More about mint
Chocolate mint is a low growing mint with small purple and green leaves. It has a very sweet flavor reminiscent of York peppermint patties or those Andes chocolates. It’s suitable for sweet or savory use, as it doesn’t really taste of chocolate.
Apple mint doesn’t taste of apple but has a sweet fruity flavor. It’s not as abundant as the other mints right now (we need to move it to a sunnier area). Since the leaves are fuzzy I think it’s best for infusing rather than adding raw to dishes.
Not technically a true mint, Mountain mint is a very tall pungent plant that has a strong mint flavor but also a slight camphor odor as well. I suggest using this one as filler in flower bouquets to add a refreshing fragrance.
Spearmint has a strong wintergreen flavor that some love and others loathe. This mint is a bit aggressive so if you like it, please cut as much as you can.
Flowers
A few of the flowers in the picking garden have just started to bloom, adding bursts of color. Sweet Peas can be found growing on a trellis in the lower picking garden. Foxglove also known as Digitalis is in the upper perennial garden. Tall spikes of flowers tempt with bright colors, but remember, they are very poisonous if ingested.
Can’t make it for pickup time?
Summer can be a busy time. If you can’t come to pick up your share, please give us a call or email. If you’re going out of town, please let us know. We can donate your share to Capital Roots, or you can have a neighbor or friend pick up your share.
-Farmer Aaron, CSA manager
Vegetables
Bok Choi
Turnips or Beets
Lettuce
Garlic Scapes
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Broccoli
Herbs of note
Mint (Chocolate, Apple, Mountain, Spear-), Chives, Garlic Chives, Oregano, Lovage, Sage, Thyme, Dill, Bronze Fennel, Summer Savory, Marjoram
Flowers
Sweet Peas, Foxglove
Important Dates
June 21: Fresh chicken pick-up
Fennel, Chicken & Kohlrabi Pasta Salad
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
2 kohlrabi, thinly sliced into small rectangles
kohlrabi leaves, thinly sliced
5 scallions, chopped
2 garlic scapes, chopped
8 oz fusilli pasta
1 large chicken breast, cooked (or other chicken part)
2 tbsp rosemary or thyme
juice of 1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup kalamata or oil cured olives, pitted
Rub the kohlrabi leaves with your hands until they darken in color. In a large bowl, add the sliced fennel, kohlrabi base, scallions, and garlic scapes.
Cook the pasta and rinse well with cold water. Add to the salad. Cut chicken into pasta size pieces and add to salad.
Make the dressing. In a jug, mix chopped herbs, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
Now put it all together. Pour dressing over salad, toss together then garnish with some chopped fennel leaves, the olives and a dusting of Parmesan.
a salad I made with some leftover chicken last weekend
Barley Broccoli Salad
1 cup pearl barley
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 lb broccoli, stems peeled and diced and florets broken into small pieces (about 6 cups)
2 scallions, chopped
1 carrot, diced
3/4 cup Black and Green Olive dressing (below)
Combine barley, water, salt in large saucepan. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed (30 mins). Turn into large bowland let cool.
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add broccoli and boil until just tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water then drain again.
Transfer barley to large bowl. Add broccoli, scallions and carrot and toss well. Pour over vinaigrette and toss.
Black and green olive vinaigrette
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp fresh oregano
1/4 cup black olives
1/4 cup green olives
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
black pepper
In a blender or food processor, process garlic and oregano until finely chopped. Add olives and process. Scrape down sides, add vinegar and process to mix.
With motor running add oil slowly and process until smooth. Season to taste.
recipe from Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman