Kohlrabi Fritters with Tzatziki (Greek Cumber Yogurt Dill Sauce)

Photo from Blooming Glen Farm in Pennsylvania

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The July 1 farm share from Glade Road Growing is expected to include kohlrabi, cabbage, summer squash, cucumbers, onion, and dill.

There's more information on the cabbage relative and a recipe for an apple and kohlrabi slaw at my post from last year.  This week I I thought I'd provide a recipe that combines it with the cucumbers, oninion and dill.  You can also eat kohlrabi raw, in soup, roasted, steamed or spicy in Indian recipes.

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I'm not sure how many kohlrabi bulbs will be in the farm share.  While this fritter recipe calls for four, you can make up the difference by using the summer squash. Or if you'd like to use the squash for another recipe, you can use potatoes (and omit the oats or brown rice.) The kohlrabi greens, if they are included, will be edible. The greens, too, are edible. Take the smaller, newer leaves, trim them and cook as you would beet greens, until they are tender.

Serves 4 - 6

Start by making the Tzatziki sauce and put in the refrigerator to thicken.  You will only use a portion for this recipe and can use the rest as a salad dressing or dip during the rest of the week.

1.  Peel 4 kohlrabi bulbs and shred (or mix shredded kohlrabi and unpeeled shredded summer squash or potatoes to make 2 - 3 cups).  Place in colander and squeeze out excess moisture.

2.  In a bowl, combine:

2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup cooked oat groats or brown rice
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3. Add kohlrabi or kohlrabi-squash mixture by the spoonful and mix until coated.

4.  Form fritter mixture into two inch balls and lightly coat with whole wheat flour.

5.  Heat lightly oiled cast iron skillet until a bead of water evaporates.  Drop into skillet. Press gently with spatula to flatten. Cook for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.


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Want a good recipe for the cabbage?  You can shred it and make it into a slaw using the recipe I've linked to or here's a recipe for my favorite cabbage borscht.

Yellow Squash and Onions with Brown Sugar

Photo from The Kitchen

This weeks farm share from Glade Road growing includes yellow squash and white onions.  Here's a recipe with a southern flair.  


serves 2

1.  Slice 1 large squash in half vertically and then into 1/2-inch rounds.  Or substitute two medium squash and just cut into rounds. (About two cups)

2.  Remove greens from white onions and reserve for other purpose.  Cut into similar size slices.

3.  Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra virgin olive oil to a wide sauce pan that has a lid and heat over medium setting. 

4.  When a water drop evaporates imediately add onions and cook until soft about 4-5 minutes.

5.  Add squash and:
1/2 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado or demerara sugar

6.  Stir, then cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until squash is very soft. Remove the cover and continue to cook for about 8 minutes, just to give the juices a chance to evaporate slightly. There will be some liquid in the pan, but it should be thicker than water, almost like a glaze. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed, and serve immediately.

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If you prefer something savory, here's a recipe from last year for a squash and potato torte.   Or for something simple, just steam squash rounds, cubed potatoes and thinly sliced onions.  Cool and serve tossed with Greek yogurt or tofu "sour cream." 

Blacksburg and Roanoke Skipped by Governor McAlliff's Energy Plan Listening Tour

Illustration by Temple City, CA

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The Virginia Energy Plan

The quadrennial Virginia Energy plan, last published in 2010,  provides a  "comprehensive strategy for the energy industry"  including using sustainable practices for Virginia, such as conservation, efficiency, solar, wind and geothermal.

Originally to have been due July 1, it will now be due October 1, as a result of H.B. 796 passed by the Virginia General Assembly March 7, 2014.

McAuliffe created the  Virginia Energy Council  to gather public and businesses advice

June 4, 2014, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe established the Virginia Energy Council to receive, review and evaluate "input offered by Virginia’s residents and businesses"  on the 2014 Virginia Energy Plan being compiled by the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (MME).  The Council will monitor implementation and review the October, 1, 2017  interim update, "providing strategic guidance to ensure successful achievement of Plan goals.  I've requested a coy of the 2013 update and will post it if I receive a copy.

The Council started  listening June 12

June 12, the Council, chaired by Maurice Jones (bio), Virginia's Secretary of Commerce and Trade,  held its first listening session in conjunctions with MME in Fredericksburg. The next session will be tonight in Annandale, Tuesday, June 17 at  6 pm at Northern Virginia Community College, 8333 Little River Turnpike.  Appalachian Voices sent out a memo at 10:26 am today advising folks to arrive at least 30 minutes to sign up and reserve a three minute slot on the speakers list.

There is no listening session scheduled for Blacksburg or Roanoke but you can file comments

Folks can request events by writing Jones's office at commerce.trade@governor.virginia.gov. You CAN file comments on line or by snail mail:

Attn: Virginia Energy Plan
Department of Mines, Minerals & Energy
Washington Building 8^th Floor
1100 Bank Street
Richmond, VA 23219

The four remaining sessions

Here's a schedule, if you have friends elsewhere who can attend:

• South Boston: Thursday, June 19, 6 pm, Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, 820 Bruce Street;
• Abingdon: Tuesday, June 24, 6 pm, Virginia Highlands Community College, 100 VHCC Drive, Building ISC;
• Norfolk: Thursday, June 26, 6 pm, Old Dominion University, Bluestone Avenue and 49th Street; and 
• Harrisonburg: Tuesday, July 1, 6 pm, James Madison University, 127 West Bruce Street.

Other duties of the Council

The .Governor has charged the Council with:

• Developing strategies to make Virginia a national leader in energy efficiency and ensure that the cost of energy for Virginia consumers remains highly competitive;
• Developing strategies to increase the diversity of energy used to power Virginia, while ensuring a commitment to the most efficient use of existing energy sources;
• Developing strategies to increase Virginia’s renewable energy economy and grow the entire energy industry in Virginia by retaining, expanding, and attracting businesses in the energy sector;
• Developing strategies to increase the international export of Virginia’s coal;
• Identifying opportunities to expand Virginia’s needed energy infrastructure and to increase the reliability of the Commonwealth’s existing energy infrastructure;
• Reviewing an analysis of any regulations proposed or promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric generating units under § 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7411(d);
• Providing expertise and advice on other policy strategies deemed appropriate during the drafting of the Plan to grow the energy industry in the Commonwealth; and,
• Monitoring the implementation of the Plan, providing strategic guidance to ensure successful achievement of Plan goals, and reviewing the interim update of the Plan required to be presented by October 1, 2017.

For more information on the Council

Contact Rachel Thomas, the Governor's Traveling Press Secretary:
(804) 225-4262
 Rachel.Thomas@governor.virginia.gov

For more information on the listening sessions

Contact Tarah Kesterson, the DMME's Public Relations Manager:
(276) 523-8146
 tarah.kesterson@dmme.virginia.gov

Cucumber and Hakurei Turnip Salad

Photo of hakurei turnips from Glade Road Growing.  The June 17 farm share is slated to include summer squash, turnips, bok choy, carrots, parsley, bunch onions, spinach, and sugar peas.

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Hakurei turnips are crisp and a bit sweet.  You can eat them just about any way:  raw, roasted, pickled, steamed, sauteed, glazed, candied, in soups and roasted.  The greens are edible raw or cooked and taste similar to mustard greens.  There's no need to peel the turnips, just trim the root end (which can saved and used in making a veggie stock.)  The globes keep well in the fridge in a sealed glass container, if you separate the greens and store them separately.

I thought I'd give you a recipe for a simple salad with an oriental flair, since these turnips were first developed in Japan during the 1950s.  The photo is from Elly Says Opa on Flckr. I've adapted her 2011 recipe below.

At the bottom of this page, I've linked to some recipes from last year the bok choy and for the carrots and summer squash.


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Serves 4

1. Thinly slice 1 medium cucumber and 4 hakurei turnip globes. Sprinkle with salt and place in colander and let drain for about 20 minutes to remove the excess moisture.

2. Lightly oil a small cast iron skillet and heat on stove until a drop of water sprinkled evaporates.  Add a thin layer of sesame seeds and toast until they start to pop.  Transfer to a glass jar and cool before you screw on the lid for storage.

3. Grate or finely mince 1/2 t fresh ginger

4. Wash, drain and chop 4 T fresh parsley.  (You can ensure that the parsley stays fresh for as long as possible by removing all the leaflets from the stems and storing in an inverted wide-mouth mason jar  towards the front of the fridge.)

5. In a pint jar combine ginger with:
1 1/2  T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. demerara sugar
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. miso paste

6. Transfer cucumbers and turnips to a serving bowl or 4 individual salad bowls.Pour the vinaigrette over the cucumbers and turnips and toss to coat.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

7. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and chopped parsley, keeping any extra for other recipes. 

To make this a main meal, you can toss in 1/2 cups of cooked beans or feta cheese and 1/3 cup of  walnuts. You can serve over a bed of fresh spinach or cooked quinoa  or toss with 2 cups of cooked wheat berries.

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Additional recipes for this week's farm share:

Bok Choy Slaw
Tzatziki with Carrots and Summer Squash

Garlic Scape and Kale Pesto

Photo from Green City Market in Chicago.

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For the June 10 Glade Road Growing expects to deliver lettuce mix, salanova lettuce, kale, radishes, garlic scapes, rainbow chard and summer squash.


So what are scapes?     

Scapes are a flowering stalk each head of hard-neck garlic sends up this time of year.  Glade Road harvests the scapes while they are tender, not only to provide a versatile veggie, but to preserve the nutrients for the garlic bulbs so that they will be bigger when they are dug up later in the season.

My favorite use for scapes is pesto

I combine the scapes with kale to make it slightly milder and a brighter green.  I make my version lower-fat by using water, but you can substitute equal amount of extra-virgin olive oil for a richer condiment.

Yield:  about 1-1/2 cups of pesto.

1 cup garlic scapes (about 8 or 9 scapes) cut into ¼-inch slices

3-5 leaves kale (I prefer lacinato, but I'm not sure what kind we're getting tomorrow.  Remove the tough stems, roll the leaves slice thinly (i.e. chiffonade)
up to 3/4 c water or olive oil
1/3 cup walnuts, almonds or pecans, toasted, if desired
1/2 cup grated Asiago, Romano or Parmesan cheese
fresh ground black pepper to taste

 Directions: Place scapes, kale and nuts in a heavy-duty blender or a food processor and grind until well combined, but still chunky, drizzling in water or oil as needed to process.

Using a spatula, transfer to a pint mason jar and stir in cheese, Grind in pepper to taste.

Your pesto will keep for up to a week in the refrigerator. If you don't want to use it right away, transfer it to an ice-cube tray and freeze.  Remove cubes and store in an air-tight container and defrost and use one cube at a time throughout the year until scapes come back in season.

This pesto is great tossed with pasta (hot or cold in a pasta salad) or served as a spread on breads.

Photo from Diane Dyer

Other alternatives for scapes

Scapes are most pungent when raw.  They can be chopped and added to salad dressing.

For a milder flavor, lightly steam the scapes and toss with soy sauce and sesame oil or saute them in butter or olive oil, the same way you would for green beans or asparagus.  They will be crunchy with a mild flavor of garlic.

Another alternative is to pickle them.

If you have never heard of  salanova lettuce... 

it's because this variety just began being sold commercially in 2013, after being developed a few years ago by the Netherlands global seed company Rijk Zwaan.  Here's a picture from Glade Road Growing's facebook page:

And if you want recipes for Swiss Chard

Chard is in the beet family, so it's sweeter than kale and can be used whenever you would use spinach.  I like chard steam or sauteed as a side veggie or combined with eggs in omelets, frittatas and quiches.

Here's a recipe you can cook now:
Swiss Chard with Balsamic Syrup and Garbanzo Beans (7/2/10)

And another for when eggplant comes in season
Eggplant Rollups with Swiss Chard  (8/12/13)

Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw

Photo from Food Network. I first published this post on 6/13/14 at 10:03 PM and last updated it on 6/7/2014 to include a recipe for leeks and spinach and to add tags.

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Today, Glade Road Growing delivered its first farm shares, which included spinach, head lettuce, dill, broccoli, and leeks. I picked up my bag of produce at Vintage Cellar.  Here's a recipe you might want to try for Broccoli and Dill Raita Slaw:

1 cup plain non-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon  juice
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoons minced fresh dill
1/2 tablespoon Garlic minced
1/2 tablespoon Ginger minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 medium shallot or 1 TB onions minced
2 cups of broccoli (peeled and sliced stems and florets)
2 cups shredded carrots
1/4 cup dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds
 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

If you like you can lightly steam the broccoli and carrots or use them raw for more crunch.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients except the broccoli, carrots, cranberries, and almonds. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Add remaining ingredients and gently toss. Chill before serving.

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For your leeks and spinach, you can try this soup:

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I'm lucky to swap veggies for posting a recipe every week here and on facebook.

The website has a sign up for July due by 6/29/14 here and that Sally Walker  recommends early sign up for the remaining 2014 growing season through November since she and Jason sold out of the monthly shares this month.  They are still willing to swap some volunteer time for produce this month, but it will have to be picked up at the farm (2351 Glade Road, Blacksburg, Virginia).  Planned crops include:

peas, spinach, bok choy, broccoli, lettuce and lettuce mix, radishes, carrots, cabbage, kale, beets, onions, garlic, yellow squash, zucchini, fennel, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, eggplant, celery, celeriac, basil, beans, chard, kohlrabi, rutabaga, arugula, turnips, okra, winter squash, sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips, herbs (cilantro, dill, parsley and more.)