News from the Farm
By Rhys Williams

Every year we have an incident with the weather that affects at least one of our crops (yeah for Minnesota!). This year, we thought that we had gotten away clean as we had missed the major storms, hail and other catastrophes that other farms had experienced. Unfortunately, there was one crop that was affected this year: our strawberries. The 18 degrees that we experienced in early May happened when many of the plants were starting to bloom. The berries you see are squatty and that is frost damage. They taste good, but the freeze affected our overall yield dramatically. The plants themselves are very healthy, but most plants are when they are short on bloom, and we are going to be short on fruit and this will affect our Field Day (“the Strawberry Social”, this Saturday from 1-3). What we have decided to do is add peas for people to pick, but the berries will be light. We will still be having our Strawberry (& Sugar Snap Pea?) Social which is a great time to come down and see the farm. The swimming pond will be open (children must be supervised by a parent at all times) and please leave your pets at home, (we have too many animals here). Thanks for your understanding & support.

By Sarah Libertus

Due to the nature of farming, the produce in the box may change with the weather. Please feel free to contact me if you need any additional assistance with what is in your box.
Cilantro- This herb is used frequently in Mexican and Indian cooking. Try tossing it in your potato salad or adding it to soups for a fresh zing.
Sugar Snap Peas- Green peas are second only to lima beans as a fresh vegetable source of protein. A 1 cup serving of peas contains more protein than a whole egg or a tablespoon of peanut butter yet has less than half a gram of fat. Peas in their dried form have been used as a food since ancient times--archaeologists found them in Egyptian tombs--but it was not until the 16th century that tender varieties were developed to be eaten fresh. In the 17th century, Louis XIV's court discovered the delights of eating young fresh peas. I agree with Louis and think that these sweet peas are best snacked on raw, but I know that there are many of you who will happily toss them into pastas and stir fries.

Kohlrabi- The kohlrabi is the green globe-shaped swollen stem (not a root) with large leaves that looks like a root vegetable. A crispy, sweet tasting, delicate flavored member of the Brassica family, the kohlrabi is a cruciferous vegetable and contains important phytochemicals such as indoles, sulforaphane and isothiocynates as well as vitamin C and potassium. Indoles are believed to be potentially significant anti-cancer compounds that are not destroyed in cooking. Kohlrabi is sometimes called "cabbage turnip" because it gets its name from the German word for "kohl" which means cabbage and "rabi" for turnip. The kohlrabi has delicious leaves that are tender and excellent in salads or stir-fried. The whole peeled kohlrabi can be added to braised dishes and stews. The bulb-like stem is similar to a turnip in flavor and is naturally sweet and can be eaten raw or steamed or shredded into soups and salads. The flesh of the bulb is juicy and crisp with a beguiling sweetness similar to that of an apple, with a hint of piquancy associated with radishes and baby turnips. Plant historians estimate that the origin of this tasty, crisp vegetable goes back to at least to the Roman Empire.
Beets- Your box has one of two types of beets: Red Ace or Chioggia. Red Ace are deep red, while Chioggia have alternating red and white rings. Both are sweet and flavorful. I know that many people do not like beets (men mostly, why?). The greens can also be cooked up and used as you would other bitter greens, (e.g., stir fry, soups, wilted salads).
Garlic Scapes- Known as "stems", "flowers", "spears", or "tops", garlic scapes are the tender seedpod that forms on hard neck garlic plants in June. These young curling flower stalks have a broad spectrum of uses from soups to salads to garnishes. Garlic scapes are an allium delicacy that is highly prized in European and Korean cuisine because of its subtle garlic flavor, tender-crisp texture, and nutraceutical potency. Keep scapes in a brown paper bag in the refrigerator and they will last for weeks. They can also be chopped and then frozen.

We at the farm prefer kohlrabi raw, peeled thinly and salted. If you want something different, this is from "Weight Watchers Favorite Homestyle Recipes”:

KICKY KOHLRABI SALAD
2 cups kohlrabi, stems and leaves removed, peeled and julienned
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger root
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Dash of salt
1 small red onion, peeled, ends removed, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil; add the kohlrabi and cook until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Transfer the kohlrabi to a medium bowl.
To prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the rice wine (or white wine) vinegar, red wine vinegar, vegetable oil, ginger, tarragon, crushed red pepper and salt. Pour dressing over the kohlrabi and toss well. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
To serve: Place the kohlrabi on a platter. Arrange the red onion rings on top and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Makes 6 servings.
This is an easy, fast recipe from Bon Appétit magazine, April 2000

SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

1 pound sugar snap peas, stringed
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Steam sugar snap peas until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Toss with seeds and oil. Season with salt.
Makes 6 servings.
Recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian Cookbook, November 1999. This is a very bizarrely colored dish and should be attempted only by the truly daring:

BEETS WITH MINT AND YOGURT
This is generally served at room temperature or chilled.
1 (8-ounce) beet or 2 smaller ones, boiled or roasted in foil
2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or olive oil)
3 small garlic cloves, peeled (or 1 large garlic clove, cut lengthwise into 3 sections)
Peel the beet and grate it coarsely. Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat it lightly with a fork or a whisk until it is smooth and creamy. Add the salt, pepper to taste, and cayenne, if using. Mix. Add the mint and beet. Mix gently. Put the oil and garlic in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. The garlic will eventually begin to sizzle. Press down on the garlic with a spatula and let it sizzle some more, turning the pieces once or twice, until they turn a medium brown. Now pour the flavored oil and garlic into the bowl with the yogurt and mix.
Makes 6 to 8 Side-dish servings.
Recipes from Montana Garlic’s website:

DEEP FRIED SCAPES -
Fish or beer batter
Oil at 350F
Individually drop scapes in the oil to prevent sticking together.
Leave in oil for 2 minutes or to taste

SCAPE DIP
1⁄2 cup yogurt
1⁄2 cup mayonnaise
1⁄2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic scape
Process all ingredients together until smooth, then drizzle in 1⁄2 cup (olive or vegetable) oil.
For a salad dressing, add 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar.