Fall is here - at least in the weather. The last few years have seen some warm late summer and early fall periods and this sudden cold has taken us a bit by surprise. But it's not all bad, even though we've had a light frost last Friday. The fall cooler crops are really going to benefit from a more extended cool season. Along with the more well known veggies, we have a bunch of things you may not be familiar with coming up (unless you've been with us in past years). Here's a sneak peak of what is coming:
- Hakurei Turnips: These are a Japanese variety of turnips. They are more tender and sweet than regular turnips and can be eaten raw. If you cook them, they are best cooked slightly either by stir frying or roasting (but don't cook until fully soft)! We have a lot of these this week!
- Winter Radish: Several different kinds of Daikon (small white, large, purple - our favourite a variety called "KN Bravo"), Black Spanish, Watermelon. They are all amazing in the fall and winter. We will have a small amount of these this week with much more to come. They can be eaten raw after peeling or can be roasted like other root vegetables. They are much sweeter and crunchier than your usual red radishes.
- Kohlrabi: This is a close relative to broccoli and cabbage. The variety we have in the fall and winter is called "Kossak" and it is huge! But the texture and flavour is incredible. You peel it and slice it into wedges and eat it raw. It has the texture of apple with a sweet, slight broccoli flavour.
- Celeriac: Related to celery, but you use the swollen root ball. It can be shredded into a slaw type salad, used in soups or roasted with other veggies. Very mild celery flavour.
- Endive / Escarole / Radicchio: Bitter heads of greens all in the chicory family. In the cooler fall weather they are an amazing addition to salads and when they are mild we often add them to our salad mix. They can be roasted and cooked too with every culture having a different way of using them.
As well as these we will have very soon parsnips, leek, collards and some other super cold hearty veggies to add to the fall shares. Even though you can always fill out your shares with the standards of potatoes, carrots, salad mix, etc. we encourage you to experiment and try some of these new crops from time to time too!
Chris
