A to Z Produce Storage Guide Table of Contents

Arugula ...... 3 Asparagus ...... 4 Green Beans ...... 5 Beets ...... 6 Beet Greens ...... 7 Blackberries ...... 8 Bok Choy ...... 9 Broccoli ...... 10 Brussels Sprouts ...... 11 Cabbage ...... 12 Carrots ...... 13 Celery ...... 14 Swiss Chard ...... 15 Collard Greens ...... 16 Sweet Corn ...... 17 Cucumbers ...... 18 Eggplant ...... 19 Fall Squash ...... 20-21 Fennel ...... 22 Garlic & Garlic Scapes ...... 23 Baby Ginger ...... 24 Dried Herbs ...... 25 Fresh Herbs ...... 26 Kale ...... 27 Kohlrabi ...... 28

1 Table of Contents

Leeks ...... 29 Lettuce ...... 30 Melons ...... 31 Microgreens ...... 32 Mizuna ...... 33 Okra ...... 34 Onions ...... 35 Parsnips ...... 36 Peas ...... 37 Pea Shoots ...... 38 Bell Peppers ...... 39 Hot Peppers ...... 40 Potatoes ...... 41 Radishes ...... 42 Raspberries ...... 43 Rutabagas ...... 44 Scallions ...... 45 Spinach ...... 46 Summer Squash & Zucchini ...... 47 Sunflower Shoots ...... 48 Strawberries ...... 49 Sweet Potatoes ...... 50 Tomatoes ...... 51 Baby Turmeric ...... 52 Turnips ...... 53 Turnip Greens ...... 54 2 Arugula

Arugula has a peppery, slightly bitter flavor. It is stronger than most lettuces, so it's often paired with other greens. Mature arugula has sturdy leaves, whereas baby arugula tends to be more tender and milder in flavor. Hotter weather makes for spicier leaves. Arugula is rich in vitamins A, K, and folate.

To store: Arugula is highly perishable and will only last about 2 days. This should be the First item you eat from your box. Store in the fridge inside a perforated plastic bag. If you chop and wash ahead of time, spin the leaves dry before placing them back in the bag with a dry paper towel to absorb the moisture.

Substitutions: Mizuna and arugula can often be used interchangeably in recipes.

To use: Refresh limp arugula by plunging it into ice water. Used as a raw salad green, arugula pairs well with vinaigrettes. Toss it in at the end of sautes, stir fries or pasta dishes. Use arugula in place of herbs to make a peppery pesto, salsa verde or chimichurri sauce. Use arugula to top sandwiches and pizzas, as a bed for grilled steak, or to garnish hors d’oeuvres. It also stands up well to salty dishes.

3 Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the most short-lived crops of seasonal eating. It’s a perennial vegetable— one of the first to emerge in springtime—and available for only a few weeks. The spring thaw and warming temperatures prompt the spears to emerge from the ground.

These slender spears with pointed, scaled tips are actually the young shoots of the plant, which is in the lily family. Asparagus is best eaten as fresh as possible.

To store: Stand up the asparagus in a glass or jar with about 1 inch of water, making sure all the ends are sitting in the water. Loosely cover the asparagus with a plastic bag, and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week. If the water looks cloudy, change it as needed.

To use: Snap off and discard the bottom part of the spear. Roast, grill, steam or saute spears and toss with salt, olive oil and lemon juice for a fresh side dish. Add to quiche or risotto. Boil and puree with potatoes and stock for a spring soup. Chop the raw spears, and add them to salad.

To freeze: Chop into 1-inch pieces, blanch for 3 minutes and cool in ice water. Spread pieces in a single layer on baking sheets. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours, then transfer to freezer bags or containers.

4 Green Beans

Elmwood Stock Farm’s green beans may be green, yellow, purple or purple-flecked dragon’s tongue beans (which we think taste even sweeter) We’ll call them all green beans for simplicity.

To store: Store unwashed beans in a perforated plastic bag in the veggie bin of your fridge for up to 1 week. Rejuvenate limp beans by soaking them in ice water for 30 minutes.

Handling: Remove strings and stems of fresh beans before cooking.

To cook: Steam or simmer fresh beans in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Watch carefully for beans to brighten in color and become tender, but not soft or mushy. Roast green beans with olive oil and salt. Add them to stir fry dishes—they taste great with sesame- peanut sauce. Chop and use in vegetable soup.

To freeze: Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, rinse in cold ice water, drain, dry well, and pack into airtight containers.

5 Beets

Red beets have a crimson color, sweet flavor, and red-veined leaves. Golden beets have yellow skin and flesh. Because they have a delicate flavor and their color doesn't run all over, they are a good choice for more decorative meals. Chiogga beets are pinkish red on the outside and have pretty stripes of white and red on the inside like a bullseye. They don’ t retain their stripes after cooking though, but turn pinkish. Beets are rich in folate and vitamin C.

To store: If your beets still have greens attached, cut them off, leaving an inch of stem. Keep the greens unwashed and refrigerated in a closed plastic bag. Store the beet roots, with the rootlets (or tails) attached, unwashed, in a plastic bag in the crisper bin of your refrigerator. They will keep for several weeks, but their sweetness diminishes with time. So try to use them within a week.

To prep: Just before cooking, scrub beets well and remove leaves and rootlets. If your recipe calls for raw beets, peel them with a knife or a veggie peeler, then grate or cut them according to the recipe. To remove the skins, you can roast them in foil or boil them, and the peels will come right off.

To cook: Beets are delicious grated raw into a salad. Or slice them into finger-size sticks and eat raw with dip. Cube beets into a veggie stew or borscht. Serve sliced, steamed beets at room temperature, tossed in olive oil with a dash of salt and pepper or a simple vinaigrette. Bake beets in a foil-covered roasting pan with 1/2 cup water at 400 degrees F. Or boil them until easily pierced with a sharp knife. Both methods take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Peels should slide right off. Season with butter, salt, and pepper; with cream and chopped fresh herbs, or with a vinaigrette.

To freeze: Wash and cook beets as described above. Cool them in ice water, or let them come to room temperature. Slide off peels. Cut beets into 1/4-inch slices, or keep them whole if they are small. Place in a freezer bag, and remove as much air as possible. Seal and freeze.

6 Beet Greens

Beet greens are, as you might have guessed, the tops of beets. These medium-sized leaves with bright-red veins can be cooked like Swiss chard, as they are relatives. Beet greens are high in potassium, calcium, iron, beta carotene and vitamin C.

To store: Cut beet greens from their roots. Keep dry, unwashed greens in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Handling: Wash leaves in a basin of lukewarm water. Remove greens from the thicker stems.

To cook: Saute beet greens until tender with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and garlic or onion. Watch for color to brighten, as this signals they are done.

Blanch greens until they wilt, 3 to 5 minutes. Dot the cooked greens with butter or cream, and season with fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Serve cooked greens alone as a side dish or use them in soup or with pasta, beans, rice, quiche or potatoes.

To freeze: Blanch washed greens for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process, drain, and pack into airtight containers.

7 Blackberries

Sweet and tart, blackberries are a farm favorite. They’re also good for our health: One-half cup of some berries may provide 100 percent of the recommended vitamin C for an adult, and berries are rich in potassium.

To store: Store in the fridge in a single layer on a shallow tray covered with a paper towel. Wash them just prior to use.

To use: Wash off the berries. Use them in pies, smoothies, cobblers or a green salad. delicious eaten straight out of hand, blackberries are also perfect sprinkled over yogurt or cereal. Add to muffin and cake batters, make jam, or puree them with a bit of sugar, strain, and spoon the sauce over ice cream.

To freeze: Wash. Sort out any with imperfections. Let dry in a colander for 10 minutes. Place them in an even layer on a large baking sheet and put in freezer overnight. Pack them into a freezer bag, remove the air, and seal.

8 Bok Choy

Bok choy, which may be written as bok choi, bok choy, or pac choi in recipes, is a traditional stir- fry vegetable from China. Bok choy grows in elongated, upright heads of dark green leaves with large, white stems. Since the texture of the leaves differs from that of the stems, this is practically two veggies in one. The leaves can be cooked and eaten like spinach, while the crisp stems can be used like celery or asparagus. This is a cool-season crop, so you’re likely to see it in the early or late-season CSA boxes.

To store: Wrap bok choy in a plastic bag and place in the crisper of your fridge. Store for up to a week before the leaves begin to wilt.

Prep: Rinse bok choy under cold running water, and shake it dry. Because the thick stems and tender leaves will require different cooking times and will usually be added separately, cut the stems from the leaves.

To use: For stir-fry, separate leaves from the thick white stem and chop both diagonally into 1-inch-wide pieces. Start cooking the stems first, then add the leaves for the last two minutes. Simply steam the bok choy and toss with toasted sesame oil, butter, salt or vinaigrette. Blend steamed bok choy with boiled potatoes and stock for a creamy soup. Very thinly slice raw leaves and stem to make a slaw. Include small leaves as a tasty addition to a raw veggie platter or add small uncooked, shredded leaves to salads.

To freeze: Bok choy will lose its crisp texture when frozen, so plan to use it in soup or a casserole. Chop bok choy, and blanch for 2 minutes. Dunk in cold water, drain, and blot dry. Pack into a freezer bag.

9 Broccoli

Broccoli is a cool-weather crop, available only in the early summer or fall. It is a relative of cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, kale and kohlrabi. All of the cole vegetables contain bioflavonoids that may reduce the risk of cancer. Broccoli is also a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and folate, along with calcium, iron and other minerals.

To store: Wrap broccoli loosely in a plastic bag, and keep it in the vegetable bin of your refrigerator. It keeps for over a week but is firmest and tastiest if used within a few days. Broccoli does not like to get warm. Refrigerate it immediately.

Handling: Soak head upside down in cold, salted water (1 teaspoon salt to 8 cups of water) for 30 minutes to remove any insects that may be hiding in its nooks and crannies. Cut the florets off the stem, and chop the florets. Peel and slice the stem. Definitely don’t throw away the stem! It’s delicious.

To use: Steam for 5 to 7 minutes, and toss with pasta, olive oil, lemon juice and fresh herbs. Roast with whole garlic cloves in a 400-degree-F oven for 20 minutes, stirring once, and serve as a side dish. For salads and veggie platters, first blanch broccoli for 2 minutes and then chill it instead of serving completely raw.

To freeze: Blanch 2 to 4 minutes, rinse under cold water, drain, let dry, and pack into freezer bags. Broccoli will not be firm when thawed and is best used in soups and stews.

10 Brussels Sprouts

These mini-cabbage-looking vegetables grow on straight stalks that reach up to 20 inches high. They are tricky to grow organically and take a long time in the field. Brussels sprouts are high in bioflavonoids, which may help prevent cancer. They have high levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, folate, iron and potassium.

To store: Store them unwashed in a closed plastic bag in the veggie bin for 1 to 2 days. The flavor is sweetest right after harvest, so try to use them soon.

Handling: When ready to prepare, remove the outermost leaves, and pare off the bottom part of the sprout stem.

To use: Like their cabbage cousins, they can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw, slice them in half, and include them on your veggie tray with dip. Or slice them very thinly and make a slaw. Boil or steam sprouts approximately 5 to 8 minutes, until tender crisp. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, and dash of salt and pepper. Add to a Quinoa salad with pecans and dried cranberries. Roast Brussels sprouts, coated lightly in olive oil, in a 375-degree-F oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Slice the sprouts to about 1/3-inch thick and stir fry them with bacon and onions.

To freeze: Blanch Brussels sprouts for 3 to 5 minutes, rinse in cold water, drain, let dry, and pack into airtight containers.

11 Cabbage

Green cabbage, savoy cabbage, Napa cabbage and red cabbage each look different, but they are similar enough: Green cabbage: Smooth, thick leaves in a tightly packed head. Leaves are crisp and hold up to cooking. Savoy cabbage: Crinkly green leaves in a tightly packed head. Leaves are tender. Napa cabbage: Also called Chinese cabbage. Heads are not packed as tightly and the leaves are more tender.

To store: Cabbage has a remarkable storage capacity—even for several months. Keep dry, unwashed cabbage in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator. If the outer leaves lose their firmness, remove and discard those. Once cut, wrap in a sealed plastic bag and continue to refrigerate, it should keep for several weeks more.

Handling: Rinse under cold water before use. Cut cabbage head first into quarters, then diagonally across the wedge to remove the stem end and triangular core near the base.

To use: Each cabbage is good raw, in salads, cooked, steamed, braised or fried. Make raw green cabbage into coleslaw or sauerkraut, or grate it into your salad. Steam slivered cabbage for 5 minutes (green cabbage) for less (savoy and Napa). Top with butter and a pinch of salt and pepper or grated cheese. Stir fry or braise until slightly browned. Use boiled cabbage leaves as a wrap for a grain and meat or veggie filling. Cut head cabbage into slices and grill for cabbage steaks. Quarter Napa cabbage and grill, then drizzle with a vinaigrette. Cook with celery to cut the strong cooking scent of cabbage.

To freeze: Shred cabbage. Blanch for 1 minute, then douse in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain, and dry as much as possible. Place in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible. Cabbage will not retain its crisp texture when thawed.

12 Carrots

You may find several colors of carrots in your Elmwood Stock Farm CSA share: the traditional orange, and also purple, yellow and rainbow. Years of grocery store shopping has taught us that carrots are orange, but they actually developed from white carrot-like roots in the wild, and early carrots were mostly purple.

To store: Remove the green tops, if your carrots have them, leaving about 1 inch of stems. Refrigerate these carrots in a plastic bag. Save the tops in their own bag.

Handling: It’s not necessary to peel your carrots, just scrub them well before using them.

To use: Boil 2-inch cubed carrots in rapidly boiling salt water, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes. Purée with broth, seasonings and boiled potatoes for a creamy soup. Shred carrots to bake into carrot bread and cake or to mix with oil and seasonings for a raw salad. Combine carrots with other root vegetables for a roasted-vegetable platter. Lightly coat in oil and salt, and roast at 400 degrees F until veggies start to brown all over, about 30 minutes. Eat carrot spears plain or dipped in hummus, peanut butter or creamy dressing. Fresh carrot tops can be chopped into a green salad or used in place of parsley! Blend them into a pesto, or add them to your veggie-stock ingredients bag in the freezer.

To freeze: Chop carrots. Blanch for 3 minutes, rinse in cold ice water, drain, let dry, and pack in an airtight container.

13 Celery

This essential ingredient for soups and stuffings is full of crunch because of its water content: Celery is 94% water! It provides vitamins A, C, B- complex and E, plus minerals and fiber. Celery leaves are a bonus to the stalks—be sure to use them, too!

To store: If your celery is in an intact head, wrap in a dry towel and place in a plastic bag. If your celery is in a bunch of cut stalks, recut the ends and stand up in a jar of water in the fridge. It should keep for up to two weeks.

To use: Celery is a standard addition to salads, casseroles, soups, stews and stir-fries. Try lightly sautéed celery and vegetables. Mince raw celery, and toss with lemon vinaigrette with fresh herbs. Use the leaves as you would parsley, blend them with your pesto, and add them to salads.

To freeze: Slice celery, and spread out on a cookie sheet. Place into the freezer. When frozen, pack them into an airtight container to store in the freezer. Celery pieces will be soft when thawed and best used in soups and stews.

To dry: Dehydrate celery leaves in a dehydrator or for an hour or so in a low oven. When crumbly, store in a sealed jar to use as a seasoning all year long.

14 Swiss Chard

Swiss chard has expansive, pocketed leaves with stems in a spectrum of colors: red, white, green, yellow. It is in the beet family but doesn't develop a bulb. Its leaves are more tender and delicate than other greens.

To store: Keep dry, unwashed greens in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Substitutes: Spinach, beet greens and kale can be switched out for Swiss chard. Kale will take longer to cook; the others are about the same.

Handling: Wash leaves in a basin of lukewarm water. Remove stems by folding the leaves down the center and cutting around the stem. Then stack several leaves on top of each other and slice into 1-inch wide ribbons.

To cook: Add young, uncooked greens to a mixed green salad. Steam stem pieces 8 to 10 minutes and leaves 4 to 6 minutes. Sauté stem pieces first and then greens until tender with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and garlic or onion. Watch for color to brighten, as this signals they are done. Serve cooked Swiss chard as a side dish, or use it tossed with pasta, beans, rice or potatoes. Mix cooked Swiss chard and stem pieces with ricotta cheese for a savory lasagna twist. Add Swiss chard leaves and stem pieces to soups—stem pieces partway through and leaves just at the end of cooking. Chard also goes great in stir fries or in any recipe calling for spinach.

To freeze: Blanch washed Swiss chard for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse in ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and freeze in a sealed container.

15 Collard Greens

Collards are a member of the brassica family and have large, smooth, paddle-shaped leaves. You’ll want to eat these quickly—not because they won’t keep but because their leaves are so big that they take up a lot of room in the fridge! Collard greens contain almost as much calcium as milk.

To store: Place collards, unwashed, in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. They may last for up to a week.

Handling: Wash leaves in a basin of lukewarm water. Remove thick stems by folding each leaf in half and slicing out the stem. Then stack the leaves, and slice them diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips.

Substitution: Collard greens are more sturdy than other cooking greens. Substitute collards for the others by adding in cooking time.

To cook: Saute greens until tender with olive oil or bacon drippings, a pinch of salt, and garlic or onion. Season with vinegar. Blanch greens until they wilt, 6 to 10 minutes. Dot the cooked greens with butter or cream, and season with fresh herbs or salt and pepper. Serve cooked greens as a side dish, or use them in soup or with pasta, beans, rice or potatoes. Use raw collard greens as sandwich wraps.

To freeze: Blanch collard greens for 2 to 3 minutes. Rinse in ice water to stop the cooking process, drain, and pack into airtight containers.

16 Sweet Corn

Organic sweet corn may be the most sought- after vegetable you’ll be offered in your Elmwood Stock Farm CSA Farm Share. We grow several varieties of corn that are best suited to our soil, organic production and crop timing. Organic corn is always non-genetically modified.

Plan to eat your corn soon after you receive it. As time elapses after harvest, the sugars turn into starches, and the corn loses its sweetness.

To store: Refrigerate sweet corn as soon as possible. Keep husks on.

Handling: Shuck the cob by pulling the husks down the ear and snapping off the stem. The silks will fall off as you cook the corn. Rinse under cold water. If you see a green worm, just cut out the damaged section—the rest of the cob is still edible! To cut the kernels off the cob, stand the cob upright on its base, and run a sharp knife from the tip of the ear down to the base.

To cook: You can eat corn raw or cook it. Steam corn in 1 to 2 inches of water for 6 to 10 minutes, or drop ears into boiling water for 3 to 6 minutes. Season with butter and salt. You can also grill or bake corn in the husk. Soak the corn in its husk in water for 10 minutes, then place it on the grill or in the oven for 15 minutes. Use the cobs to make silky, flavorful corncob stock for future soups. To freeze: Blanch on the cob for 3 to 5 minutes, rinse under cold water, and drain. Dry corn well, cut off the kernels, and pack them into airtight freezer containers.

17 Cucumbers

Cucumbers are in a family known as cucurbits, which includes melons and squash. Cucumbers are classified as either slicers or picklers.

Pickling cucumbers have thiner, lighter skin than slicers and are generally smaller. You can pickle or eat fresh the pickling cucumbers.

Slicing cucumbers are larger with dark green skin. They are less ideal for pickling.

To store: Put cucumbers in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for up to a week. Keep them far away from tomatoes, apples and citrus, which accelerate their deterioration (and probably shouldn’t be refrigerated anyway).

Handling: You may peel slicing cucumbers if you don’t prefer the skins. Some folks also prefer to remove the seeds: Slice the cucumber lengthwise, and scoop them out with a spoon.

To use: Slice cucumbers thin and use them to top sandwiches. In salads, toss cucumbers with greens or with a variety of herbs and vinegar. Mix cucumbers with sour cream or mayonnaise, salt and herbs for a tangy, creamy salad. Try cucumber rounds topped with chickpea, egg or tuna salad, goat cheese, or simply salt. Use cucumbers in chilled summer soups. Slice cucumbers and drop into a pitcher of water to make refreshing cucumber water.

18 Eggplant

Eggplant is a close relative of tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. They are smooth-skinned, oval to elongated, and range in color from white, to black to purple to pink! Eggplant requires the right kind of preparation to bring out its sweet and silky properties.

To store: Wrap unwashed eggplant in a paper towel (not plastic) to absorb any moisture, and keep it in the veggie drawer of your refrigerator. Use within a week.

Handling: Eggplant is often peeled. The flesh will naturally brown when exposed to air. Coat in lemon juice or keep submerged in water to prevent browning. Cut off the stem. The shape and intended use of the eggplant determines how to prepare it: Cut long, narrow eggplant into strips or rounds, and cut rounded, bulbous eggplant into cubes or rounds. To remove bitter flavors and excess moisture, lightly salt cut pieces of eggplant, and allow them to sit in a colander for 10-15 minutes. Gently squeeze out liquid. Eggplant will now soak up less oil and need less salt in preparation.

To use: Stir-fry or sautee 1-inch cubed eggplant in a very hot saute pan with peanut oil until the eggplant has released much of its water and is very soft. Brush 1/2-inch to 1-inch slices of eggplant with olive oil or melted butter, and broil or grill until brown. Pierce a whole eggplant in a few places with a knife, lightly coat with olive oil, and bake at 375 degrees until the eggplant is very soft and collapsed, 30-60 minutes. Bake eggplant parmesan, broil eggplant and use it as a pizza topping, or make baba ganoush.

To freeze: Peel and cut into slices 1/3-inch thick. To preserve color, soak 5 minutes in a solution of 4 tablespoons salt per gallon water. Blanch for 2 minutes. Cool immediately in cold water. Package in layers with each slice separated with two pieces of freezer wrap.

19 Fall Squash

Fall squash is called fall squash because it can be stored through the fall and into winter. Fall squash have high levels of vitamin A and some vitamin C, folate and potassium.

Elmwood Stock Farm grows several types of fall squash that you may receive, depending on the year:

-Butternut squash: Tan skin and shaped like a peanut. Sweet, dense orange flesh. Lends itself to sweet and savory dishes. Excellent storage squash.

-Acorn squash: Dark green with ribs, shaped like an acorn. Pale-orange or deep yellow flesh. Best for savory recipes. Stores well.

-Delicata squash: Small and oblong with yellow and green coloring. More delicate, with edible skin. Doesn't store as long.

-Spaghetti squash: Pale-yellow flesh that forms spaghetti-like threads when cooked. Stores well.

-Kabocha squash: Several types of kabocha, ranging in color and flavor. Primarily for soup and curry.

-Honeynut squash: Smaller than but most similar to butternut. Very sweet, nutty flavor.

20 Fall Squash (cont.)

To store: Store in a cool, dry, dark place at around 50 degrees, but make sure they do not freeze. Under the best conditions, they should keep for 3-4 months. They get sweeter in storage as the starch converts to sugar. Once cut, you can wrap them in plastic and store them in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.

Substitutions: Fall squash can be used in any recipe that calls for pumpkin. For the most part, they can be used interchangeably with one another, with the exception of spaghetti squash.

To use: Simplest cooking method is to slice in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and place face-down on a baking sheet. Add 1/2 inch of water to pan. Bake at 400 degrees F, 45 minutes to an hour, until shells are soft and starting to collapse. Remove flesh from shells and puree for use in your recipe.

Slice in half, scoop out seeds, peel, cube and roast on a baking tray with olive oil and salt for about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Use in a recipe or eat as is.

Spaghetti squash should be removed from its skin with a fork to create spaghetti strands, rather than pureed.

Delicata and acorn squash are both wonderful when roasted and stuffed with grains, vegetables and ground meat.

To freeze: Cook squash, and mash or puree it. Pour it into ice cube trays and freeze. Pop the frozen cubes into freezer bags.

Alternatively, peel and cube the squash, and freeze the uncooked cubes on a baking tray. Store in a freezer bag.

21 Fennel

Fennel is one of those vegetables that are unfamiliar to many non-locavores, and that’s a shame because it has so many uses! All parts of the fennel that you receive are useable: the bulb, the stalks and the fronds. Its mild anise flavor pairs well with fish and Italian dishes, and its satisfying crunch makes it a great snack.

To store: Cut off the stalks where they emerge from the bulb, and if you want to use the feathery foliage as an herb, place the dry stalks upright in a glass filled with two inches of water. Cover the glass loosely with a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for few days. The unwashed bulb may be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator drawer for 2 weeks.

Handling: Use the fennel stalks and bulb separately. If the outer layers of the bulb are damaged, trim off the bad spots or remove the layers. Cut the bulb in half lengthwise and check the inner core. If it’s tough, remove it with a paring knife. Fennel should be washed carefully to get out all the dirt. Chop or mince the leaves for garnish or seasoning. Prevent raw slices from discoloring by rubbing the cut edges with lemon.

To use: Try fennel raw: brush raw slices with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve as an appetizer. Use the fernlike tops as a licorice-flavored herb or garnish. The feathery leaves are great on baked or broiled fish with butter and lemon. Use the stems in soup stocks in place of celery. Fennel can also be grilled, braised or roasted.

22 Garlic and Garlic Scapes

We harvest garlic bulbs, green garlic and garlic scapes. Green garlic is the immature garlic stalk and bulb, all fully edible. Garlic scapes are the curlicue flower stalks we snap off garlic plants in the spring. Not only will you get to enjoy garlic- flavored scapes while you wait for the bulbs to come on, you’ll also get bigger bulbs of garlic later in the season as a result of our removing the flower stalks. Snapping off the flower redirects the plant’s energy down toward the root, increasing the bulb size by 30%!

To store: Like onions, garlic can be eaten fresh or cured. Your CSA product description will make the distinction between fresh garlic or just garlic so you know how to store and use it best. Cured garlic appears in August and can be kept for several months in a dark, dry, well- ventilated place at a cool room temperature. Warm temperatures will encourage the cured garlic to sprout. Fresh green garlic must be kept in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and should be used Quickly because any accumulated moisture in the bag will cause it to spoil. You’ll usually see fresh garlic in July. Garlic scapes appear in early June and last for just a few weeks. Store them unwashed in a loosely wrapped plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To use: For garlic aroma, try rubbing a cut clove around the rim of a baking dish. Try roasting garlic: cut tops off garlic head to expose cloves, brush with olive oil, and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees. Squeeze garlic out of its skins and spread on crusty bread. Garlic scapes can be chopped or diced raw into green or pasta salads, sauteed in place of bulb garlic, sprinkled onto pizza, eaten raw, used in place of green onions, or used anywhere garlic flavor is desired.

To freeze: Leave on the skins, and place individual cloves in a ziplock bag. You can also take the skins off, chop in half and freeze on a cookie sheet until solid, then freeze in ziplock bag. Or, mince fine (or use a garlic press) and mix with coconut oil. Place teaspoon of oil/garlic mix on cookie sheet and freeze solid. Pop them into a ziplock bag. Scapes can likewise be chopped and frozen in ziplocks. 23 Baby Ginger

Baby ginger has a pink-yellow-orange coloring— different than the brown-skinned mature ginger that you find in the grocery store. This tropical rhizome requires a growing season longer than Kentucky’s to reach maturity, so Elmwood Stock Farm offers baby ginger instead.

To store: Keep baby ginger in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Handling: No need to peel baby ginger: just slice or grate as is!

To use: Use baby ginger in recipes as you would mature ginger. Grate ginger and garlic into a pan with hot olive oil, stir for less than a minute, and add chopped greens to sauté. Use fresh ginger instead of dried in your baked goods, soups and curries. Simmer slices of ginger and a cinnamon stick in water for a warming tea.

To freeze: Baby ginger freezes well, and it’s easy to grate from frozen. Place whole rhizomes in a freezer bag and seal. It’ll keep for six months.

24 Dried Herbs

If you weren’t able to dehydrate your herbs or need some additions for your spice cabinet, we have you covered. These herbs are Elmwood Stock Farm’s organic herbs, harvested fresh and dehydrated and packaged on the farm. We do not use preservatives, additives or anti-clumping agents—just dried herbs.

A few dried herbs you may find: - Basil - Garlic Powder: Our garlic cloves, dehydrated and powdered - Sage - Veggie Powder: A mix of green, leafy vegetables. Add this to smoothies, cornbread and soups for a nutrition boost.

To store: Keep dried herbs in the glass container they came in. Store away from light and moisture.

25 Fresh Herbs

There are more herbs in the world than we can possibly list here. Elmwood Stock Farm offers a variety of herbs each year. These may vary from year to year, though there are a few standbys: -Basil: The quintessential pesto herb, basil is also delicious on sandwiches, tossed into salads and blended into salad dressings. In recipes, add basil at the end of cooking time to maintain its flavor. -Cilantro: Cilantro looks like parsley, but has a more delicate flavor. It doesn’t stand up to much heat so is usually added to a dish right before serving. -Dill: Dill has feathery, blue-green leaves with a bright, clean taste. It is a standard in pickling. Try adding it to yogurt sauces or baking it in bread. -Parsley: Once thought of as a garnish, parsley is now an herb used in most styles of cooking. Add it at the end for the best flavor. -Oregano: Think anything Italian for these small, aromatic, teardrop-shaped leaves. -Sage: Its long, grayish-green, velvety leaves pair with meats, make a nice hot or iced tea, and crisp up in browned butter to top soups

To store: Stand fresh herbs upright in a container with 1 inch of water. Cover loosely with a plastic bag, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Basil is very sensitive to cold and will turn black if exposed to harsh refrigerator temperatures. Keep basil stems in a glass of water on the kitchen counter. Alternatively, place your basil bunch in a plastic bag with air in it (like a balloon) and store in the fridge. The air-filled bag buffers the chilled temperature.

To freeze: Herbs taste best fresh or dried. To freeze, first make an herb sauce, such as pesto or chimichurri, and freeze in ice cube trays for small, useable portions.

To dry: Basil doesn’t dry as well using the hanging method. Use a dehydrator or an oven. To oven-dry, remove basil leaves from stems, and place leaves in a single layer on a baking tray. Place tray in oven heated to the lowest temperature—100 or 120 degrees F, if possible. Remove basil when it’s crispy. Cilantro doesn’t maintain its flavor when dried.

Store dehydrated herbs in sealed containers to use all year. 26 Kale

Kale is a member of the brassica family. Kale comes in blue-green, reddish green, and red varieties and may have flat or curly leaves. All types of kale have thick stems. It has a mild cabbage flavor when cooked. A longer cooking time is best, as it brings out the sweetness in the green. It is high in beta carotene and vitamins A and E. It is rich in bioflavonoids that may help protect against cancer.

Substitutions: Collards, turnip greens, beet greens, broccoli raab, mustard greens, dandelion, spinach and Swiss chard. Although greens have distinctive flavors that lend them to a particular preparation, they can be used interchangeably in recipes.

To store: Keep kale unwashed in its bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Or chop and wash kale, line the bag it came in with a paper towel to absorb moisture, and refrigerate. Best used fresh but may last for a week or more.

Handling: Wash leaves in basin of lukewarm water to remove grit. If your greens have thick stems, you must remove them. Fold each leaf in half and slice out the stem. Then stack the leaves up and slice them diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips.

To cook: Saute greens until tender in a covered pot or large saute pan with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and garlic or onion. You can cook in bouillon to take a bit of the edge off the flavor. Blanch greens until they wilt, 6-10 minutes. Try serving cooked greens alone as a side dish or use them in soup or with pasta, beans, rice, or potatoes. Add a few sliced kale greens to soups and stews during the last 10 minutes of cooking time. Add sauteed kale to omelets, quiches, scrambled eggs, or casseroles. Try kale chips — season with olive oil and herbs of your choice, then bake on cookie sheet at 350 about 5 minutes, until they are crisp but not burned.

To freeze: Blanch washed greens for 2-3 minutes. Rinse in cold ice water to stop the cooking process, drain, and pack into airtight containers.

27 Kohlrabi

The name says it all: kohl (cabbage) rabi (turnip). This plant was developed by crossing a cabbage with a turnip! It looks like a root vegetable, but the bulb is actually an enlarged section of the stem that develops just above the ground. You may find light green or purple kohlrabi in your CSA share—both are versatile and delicious.

To store: Store kohlrabi globe and leaves separately. The globe will last for 2 weeks refrigerated in a plastic bag. Wrap leaves and stalks in plastic bag and keep in hydrator drawer of refrigerator.

Substitute: Substitute kohlrabi where recipes call for carrots, potatoes, or turnips.

Handling: Rinse under cold running water just before use. Peel the outer skin off. Trim off the remains of the stalks and root. Grate, slice, or chop as desired.

To use: Young kohlrabi leaves can be used in recipes calling for greens. Remove the tough stems from the leaves. Cut raw kohlrabi bulb into sticks for a refreshing addition to a raw vegetable tray or grate it for salads. Lightly boil, steam or bake it, or add it to stews and stir-fries. Steam whole kohlrabi for 25 to 30 minutes or thinly sliced kohlrabi for 5 to 10 minutes. Dress slices simply with oil, lemon juice and fresh dill.

To freeze: Cut into cubes or slices and blanch for 3-4 minutes. Place into ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain and dry. Place in ziplock freezer bag.

28 Leeks

Leeks look like large, flatlleaf scallions. They have a uniquely buttery taste. They can be substituted for onions in recipes, however since they do not caramelize well, be sure they don’t burn.

To store: Cut off the green tops. Save the greens for your veggie stock bag in the freezer. Loosely wrap unwashed leek bottoms in a plastic bag, and store them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator. They should keep for 2 weeks.

Handling: Cut the leek about 1 inch above the white part, where the leaves begin changing from dark to light green. Save the unused greens, they’ll give great flavor to your next vegetable stock. Slit the leek lengthwise, and soak it in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Fan the leaves under running water to dislodge dirt, then pat dry.

To use: Use leeks in salads, casseroles and soups. They can be left whole and eaten as a cooked vegetable — braised, boiled or steamed. Steam or boil leeks for 10-12 minutes. Top with butter, a dash of salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese. Use slimmer, younger leeks raw in salads. Grill or braise leeks for a simple side dish. Saute leeks for use in soups or stews.

29 Lettuce

You will see several varieties of lettuce throughout Elmwood Stock Farm’s CSA seasons: head lettuces, loose leaf, green leaf, red leaf, baby lettuce and more. We encourage you to eat a salad at least once a day!

To store: Store unwashed lettuce in its plastic bag. Or chop lettuce, wash and dry it with a salad spinner, and place it back in its plastic bag with a dry paper towel to absorb moisture. Always store lettuce in the refrigerator, as it’s delicate.

Handling: Slice the head at its base with a knife and let the leaves fall open. Discard any damaged or leathery outer leaves and tear large leaves into bite-size pieces. Wash leaves in a basin of cold water. Dry in a salad spinner.

To use: Include combinations of greens and lettuce with grapefruit, pear, avocado, raw or roasted nuts, flax or sunflower seeds, olives, fine cheese, cooked grain, pasta, croutons, or edible flowers.

30 Melons

This fruit of summer has several types and varieties. Depending on the weather and other factors, some melons may thrive more than others at Elmwood Stock Farm. We do our best to be sure some melons are available each summer.

You may find: -Cantaloupe: dense, netting-like skin with thick, juicy orange flesh. Sweet, musky flavor. -Watermelon: typically red-fleshed, but it may be yellow or orange. Refreshing! -Honeydew: thick, green flesh with a sweet, floral taste.

To store: If your melon seems a bit short of ripe, keep it at room temperature for a few days until there is a sweet smell coming from the stem end. When the melon ripens, store it in the refrigerator. Cover cut melon with plastic wrap. Keep cubes or slices in an air-tight container. Eat within a week.

Handling: A big knife and cutting board are helpful. If slicing, cut melon in half, scoop out the seeds, then cut into slices. If wanting cubes, peel melon first, then cut in half to scoop out seeds, and cut into pieces.

To use: Jazz up melons with a pinch of salt or a squeeze of lime juice. Fill half a cantaloupe with plain or vanilla yogurt, and top it with granola for a decadent breakfast.

To freeze: Peel, cut and freeze melon in pieces; puree melon and freeze in ice cube trays for refreshing beverages, or freeze in a sugar syrup: Cut melon into cubes, and prepare sugar syrup. In a pot on stove, combine 1 3/4 cups sugar with 4 cups water. Heat until dissolved, then put in fridge to cool. Place melon in freezer containers, and cover with cold syrup. The syrup should cover all the fruit. Remove air and seal. Freeze.

31 Microgreens

Microgreens are essentially seedlings of various vegetable varieties: radishes, broccoli, mustard greens, kale, cabbage and more. They’re an easy way to boost your nutrient intake, as they have up to 40 times the vital nutrients of their full- grown counterparts. Microgreens make a great addition to most meals.

To store: Keep microgreens in the fridge in their plastic clamshell container. They’ll keep for about a week.

Handling: Do not wash microgreens until you're ready to use them.

To use: Microgreens are too delicate for heating. Eat them as a salad, either on their own or mixed with other salad greens. Blend microgreens into your smoothie or pesto. Top your egg dishes, sandwiches and wraps. Add microgreens to stir fries after cooking.

32 Mizuna

Mizuna is not the most well-known of the Asian leafy greens, but we love it just the same. More mild than arugula but still with a peppery flavor, mizuna can be enjoyed raw or cooked.

To store: Keep mizuna in the perforated plastic bag that it comes in.

Handling: Chop and wash mizuna before use.

Substitutions: Arugula, Napa cabbage and mustard greens are similar enough to mizuna to interchange in some recipes.

To use: Mizuna is an excellent addition to salad mixes, adding a mildly peppery crunch. Saute mizuna with ginger and garlic, and top rice and a fried egg. Wilt and add mizuna to fresh pasta or risotto. Put mizuna into your soup—especially miso soup—at the end of cooking.

To freeze: Blanch, cool in water, drain well and chop. Then pack into freezer bags. Thawed mizuna would best be added to soup.

33 Okra

Okra is essential in Southern, Caribbean and Indian cuisines, as these are the climates where okra grows best. The taste is hard to describe but may fall somewhere in line with green beans. With its mucilaginous texture, okra is a vegetable that people either love or hate. With lots of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants we hope you’re going to love it!

To store: Keep okra in a paper bag in the fridge. It will store for at least a week. A small bit of black streaking is normal.

Handling: Wash and cut okra just before use. If you’re concerned about the texture, read this advice from TheSpruceEats.com: “Some cooks suggest soaking it in vinegar before cooking, but just make sure to thoroughly pat it dry afterward. Cooking it at very high heat, such as by grilling or sauteing, also works. You can precook okra this way before adding it to other recipes.”

To use: Slice, bread and fry okra. Take advantage of okra’s consistency by adding it to soups, gumbo and curries that benefit from thickening. Make a delicious side dish by grilling or roasting okra pods whole.

Freeze: Blanch okra for three to five minutes, cool in water, and drip-dry. Either slice or freeze okra whole in freezer bags for up to a year.

34 Onions

Red and Yellow Storage Onions may be kept in any cool, dark, dry place with adequate air circulation for several months if they are cured. Be sure to store onions and potatoes in separate places. Moisture given off by potatoes can cause onions to spoil. Uncured storage onions should be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag. (Eat within a week or two) You’ll know they’re uncured if they still have the green stalk attached.

Handling: When the sulfur in cut onions meets the water in your eyes, it turns into sulfuric acid — hence the infamous onion-induced tears. To reduce the assault, use a very sharp knife, or chill your onions in fridge before cutting them. If you’re planning to use chopped or sliced onions raw, it’s a good idea to rinse them in water before use as this takes away the unpleasant bite. Reserve a separate cutting board just for onions, garlic, leeks, and scallions. Peel the onion’s skin and cut off the roots and top. Save your papery onion skins in a bag in your freezer reserved for making vegetable stock. If you encounter a little rot in your onion, just cut away the bad sections. If there are a few black spots, rinse the whole onion in cool water and rub the spots off with your thumbs.

To freeze: Cut or slice onions to desired size and place in freezer ziplock bag. Remove all the air and seal. It helps to freeze them in 2-3 cup increments. When you need them, simply add them to your recipe. Frozen onions will turn soft when they thaw, so don’t use them for recipes that need crisp onions.

35 Parsnips

Contrary to appearances, parsnips are not pale versions of carrots. They have a nutty-sweet taste and a tender-hearty texture that is all their own. Parsnips have a very long growing season, so CSA shareholders likely will not see them until fall. They are high in fiber and carbohydrates.

Substitute: Parsnips sub well for carrots in recipes.

To store: Trim off parsnip tops and refrigerate unwashed in a loosely-wrapped, or perforated plastic bag for 2 weeks in the crisper drawer. Parsnips store well in root cellar conditions.

Handling: Young parsnips don't need to be peeled. Simply scrub them under cold running water. Larger parsnips should be peeled, and you can cut out the core if it seems woody.

To use: Boil 1-inch chunks for 8 minutes until tender, then season with butter or oil, salt, and pepper for a side dish. Grate parsnips raw into salads or cut into sticks for dipping. Bake them in a cake or quick bread. Saute them with butter and parsley, roast with whole cloves or unpeeled garlic, or puree well-boiled parsnips. Add them into soups. Bake or roast with other root veggies on a cookie sheet with olive oil.

To freeze: Blanch peeled 1-inch chunks for 2-3 minutes, run under cold water, drain, and pack into Ziplock freezer bags. Parsnip puree freezes well also.

36 Peas

Peas are a cool weather crop, which means they show up in the early and late parts of the CSA season. They are rich in vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin and potassium. Elmwood Stock Farm grows several types of peas, depending on the year: -Shelling or English peas that need to be shelled before using -Snow peas that are picked when pods are thick and peas just starting to develop -Sugar snap peas, an edible peapod that is picked when the pods are well-filled.

To store: Use as soon as possible within 4 to 5 days of receiving. Refrigerate peas in their bag in the crisper drawer.

Handling: Snap peas need stringing. Snap off stem tip toward the flat side of pod and pull downward. Split English pea pods down the center seam, and push out individual peas with your thumb.

To use: Eat young, fresh snap peas and snow peas raw on a salad or vegetable crudite plate. Add raw peas to stir-fry or soup in the last stages of cooking. Steam peas until just tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Toss with butter, olive oil, cream, vinaigrette or pesto.

To freeze: Peas freeze well but lose their crunchy texture. Remove stems/strings. Blanch peas for 1 minute, rinse under cold water, drain, and pack into freezer bags.

37 Pea Shoots

Pea shoots have soft leaves, curly-cue tendrils and watery, crunchy stems. They are the first part of the pea plant before it forms pea pods. They're rich in nutrients, and Elmwood Stock Farm grows them year-round to offer another choice of green veggies.

To store: Store pea shoots in their clamshell container in the fridge. These should last for about a week.

Handling: Wash just before using.

To use: You can very easily just swap them in for any soft, leafy green in a recipe. The stems are edible -- and the tendrils are just delicious. You can eat pea shoots raw in a fresh salad; they can take the place of the more traditional lettuce or simply enhance it with pea shoot' s spring flavor. You can stir fry them with sesame oil and garlic, as has long been done in Asian cooking. These greens can also brighten up a spring pasta dish, contributing a fresh, soft taste.

38 Bell Peppers

These come in a variety of colors: green, red, yellow, orange, purple, and chocolate. Red, orange and yellow peppers are simply green peppers that were allowed to ripen to their full color, and they may be sweeter tasting.

To store: Refrigerate peppers unwashed in a sealed plastic bag in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks.

To use: Roast peppers under a broiler, above hot coals, or over an open flame. Toast them, turning often, until the skin is black. Place in a brown bag, close the bag, and allow to steam for 15 minutes. The skin will peel off easily with the aid of a paring knife. Steam peppers whole for 10 minutes and then stuff with your favorite stuffing. Saute peppers, onions and mushrooms, and combine with your favorite meat or beans for fajitas. Chop raw peppers and add to your salads, or cut them into pieces and dip in hummus for a snack.

To freeze: Wash and dry peppers. Freeze whole or cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. Peppers will soften when thawed, so use them in recipes where their crisp texture is not necessary.

39 Hot Peppers

Hot peppers range from a little spicy (jalapeno) to where’s-the-milk spicy (habanero) These are used to add heat to a dish, obviously, and also to add flavor. Each hot pepper has its own heat and flavor profile. Some hot peppers that may be offered in your Elmwood Stock Farm CSA Farm Share, in order of mild to hot: - Jalapeno: bright green pepper flavor. These are the most versatile because they are the most mild. - Serrano: similar to jalapeno but spicier - Cayenne: pungent and 10-times spicier than a jalapeno. A little goes a long way. - Habanero: fruity—think mango—and very spicy, these make great hot sauces.

To store: Refrigerate peppers unwashed in a sealed plastic bag in hydrator drawer for 1-2 weeks. You can also dehydrate peppers for long-term.

Handling: Be careful when preparing hot peppers of any kind. For greatest safety wear rubber gloves while chopping and handling them. Do not touch your eyes, nose, mouth or other places. Wash hands thoroughly when finished. Slice off the top of the hot pepper, including the stem. Since the heat in chile peppers is concentrated in the seeds and membranes, you can use the whole pepper for a spicy dish, or cut out the heat-filled seeds and membranes and use just the flesh of the hot pepper for cooking (chile flavor without the bite).

To freeze: Wash and dry peppers. Keep whole, or cut into bite-size pieces and place in ziplock freezer bag (squeeze out any air). Peppers will soften when thawed, so take out only the amount you need, and use them in recipes where their crisp texture is not necessary.

40 Potatoes

Red, white, blue, yellow and purple: Potatoes are a favorite crop at Elmwood Stock Farm.

To store: New potatoes are freshly dug and not yet cured. These should be stored in the refrigerator in a paper or perforated plastic bag. Otherwise, cured potatoes, with their thicker skins, can be left at room temperature.

Handling: Scrub well, and cut off any sprouts or green skin. Peeling is a matter of preference. In soups, the skins may separate from the flesh and float in the broth, but when baked, pan-fried or roasted, the skins acquire a crisp, crunchy texture. If baking a whole potato, be sure to prick the skin at least 2 places to allow steam to escape.

To use: Boil potatoes in water for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender. If desired, mash them with sour cream and butter. Use potatoes in soups, hash browns and salads. Roast sliced or whole small potatoes with fresh herbs, salt and olive oil at 400 degrees F until tender, about 20 minutes.

41 Radishes

Here’s another vegetable with more varieties than we can list here. For as simple as they seem, radishes are quite versatile and healthful, packed with antioxidants and vitamin C. Radishes grow best in cooler weather, so you’ll see them in the spring and in the fall/winter. A few radishes you may see in your CSA share include: - Salad radishes: Small, bulbous radish. May be red, pink, white or purple. Excellent sliced on salads and roasted - Daikon radishes: Long, white radish. Essential ingredient for kimchi, also great roasted and in stir fries - Watermelon radish:: Larger round radish. Looks like a watermelon inside! Stronger flavored than salad radishes. Best roasted - Black Spanish radish: Larger round radish. Very peppery. Excellent roasted or grated into stir fries

To store: Remove radish leaves if they are still attached. Store the unwashed greens in a loosely wrapped plastic bag in the crisper bin of your refrigerator and use ASAP. Store radish roots dry and unwashed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Handling: Scrub radishes well to remove dirt. Trim off the stem and rootlets. Slice, chop or mince the roots or leave them whole.

To use: Eat radishes raw with a sprinkle of salt, or with room-temperature butter. Grate radishes into slaws and salads. Try small young radish leaves in salads or scrambled eggs; they are perfectly edible and have a terrific earthy taste like watercress. Blanch whole radishes in boiling, salt water for 5-10 minutes, or steam them until just tender, 8-12 minutes. Top with butter, salt, and pepper or with a vinaigrette. They’re also great grilled.

42 Raspberries

The most delicate of the berries, raspberries are sought after all year long but are only available in limited amounts in summer and fall. Raspberries are high in fiber, vitamin C and manganese, as well as a good source of copper. But you probably would eat these sweet, red berries even if there weren’t health benefits.

To store: Rinse raspberries in a vinegar/water mix and dry. Store raspberries uncovered in the refrigerator in a single layer on a paper-towel-lined plate for 2-3 days. Rinse gently just before using.

To use: Wash off the berries. Use them in pies, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, or in a green salad. Delicious eaten straight out of hand, raspberries are also perfect sprinkled over yogurt or cereal, or added to desserts. Add to muffin and cake batters, make jam, or puree them with a bit of sugar, strain, and spoon the sauce over ice cream.

To freeze: Choose ripe berries. Wash and sort out the mushy ones. Let dry in colander for 10 minutes. Place them in an even layer on a large cookie sheet (with a lip) or any container you may have and put in freezer overnight until frozen. (No need to cover). Then pack them into a freezer bag, removing the air, and seal.

43 Rutabagas

Rutabaga is a close relative of the turnip, though larger, sweeter and more tan. They have yellow flesh, with a slight purple tinge near the top. It can be used as a substitute for turnips.

To store: Keep unwashed rutabagas in a plastic bag in the fridge for a month or longer.

Handling: Scrub well to remove any lingering dirt. Take a thin slice off the top and bottom. Peeling the skin is optional.

To use: Rutabaga can be grated raw into salad. Or steam 1-inch chunks for 35 minutes until tender. Wash and serve with butter and pepper. This vegetable really shines when it is roasted in olive oil at 400 degrees F. You can also boil rutabaga in 1-inch chunks for 25 minutes until tender, and add it to casseroles or stuffing mixtures, or mash cooked rutabaga with carrots and potatoes. You can also make rutabaga chips by deep-frying 1/8-inch thick slices in hot vegetable oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

44 Scallions

Scallions are young onions that are considered “bulbless.” Also called green onions, they can range from sweet to spicy, but generally their flavor is milder than a full-grown onion. Their round, hollow tops are almost always sweet. You may see white or red scallions in your CSA options.

To store: Scallions should be stored unwashed and wrapped loosely in a plastic bag. Put them in the refrigerator where they will keep for a week. To keep scallions longer, chop off about three-quarters of the tender green tips and stand the scallions in an inch of water in a tall container covered loosely with a ziplock bag, refreshing the water every 3 days.

To eat: You can eat the entire scallion. Rinse scallions in cold water and snip off anything that’s floppy. Use chopped scallions as a garnish; they are less pungent. The minced greens of scallions are a good substitute for chives. Use scallions in almost any recipe calling for onions, raw or cooked. They are excellent in soups and stew. Try brushing scallions with sesame oil, salt, and pepper and put them on the grill. You can also use any part of the onion for your freezer bag of vegetable stock ingredients.

To freeze: Chop into the desired size, and freeze in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Once frozen, store in a zippered freezer bag.

45 Spinach

Spinach is a favorite of the Elmwood Stock Farm greens. Spinach has small leaves with thick stems, only available when the weather is cool. Popeye loved his spinach for good reason: One serving provides nearly twice the recommended daily amount of vitamin K, half of your vitamin A, and good amounts of vitamin C, fiber, potassium, magnesium and more.

To store: Keep dry, unwashed spinach in its bag in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Substitutions: Interchangable with spinach are turnip greens, beet greens, broccoli raab, mustard greens, kale, collards and Swiss chard.

Handling: Wash leaves in a basin of lukewarm water. Spin dry. Wash and chop just before using.

To cook: Add uncooked spinach to a mixed-greens salad. Blanch spinach until it wilts, 2 to 4 minutes, or steam it for 5 to 8 minutes. Saute spinach until tender with olive oil, a pinch of salt and minced garlic or onion. Watch for color to brighten, as this signals it’s done. Serve cooked spinach as a side dish, or use it in soup or with pasta, beans, rice or potatoes. Use cooked spinach in enchiladas, quesadillas, crepes, lasagna, and mac and cheese. For breakfast, saute slivered greens and garlic in the frying pan before adding to eggs for scrambling. Use leftover cooked spinach in omelettes, quiches or soups.

To freeze: Blanch washed greens for 1 minute. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process, drain, and pack into airtight containers.

46 Summer Squash & Zucchini

“Summer squash” is a general term for 70 different types of fast-growing, tender-skinned, soft-fleshed squash. zucchini is the most famous, followed by yellow squash (straight and crookneck), and scallops (or patty pan), which look like flying saucers. If you get a giant-sized zucchini, use it for making zucchini bread.

Substitutions: All summer squashes can be used interchangeably.

To store: Store squash unwashed in a perforated plastic bag in the vegetable bin. They keep for about a week and a half.

Handling: Rinse under water to remove the dirt or prickles, and slice off the stem and blossom ends. Then slice or chop. Scrape out seeds from baseball bat sized zucchinis before using them to bake.

To use: Because of their bland flavor, summer squash lend themselves to many cooking applications, taking on the flavor of whatever they’re cooked with. Try using them as a substitute for rice, pasta or potatoes. Slice tender, young summer squash into salads. Try them in stir fries and with pasta. Lightly steam (4 to 5 minutes) and dress them with fresh herbs or pesto. Or coat squash lightly in oil and roast or grill at 350 degrees, whole or sliced in half, for 15 to 45 minutes. Stuff whole squash with your favorite stuffings.

To freeze: You can freeze pureed (seeded) zucchini in ziplock bags, and grated zucchini for use in breads and muffins.

47 Sunflower Shoots

Sunflower shoots are just as they sound: the young shoots of sunflowers! They have a refreshing crunch with a hint of nuttiness. Sunflower shoots are easy to pull out of the fridge and add to most meals to up your green- veggie intake for the day.

To store: Keep sunflower shoots in the plastic clamshell container they come in.

Handling: Do not wash until ready to use.

Substitution: Sunflower shoots and pea shoots are very similar in texture.

To use: Sunflower shoots can stand a little heat, but don’t actually cook them. Blend them with cream cheese and avocado for a sandwich spread. Eat them as a salad, either on their own or mixed with other salad greens. Top your egg dishes, sandwiches and wraps. Chop and stir them into fresh pasta.

48 Strawberries

Ripe strawberries are firm and bright with fresh green caps and a sweet aroma. They are available for such a short window in the spring. With the unpredictable weather of the past several springs—unseasonably warm early on followed by a late freeze, most notably— strawberry harvests have been trickier.

To store: Put your berries in a colander in your fridge as soon as possible, where they will keep for up to 5 days. Do not wash until you eat them. Strawberries taste best at room temperature.

To use: Wash off the berries and remove the green tops before eating. Use them in pies, smoothies, yogurt parfaits, or in a green salad.

To freeze: Choose ripe berries. Wash and sort out the mushy ones. Cut off the hulls. Let dry in colander for 10 minutes. Place them in an even layer on a large cookie sheet (with a lip) or any container you may have and put in freezer overnight until frozen. (No need to cover). Then pack them into a freezer bag, removing the air, and seal.

49 Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a staple of seasonal eating. We plant these in the late spring, harvest them in the early fall, and store and eat on them nearly until it's time for planting again. Sweet potatoes are so often called yams, but yams are completely different vegetables that don’t grow in Kentucky. It’s also assumed that sweet potatoes are related to potatoes, which is not true—they’re cousins of morning glory flowers! Elmwood Stock Farm generally grows several varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes and one of white-fleshed. The orange sweet potatoes are sweet and starchy, just as you’d expect. The white ones are a Japanese variety that are more starchy, slightly less sweet.

To store: Keep unwashed sweet potatoes in a cool, dark, place, such as a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard, and use them within a few weeks. Do not store sweet potatoes in the refrigerator. Cold temperatures can darken the potatoes and will adversely affect their taste.

Handling: Scrub gently before cooking. The skin can be eaten, but peel them if you will be eating them raw. If you will be pureeing or mashing them, bake or boil them whole and then remove the skins.

Substitutions: Substitute pureed sweet potatoes for pumpkin in many recipes.

To use: Try raw sweet potatoes cut into sticks for dipping, or grate them into salads. To bake, place whole (pierce with a knife in a few places) potatoes each wrapped in foil in a pan and bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes until the centers are soft. To steam, place quartered sweet potato chunks in steamer over boiling water and cook until tender 20 minutes. Boil whole sweet potatoes in salted water until very tender, 25-40 minutes. Saute or fry 1/2 inch slices of sweet potatoes in oil until nicely browned on both sides and fork-tender.

To freeze: Boil sweet potato until tender and mash/puree. Place puree into ice cube containers and freeze. When frozen, put cubes in ziplock freezer bags, removing as much air as possible. Makes a great baby food. 50 Tomatoes

Every year we grow different kinds of tomato varieties, although you can expect to see a few of the standards every year: Brandywine, Roma ( for canning) , cherry tomatoes. We also grow a lot of heirloom tomatoes. These tomatoes sometimes have a unique cracked appearance near the stem or odd shapes and colors. Don’t worry — they’re supposed to look that way. Inside, you’ll be rewarded with a delicious, juicy flavor from of old.

To store: Do not refrigerate tomatoes; cold temperatures deplete their flavor and texture. If your tomatoes smell fragrant and yield slightly when squeezed, they are ready to use. If not, store them for a few days at room temperature out of the sun until they are ripe. Putting dry tomatoes in a brown paper bag may accelerate the ripening process.

Handling: If serving tomatoes raw or lightly cooked, give them a quick rinse and slice, chop or cut them into chunks as desired. If you’ll be cooking them for a long time, consider removing the skins so they don’t float around in your dish. To do so, score the end of the tomato with an “x,” dunk whole tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, lift out with slotted spoon, plunge into ice water, and the skins will slide off.

To freeze: Tomatoes can be frozen whole. Skin and core tomatoes, place on cookie sheet, and freeze. When solid, place in ziplock freezer bag and replace in freezer. Thawed tomatoes are appropriate only for cooking sauces, salsas, or purees. Note: Avoid cooking in aluminum or iron pots because tomatoes react with those substances, giving the dish a metallic taste. Tomatoes can also be dehydrated.

51 Baby Turmeric

This tropical rhizome is known as much for its medicinal properties as for its culinary uses. It’s sought after for its cururmin content as well as its floral flavor. In its baby form, turmeric does not have a papery skin like that you find at the grocery store.

To store: Keep in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Handling: Turmeric’s bright-orange coloring will stain cutting boards and, temporarily, your skin. Lemon juice will help remove the stains. Baby turmeric doesn’t have a papery skin to deal with, so no need to peel before use.

To use: Golden milk is all the rage: Simmer turmeric with milk or milk alternative for a hot, soothing drink. Use grated fresh turmeric in place of dried turmeric in any recipe, particularly squash soup, curries and other Indian-inspired meals. Grate and then blend it into a yogurt-based salad dressing. Grate and saute with your greens.

To freeze: Baby turmeric freezes well, and it’s easy to grate from frozen. Place whole rhizomes in a freezer bag and seal. It’ll keep for six months.

52 Turnips

Turnips are a root vegetable, related to arugula and radishes, which are members of the mustard family. Large or old turnips can be unpleasantly “hot” if not cooked properly or combined with the proper vegetables (like potatoes), but younger turnips add great zip to dishes. They are best in the fall or spring, when they are small and sweet. Our turnips have creamy looking bulbs and a violet-hued ring around the top Or a simple white skin and interior.

To store: Remove the greens from the turnips and cook/store as instructed in the next entry. The turnip itself should be stored in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your fridge for up to a week.

Handling: Cut off the green tops (which can be eaten as well). Wash and cut into wedges or slices.

To cook: Serve them raw with dip in a crudite tray. Or grate and add them to a salad for a zip. Turnips are however more commonly cooked. They are delicious when roasted with other root vegetables (like carrot, potatoes, rutabaga, garlic). Add a turnip or two to your favorite mashed potato recipe. Or add them into soups and stews.

53 Turnip Greens

Turnip greens are coarse, have a slight bite, and look very similar to radish leaves. It is good to blanch them before cooking. They do well combined with other greens and cooked lightly with oil, vinegar, hot sauce, ground red pepper, sugar, garlic, or onions.

To store: Cut turnip greens from their roots; store roots separately. Keep dry, unwashed greens in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.

Handling: Wash leaves in basin of lukewarm water to remove grit. If your greens have thick stems, you must remove them. Fold each leaf in half and slice out the stem. Then stack the leaves up and slice them diagonally into 1-inch-wide strips.

To cook: Saute greens until tender in a covered pot or large saute pan with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and garlic or onion. Or blanch greens until they wilt, 2 minutes. Dot the cooked greens with butter or cream and season with fresh herbs or salt and pepper. Serve cooked greens alone as a side dish or use them in soup or with pasta, beans, scrambled eggs, fish, rice, or potatoes.

To freeze: Blanch washed greens for 2-3 minutes. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process, drain, and pack into airtight containers.

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