Spinach, Lettuce, Beets, Turnips, Carrots, Garlic, Shallots

This week we cleared out the high tunnel, hence all the delicious fresh produce. The turnips are "salad turnips" and are melt-in-your-mouth good. Cut them up and do as their name describes, add them to your salad with a light vinaigrette or roast them. When you roast these juicy bulbs, the sugars caramelize and it's extremely yummy. Beet greens have a very high count of iron, potassium, vitamin K, and magnesium, to name a few. This recipe, adapted from Amanda Hesser's recipe in the cookbook, "Food 52 a New Way to Dinner" is perfect for these tasty and nutritious greens. You'll start to want beets just for the greens!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large garlic clove (I always double the garlic, so I use 2-3 cloves), smashed

Your beet greens, cut up into wide strips

Salt & pepper

Steps:

1. Grab a large deep pot (or large cast iron) and place over medium-high heat. Add oil. Throw your smashed garlic in the pot. Cook until softened and lighted toasted.

2. Pile the beet greens into the pot and sprinkle with salt. Cover for about 30 seconds. Lift lid and stir. Replace lid. Once the greens begin to wilt, remove the cover and set aside, letting the water in the bottom of the pot cook off. Toss.

3. When the greens are wilted and most of the water cooked off, taste and adjust the salt, then season with pepper.

STORAGE TIPS

Spinach

Remove from bag. Place in cold water bath for a couple of minutes. Shake or spin to dry. Keep in plastic bag in chiller drawer of fridge.

Lettuce

Remove from bag. Place in cold water bath for a couple of minutes. Shake or spin to dry. Keep in plastic bag in chiller drawer of fridge.

Beets

Trim off leaves. Use leaves within the next two or three days. Rinse off leaves with cold water and store in plastic bag. Keep beet roots separate in a plastic bag or container in fridge.

Turnips

Trim off leaves. Use leaves within the next two or three days. They are nice added to salad or sauteed. Rinse off leaves with cold water and store in plastic bag. Keep bulbs separate in a plastic bag or container in fridge. Try to eat the turnip bulbs within a week.

Carrots

Take out of biobag. Compost bag. Store in a plastic container or bag in fridge.

Garlic

Keep in dry dark place.

Shallots

Keep in dry dark place.