of the white and red cabbage are usually smooth and shiny with prominent veins. The leaves of the Savoy cabbage are light green and crinkled.

Cooked right these cabbages can be crisp with a mild and sweet flavor.

Round-headed cabbage can be found in most farm markets most of the year, but particularly during the cool and cold fall and winter months.

Continue reading "Round-headed Cabbage" »

Kale

Kale is a great match with hearty foods such as pork chops, fried catfish, garlickly sausage, and cornbread.

A winter vegetable that goes practically undisturbed even by snow, kale can come fresh harvested to the table in mid-winter in even the most severe climates.

Kale is a non-heading member of the cabbage family—very similar to collards except with a different shaped leaf.

Curly leaved kale varieties—sometimes called curly kale or borecole--are the most commonly eaten. Flat leaved or plain kale varieties are too coarse and rigid to enjoy at the table.

The leaves of curly kale are arranged in a bouquet-like fashion. They grow from 12 to16 inches (30-41 cm) long and are deep-green tinged with shades of blue or purple.

Kale has tough stems which are edible only when young. The stems of mature kale must be removed before cooking.

Kale originated in the Mediterranean region and has been in cultivation for more than 2,000 years. The name kale is derived from the Greek kaulos, meaning stem.

From the late Middle Ages, kale was known as cole or colewort in England. Kale or kail is the Scottish name.

The French call kale chou frisé (curly cabbage); the Germans call it krauskohl (crispy cabbage); the Italians call it cavalo arricciato (curled cabbage); and the Spanish call kale col rizada (curly cabbage).

Choose: Select kale with fresh, plump, crisp leaves. Avoid kale with limp or yellow leaves. Sniff the leaves and avoid those with a strong odor.

Store: Kale will keep in the coldest section of the refrigerator for 2 days. After 3 days of keeping, the flavor of kale will become strong and the leaves will go limp.

Kale can be frozen after being blanched for 2 to 3 minutes or until the leaves become slightly soft.

Prepare: Before cooking, remove the tough center stalk by folding the leaves in half and ripping the stalk out.

Wash the leaves in a large bowl of water to dislodge sand and dirt. You can add vinegar or salt to the water to dislodge any insects. Afterwards, rinse the leaves under cold running water.

Don’t dry the leaves before cooking. Use the residual water on the leaves to help wilt the leaves as they cook.

Plan: One pound of kale with stems will serve 2 to 3 people. Without stems, one pound will serve 3 to 4 people.

Cook: Kale can be prepared just as you would spinach.

Steam the leaves in just the water that remains after they have been washed. Steam only long enough for the leaves to wilt: 3 to 6 minutes.

Italians steam kale until tender, then add olive oil, a little garlic, breadcrumbs, and sprinkle it with Parmesan cheese in the last minute or two of cooking.

The Chinese stir-fry kale with a few slices of fresh gingerroot, about 1 minute.

The strong flavor of kale goes well in soups and stews. In India, kale is often teamed with hot spices.

Kale is rarely eaten raw because of its strong pungent flavor. Small amounts of raw, young kale can be added to salads to add a spicy note. Young kale can be dressed with oil and vinegar.

Kale can be seasoned with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, basil, dill, mace, nutmeg, allspice, mustard, parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme

Nutrition: Kale provides ample amounts of vitamins A and C, folic acid, calcium and iron.

The botanical name for kale is Brassica oleracea var. acephala. (The Latin term for “without a head” is alcephala.)

Sweet Potato

• A sweet potato is not a potato, and it is not a yam.

• A sweet potato can be prepared in just about every way a potato can.

• What most people in North America call a yam is really an orange-fleshed sweet potato.

The three sentences above are the basics of sweet potatoes. Once you understand the basics, the world of sweet potatoes is easy.

Continue reading "Sweet Potato" »

Cardoon

That bunch of silvery gray-green stalks that resembles a giant bunch of wide, flat celery is cardoon. Unlike celery the color of cardoon is dull not bright, and its texture is subtle not crisp.

Cardoon is available fresh and local from winter through early spring.

Cardoon has a more bitter than sweet taste that hints of artichoke, asparagus, celery, and salsify.

The cardoon is related to the artichoke. Both are edible members of the thistle family. The name cardoon comes from the Latin carduus or the later French chardon—which means thistle.

Cardoon is prepared like asparagus and celery and is served as a vegetable side dish or added to soups or stews. Cooked it is soft and meaty.

Cardoon is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean region where the Greeks and Romans considered it as an essential ingredient in a gourmet meal.

Today, cardoon continues that regional popularity in France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and the countries of North Africa. In Italy, cardoon is called cardoni. In Spain, the blanched stalks or ribs of the inner leaves of cardoon are used in cocido—a meat and vegetable stew. (For more on cocido, read here tomorrow.)

Choose: Look for cardoon with smaller stalks that are firm and have a dull-silvery, gray-green color. The outer stalks of larger bunches can be woody, hard and covered with soft spikes. Avoid stalks that are wilting or browning—although the top of stalks that have had their upper leaves removed will brown slightly.

Store: Place a damp paper towel at the base of each bunch then place the bunch in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Cardoon will store for up to 2 weeks.

Serve: Cardoon is prepared much like celery or asparagus. It can be boiled, braised or baked. Remove the tough outer ribs. Cut the inner ribs to the size called for then soak them in a light lemon or lime water to prevent browning. Many recipes call for pre-cooking cardoon for 15-30 minutes in boiling water. Pre-cooking cardoon will remove the bitterness.

In Italy, young cardi is cut into strips, tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper and then baked in a moderate oven. When the cardi is baked tender, it is removed from the oven and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and served.

Raw cardoon can be chopped into salads, but taste a piece to make sure it is not bitter. If it is, pre-cook the stalks, chill then serve.

The botanical name for cardoon is Cynara cardunculus.

Collards

If you'd like to add a little spice to a salad try a bit of fresh chopped or shredded collards. As well, cooked collards can be added to soups and stews.

Collards can be steamed, braised, and stir-fried. Combine collards with mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or beans and puree. Steamed, collards are a good match for smoked pork.

You can find collards fresh and locally grown from mid-winter through spring, December through April in the Northern Hemisphere.

Continue reading "Collards" »

Dried Early Girl Tomatoes

Was it just six months ago that the first Early Girl tomatoes were coming off the vine?

If you like tasting tomatoes, you love the Early Girl. In one survey after another, the Early Girl scores high points for flavor. When you taste a vine-ripened Early Girl, the words “sweet” and “rich” will not be far behind.

Even though it will be another six months before you see the first fresh Early Girls coming to market, that doesn’t mean you have to wait a half a year for that Early Girl flavor. Dried Early Girls—and many other dried tomato varieties, as well—will be at the farm market this week.

Dried tomatoes are fresh, ripe tomatoes that have been placed in the sun, in an oven, or a food dryer to dry out the water content. A dried tomato has every bit of the nutritional content—high in Lycopene, antioxidants, and vitamin C--of a fresh tomato, and the taste.

The idea of drying tomatoes came from Italy where the process was used to store tomatoes into the winter. Tomatoes were placed on tile roofs and sun dried in the heat of the summer. Today, some tomatoes are still sun dried—usually on large outdoor racks; most are dried in convection ovens or large food dryers.

Not all tomatoes are perfect for drying. The best tomatoes for drying have thick, meaty flesh and low water content. Beefsteak tomatoes are not a good choice for drying; they are fat, juicy and full of seeds. The Early Girl is a smaller, fleshy tomato with as few as 24 seeds plus the great flavor.

Tomatoes for drying are usually split lengthwise or quartered, the seeds are removed—though as much as possible of the pulp in the center is left. They are sometimes sprinkled with salt or herbs—but not always--then placed on racks or in a dryer and dried. It will take two to three days for tomatoes drying under a hot summer sun to become completely dry. Twenty pounds of fresh, ripe tomatoes will dry down to about one pound of dried tomatoes.

Before just picked tomatoes were shipped around the world on a daily basis, dried-tomatoes in winter were considered a kitchen staple. For the past several decades, dried tomatoes have somehow become associated with gourmet meal preparation. But the tastelessness of tomatoes shipped thousands of miles to be sold in places where fresh tomatoes are out of season has brought back the demand—and the common use—of dried tomatoes in winter. (Isn’t it weird--and almost perverse--how old-fashioned foods were made gourmet?)

Dried tomatoes can be served in any dish where you would serve fresh, local tomatoes. If you are not sure, pick up some dried Early Girl tomatoes this week and throw them on a tossed green salad.

Check here on Friday for more dried-tomato serving ideas.

Black Spanish Radish

There is a radish at your farm market this week that you just might mistake for a dark-skinned turnip. It’s called the Black Spanish Radish.

If you are looking for a zingy addition to a winter salad, the black Spanish radish is a great pungent choice.

Some radishes—such as the French breakfast radish—can be mild and almost sweet. Others have a peppery flavor that will zip up your palate right into your nostrils. The black Spanish radish is one of them.

The black Spanish radish is a winter-keeping radish meaning if you set it aside under the right conditions it will keep for use at the table long after your local radish harvest season has past.

Continue reading "Black Spanish Radish" »

Rainbow Chard

Chard—which is often called Swiss chard in the United States and is known as silver beet or sea kale beet in Britain—can still be found locally fresh just about everywhere that snow has not yet hit the ground.

Chard is harvested from late spring until late fall. Right now keep your eyes peeled for rainbow chard. The variety you are likely to find is called “Bright Lights.” It is a cacophony of dazzling multicolored stems: gold, pink, orange, purple, red, mauve and white in electric and pastel variations. The stems are set off by deep green or bronze leaves.

Chard can be harvested at maturity when the leaves reach about 6 inches (15 cm) in length or when smaller for the mild baby chard taste. If you choose rainbow chard, you’ll want to wait until the plant is mature and the stems are at their most colorful.

Choose: Select chard with stalks that are crisp and unblemished and with leaves that are tender and evenly colored. Chard can be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Serve: You can prepare chard stalks like asparagus and the greens like spinach. Be sure to prepare them separately. You can blanch the stalks in salted water for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. If you steam the stalks allow 8 to 15 minutes and if you braise them in the oven allow 20 to 30 minutes for them to cook. Tender, fresh chard leaves can be served raw in salads just like spinach or they can be cooked like spinach, allowing 5 to 8 minutes when steaming or boiling.

Turnips: The Gold Ball

You might not think of a turnip the way you do a carrot, but you could.

Turnips can be eaten raw or cooked. Like a carrot, the turnip can be boiled or steamed. You can serve them in soups and stews or puréed, stuffed or braised.

There are two seasons of the year when turnips are worth their weight in gold, that’s in the spring and in the fall. The fall harvest can last well into winter.

Right now you can find Gold Ball turnips at your farm market. The Gold Ball has been long noted for its flavor, slightly sweet and smooth with an aftertaste of almond.

The late fall harvest particularly favors the Gold Ball which like most good tasting turnips comes to maturity during the times of the year when the outside temperatures tend to stay uniformly cool. That’s fall and spring. (Summer heat can make almost all turnips tough and bitter tasting.) Young Gold Ball turnips should still be available now.

Like its name suggests, the Gold Ball has a golden-yellow skin and flesh. At maturity, it is about the size of a small ball, not more than 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter. Like all turnips, if harvested at half its mature size, it will be the most mellow tasting.

The exact origin of the Gold Ball is unclear, but it is an old-time variety that dates back at least to the early 19th century in Scotland and the North of England. It was registered in the United States patent office in 1855 as Robertson’s Gold Ball.

Turnips, in general, have been in cultivation for more than 4,000 years and probably originated in the Near East. The Greeks and Romans were known to have developed several varieties. Besides the root, turnip leaves can be eaten much like spinach.

If you want the best tasting turnips, select small turnips—no bigger than 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter--with unblemished skin and fresh, green leaves. The flesh of larger turnips can be woody. A turnip should feel heavy for it size.

Turnips can be kept in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for up to 1 week.

Raw turnips can be shredded with cabbage and carrots and served with a sharp mustard vinaigrette. Young turnips can be sliced raw and added to salads or served as substitutes for radishes.

Steamed and boiled turnips can be served with butter or cream. You can add sugar to the water to improve the flavor. You should allow 10 to 15 minutes when boiling turnips and slightly longer when steaming them.

If you bring home Gold Ball turnips this week, you might follow the advice of many experienced cooks: pair them with carrots. The taste is excellent.

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Vegetables Category Archive

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia: The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide

A practical vegetable and herb garden encyclopedia

Harvest to Table's New Encyclopedia:
The Kitchen Garden Grower's Guide