Ingredients

• 1 head garlic
• 2tablespoons olive oil (or more)
• salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Slice off the very top of the garlic head. Place in a piece of foil and drizzle olive oil inside the head of garlic until it is completely filled and just starting to run down the side.

Wrap tightly with foil and place on a cookie sheet and bake until tender and fragrant, roughly 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Peel outside off of bulb of garlic, then gently squeeze each clove out.

Use in the recipe of your desire, or simply spread on bread for a wonderful addition to any meal.

Part bulb, part serving of greens, kohlrabi may seem one of the more intimidating items in your share. Flavor equals one part mild radish, one part broccoli. The edible leaves are like a milder version of collards being nearly identical in appearance. Along with other cruciferous vegetables, kohlrabi is packed with vitamin C and potassium.

We eat this veggie fresh (often right in the garden!) by peeling the thick skin and thinly slicing. The top of the bulb requires less peeling and this part of the kohlrabi is one of our absolute favorite veggies. Consider chopping up finely to make a slaw-type salad with your kohlrabi.

Storage: Cut off leaves and place in a plastic bag. Leaves can be refrigerated for three to four days; the bulb for several weeks.

Kohlrabi Apple Slaw

Ingredients

• Kohlrabi, cut into matchsticks
• Apple, cut into matchsticks
• Olive oil
• Fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Mix kohlrabi and apple matchsticks (both peeled or not) with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

In July we find ourselves with an abundance of cucumbers. This is the only time of year we get to enjoy creamy cucumber salad. And we will have it in the fridge available at all times for the next month!

Cucumbers have not received as much press as other vegetables in terms of health benefits, but this widely cultivated food provides us with a unique combination of nutrients. At the top of the phytonutrient list for cucumbers are its cucurbitacins, lignans, and flavonoids. These three types of phytonutrients found in cucumbers provide us with valuable antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer benefits.

To peel or not to peel. First, it is important to remember that the skins and seeds of cucumbers are both rich in nutrients. In fact, the nutrient richness of both plant parts is significantly higher than the flesh. For this reason, consumption of both skins and seeds is desirable from a nutritional standpoint. If you’re buying from a grocery store, both conventionally grown and organically grown cucumbers may have been waxed. However, the only waxes that can be used on organically grown cucumbers are non-synthetic waxes, and these waxes must be free of all chemical contaminants that are prohibited under organic regulations. Conventionally grown cucumbers may be waxed with synthetic waxes that contain unwanted chemical contaminants. For these reasons, we recommend leaving the skin of organically grown cucumbers intact regardless of whether the organically grown cucumber has been waxed. For conventionally grown cucumbers, we recommend removal of the waxed skin.

We Grow cucumbers are not waxed and should be used within three days for maximum freshness and flavor.

This recipe can be made your own by choosing your favorite variety of vinegar. In our house, we usually do half rice vinegar and half white vinegar, but tarragon and cider vinegar will also work. Play around with what’s available and make it your own. The key to getting a thick creamy salad is to get as much moisture out of the cukes as possible before combining the final ingredients. If you don’t have time and wish to eat the salad immediately, you can skip the salting and refrigeration step intended to do this.

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 4 – 5 slicing cucumbers
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sour cream or plain greek yougurt (make your own yogurt)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tablespoons vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon dill weed

Directions

Slice cucumbers into bowl and mix with salt. Place in colander in a bowl and cover. Refrigerate for two hours or overnight to draw the water out of the cucumbers.

Combine sour cream, sugar, vinegar, and pepper. Drain cucumbers well and try to get as much moisture as you can out of the sliced cucumbers. Do NOT rinse. Combine cucumbers and sauce and add onion and dill weed. Serve chilled.

While this is not something we grow and sell on our farm, we include Greek-style yogurt in so many of our recipes that we felt the need to share the simple yogurt-making process on our website. This is a great replacement for sour cream or mayo.

In our variation of this recipe, we like to use whole milk but it works with any percent. We used to warm the milk to 180º and then cool it to 115º to add the starter culture, but if your milk is already pasteurized this is not necessary. We also tried a few different brands of powdered milk the past couple years. Our favorite is a granular type. It seems to make the thickest final product while the fine powder presented a somewhat stringy, runny final product for us. Each of you will have to come up with your own technique that works best for you, but don’t give up if your batch doesn’t turn out. It’s worth it to try again and get it right. I’ve often cut the batch in half when trying something new so as not to waste a whole gallon of milk if something goes wrong.

After you make your first batch, you can use your own yogurt as the starter for the next batch. Also, vanilla flavored starter will work if you can not find plain, but you will have a hint of vanilla flavor. Don’t add any fruit or sugar until you are ready to serve.

We let our yogurt “grow” in quart glass jars that have been washed in HOT water. Your containers should be free of bacteria and mold spores. Plastic will work as well. We reuse canning lids and rings each batch. The glass jars do a good job of holding heat for the growing process. They also self seal and keep out mold while storing them in the fridge for up to a month. If you decide to freeze it, do not use glass jars!

In this recipe, you will use the heat from your oven light to keep the jars warm for a long period of time. We like to keep our cast iron skillets in the oven, so we warm the oven for about five minutes with all the cast iron to the lowest setting on my oven, 170 degrees, before starting the milk warming process. Just what I like to do to help keep a constant temperature.

Homemade Greek Yogurt

Ingredients

• 1 gallon milk
• 3 cups dry milk
• 4-6 oz plain greek yogurt (for starter)

Directions

Prepare sterile containers for yogurt. You will need four quarts plus about one pint.

Pour milk into large pot on stovetop at med-high heat. Whisk dry milk into wet milk while still cold. Heat milk to 115 to 120 degrees. Stir often so milk doesn’t scald to bottom of pot. The milk can’t be too hot or it will kill the active cultures in the yogurt. Too cold and the cultures won’t multiply.

In a separate bowl, mix your starter yogurt into about 1 cup of the warmed milk mixture. Then pour into the large pot and combine fully.

Pour your mixture into containers. Place containers into your oven with the heat off but the oven light on. The light provides just enough heat for the cultures to multiply. Allow cultures to grow in the oven for about 8-10 hours. Longer time will create a more sour flavor. Find what you like best by experimenting with different time lengths.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons grape seed oil or your favorite cooking oil
• 2 garlic cloves crushed or 2 scapes finely chopped
• 6 cups napa cabbage, roughly shredded
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet on low; add the garlic and cook very gently for 15 minutes. Discard the garlic and toss the raw cabbage with the garlic-infused oil, salt and pepper.

Preheat your oven to 450°.

Place the cabbage on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until the tops of the cabbage pieces are browned.

Serve hot.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup pine nuts (can substitute walnuts, toasting optional)
• 3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes
• 2 tablespoons coursely chopped fresh sweet basil
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon (can substitute 2 Tbs lemon juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• A few generous grinds of black pepper
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (recommend trying lemon infused olive oil)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano  cheese

Directions

In a small, dry pan set over very low heat, lightly toast the pine nuts, stirring or tossing occasionally until just beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Combine the scapes, basil, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse about 20 times, until fairly well combined. Pour in the olive oil slowly through the feed tube while the motor is running. When the oil is incorporated, transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the grated cheese. If you plan to freeze the pesto, wait to add the cheese until after you’ve defrosted it.

Serve over fresh cooked pasta, your favorite meats, or use for dipping chunks of fresh baked bread. Don’t be afraid to experiment with herbs such as dill or chervil.

Ingredients

• 3 to 4 spring garlic, cleaned, trimmed and finely chopped, include some of the green leaves
• Butter
• White table wine of choice (not recommended to use cooking wine)
• Approx 1/2 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and cleaned
• Fresh parsley chopped (optional)

Directions

In a sauce pan, melt two tablespoons of butter.  Add chopped spring garlic and cook on low heat until softened.  Stir in one cup of white wine and simmer to reduce to thin sauce. Add shrimp and cook until pink, don’t overcook.

Serve right immediately by itself or over angel hair pasta.  Top with sprinkle of parsley.

Ingredients

• 1 lb or roughly 8 – 10 new potatoes, Red, Yukon, Blue, or Fingerlings or quarter cut potatoes you already have
• 3 spring garlic cloves, trimmed and cleaned, coarsely chop cloves and green leaves
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste

Directions

Rinse potatoes under cold, running water.  Place them I the top of a steamer over simmering water.  Cover and steam until potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

While potatoes are steaming, sauté garlic in olive oil until just tender but not browned, about 1 minute.  Remove garlic from the heat but leave in the pan with the oil to keep warm.  When potatoes are tender remove them to a serving platter and using a fork, break each potato into 3 or 4 pieces.  Sprinkle potatoes salt and cracked black pepper to taste, then top with sauté garlic and oil.

Ingredients  (serves 6)

• 12 oz dry Chinese noodles (can substitute angel hair pasta)
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 lb pork loin, cut into 2-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 onions, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
• 1 head (approx. 3 cups) chopped napa cabbage
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 4 oz fresh bean sprouts
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Directions

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, stir in the Chinese noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta has cooked through, but is still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes. Drain well in a colander set in the sink.

Whisk together the 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 3/4 cup sweet chili sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, the ground ginger, and the sesame oil in a large bowl; add the drained Chinese noodles and toss to coat; set aside.

Whisk together the 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder in a large bowl; add the pork and stir to coat. Allow to marinate 5 minutes.

Heat the cooking oil in a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork, onions, and red pepper flakes to the oil; cook until the pork is browned completely. Stir in 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, the napa cabbage, celery, carrots, and bell peppers; cook and stir until vegetables are completely heated, about 5 minutes. Add fresh bean sprouts. Whisk together the cornstarch and water and add to the stir fry, stirring until the mixture thickens. Serve the stir-fry over the noodles.