Generally, I would refer to all thin skinned squashes as summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash, patty pan, etc.). This one is called Grey Zucchini because of the more muted green color with some speckling. Jarvi let me know that the particular seed variety they planted was called Mexicana. There’s a fun variety of sizes, with […]
This is some broad leaf lettuce, great for sandwiches. Enjoy it, greens will likely be less frequent from now until later in the season.
Beets are another crop that humans have been eating since prehistory. Shredded beets are great on salads, giving a beautiful pop of color. People will often roast beets, but I prefer to braise them in 1:1 ratio of water and vinegar. The acid really helps the sweetness of the beets pop. Don’t worry about peeling […]
Nichols are calling these ‘spring onions’, but I would call them ‘early summer onions.’ Compared to the ones we got just a couple weeks ago, the bulbs have started to substantially form, and the top greens are a little more gnarly. We can attest that they are pungent (a few tears were shed trimming them).
Peas (Pisum sativum) are a long time staple crop of Europe (they’re featured in a lot of medieval art). However, it wasn’t until the 17th century that varieties for eating fresh began to be popularized, sugar snap being one of the most recent. The bright green flavor that peas have are thanks to the aroma […]
Napa is the variety of cabbage traditionally used for kimchi, but it definitely isn’t a one trick pony. It’s part of the Brassica rapa group (turnips, rapini, bok choy). It does really well sautéed, or you can shred it and use it in a slaw. You can use it just about anywhere you would green […]
This rainbow chard from Otter Oaks is gorgeous. Swiss chard, or more generally, chard, are varieties of beet selected for large stems and broad leaves, rather than large tap roots (beets). The variety of colors is due to betain pigments, the same that give beets their color. Betains are water-soluble, so they will fade when […]
The cooler weather has been great for arugula. Sometimes you also see it called Rocket or Rucola, it’s also a brassica (Eruca sativa), but an odd ball and not part of the two major groups. The pungency is due to enzymes that can be deactivated with heat. If you find arugula a bit intense, try […]
Oh boy, are we lucky to get these. Last season, Nichols experienced significant pest pressure on their strawberries and weren’t able to include them in the shares. Despite the slow start, the strawberries are looking great this year. You’ll notice how deep red these strawberries are. That’s because Nichols doesn’t irrigate them. Overwatering strawberries (all […]
Radishes are an odd ball and not part of the two major brassica groups, and actually not even a brassica even though we would consider them. Their scientific name is Raphanus sativus. Radishes seem to have reached the Mediterranean by the time of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians and have continued to be a significant […]
These turnips are some big hunkers. Technically these are the same species as the bok choy (Brassica rapa), just a different variety. I think the flavor of them bears this out. They have that woody, perfumy note thats present in the bok choy, but isn’t quite there in the radishes. Sliced thin, these are nice […]
An early seasonal feature, sugar snap peas are about as good as it gets. If you’re going to cook them, keep it brief with high heat so that they keep a little bit of that crunch. Otherwise, they’re pretty great for just snacking on them as they are (a tasty dip would take them next […]
We got a nice mix of frilly lettuce and broad leaf so that this will be a nice mixed greens. We have a recipe for a simple vinaigrette, although for a different salad. A light vinagrette like that would really make this lettuce pop, for a salad or on a sandwich.
Early in the week Nichols had indicated that asparagus would be in the shares, but on Tuesday when we received the veggies from the farm, no asparagus and this spinach in it’s place today. Todd later sent a note apologizing and explaining that their asparagus crop was not what they had been anticipating. When Nichols […]
Besides Brassicas, the other of the two major vegetable families are Alliums. Onions, like these spring onions, are of the species Allium cepa. Other Alliums include shallots, garlic, leeks, ramps, and chives.
Radishes are an odd ball and not part of the two major brassica groups, and actually not even a brassica even though we would consider them. Their scientific name is Raphanus sativus. Radishes seem to have reached the Mediterranean by the time of the ancient Greeks and Egyptians and have continued to be a significant […]
These were some big ‘ole bok choy bunches. Bok choy is part of the cabbage family, formally called Brassicas. Brassicas include a huge number of vegetables (cauliflower, brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes etc.) but most of those fall under just two species, Brassica oleracea and Brassica rapa, and are just varieties of the species, like granny […]
Joi Choi is a brassica very similar to bok choi. The stems are tender and juicy, and the leaves are broad and flat. The flavor is zesty with a woody, perfume-y note that I love. They do well quickly grilled over high heat, or as a stir-fry with some of the spring onion.
Butterbean is the marketing approved name for lima beans, this variety having a pretty purple-red speckling to it. Fresh beans do not take long to cook, so simply add to boiling water and simmer until tender (~10 mins), or just add along with other veggies you’re sautéing with a bit of liquid.
A fun mix of red and orange. The orange ones that has a great tart fruitiness to them. Nichols noted this week that all of the greenhouses ripened at once, and now they are flush with tomatoes. It definitely showed at their West Loop GCM stand this weekend, and now we all get to help […]
Similar to the spring onions, these green shallots are the early harvested and uncured version of the shallots you’re used to seeing. Brighter, and slightly more mild than cured shallots, these can be used in all the same ways you would shallots or white onion. The greens were looking nice, so I included those as […]
These are the first carrots of this season. “Baby” carrots at the grocery store should called “polished” carrots, since they aren’t really made from baby carrots. These are baby carrots. When we remove the greens from carrots, we like to leave a little bit on the carrot mostly because we think it’s super cute (it […]
Summer squash is the broad category of thin skinned and non-starchy squashes. This week’s shares include the first of the season and are a mix of zucchini and yellow squash. These would be great sautéed for an iconic taste of summer.
I’ve been pretty enamored with snap peas this season. They’ve been crispy and sweet. We shared the Snap Pea Salad recipe last week, but these cook up nice as well. At the Next Door Dinner tonight (6/18), we’re quickly charring snap peas, slicing them thinly, and tossing them with pasta and a beurre blanc sauce. […]
It’s been a great year for strawberries. Plenty of water earlier on in the season to get them growing, and now a lack of it to keep them concentrated with flavor. An extra helping of strawberries were included with this week’s shares so that we can all enjoy them to the fullest.
These are a fun orange that has a great tart fruitiness to them. Nichols noted this week that all of the greenhouses ripened at once, and now they are flush with tomatoes. It definitely showed at their West Loop GCM stand this weekend, and now we all get to help by providing good homes for […]
Earlier in the year, a friend mentioned to me that he loves Nichols’ celery. A couple weeks later Nichols referred to it as their ‘world famous’ celery. I’ve been convinced; I’m definitely team celery. You can usually tell how sweet celery will be from how light it is. A lot of times farmer’s market celery […]
Crisp and refreshing romaine. I was hoping to leave the heart of the romaine whole for you all, but it was in need of a little love so we had to trim it up. Those are the breaks of CSA eating. We adapt, adjust, and make do, thankful that the land provided any which way.
These Bok Choi are cute and small. With a mild brassica bit, they don’t need much more than a quick sauté.
Dill is in the carrot family and shares fresh green notes with other members in the family like parsley or cilantro. Its recognizable woody characteristic is from a chemical that is unique enough to dill that it is name after it: dill ether. Dill is popular in northern European cuisine, often served with fish, as […]
We had red onions back in the first share. These are the same ones, just with an extra month of growth. They’re beginning to look much more like an onion than scallion with the end starting to look like a blub. In about another month or so they will be ready to harvest and cure […]
Last spring’s weather was dramatically different than this year’s. Between draught like conditions along and a mite issue, Nichols produced very few strawberries. This year, the farm reports that the mite issue is lingering a bit, but there will be enough for us all to enjoy. They are a deep red and very delicate, although […]
The mild varieties of lettuces that we eat today are descended from an inedible bitter weed that grew in Asia and the Mediterranean. Thanks to 5,000 years of cultivation and improvements by thoughtful growers, we’re able to enjoy these varieties that are tender with only a pleasant touch of bitterness.
Shelled like this, peas are super easy to add to just about any dish. These ones are firm and sweet and do well quickly sautéed. Peas also freeze really well. Best practice is to blanch first before freezing, but in a pinch you can just toss them in the freezer raw.
Dutch kale sits right in the middle of the more classic curly and dino kales. With some frills, this kale hold on to sauces and seasoning, but it’s hardy enough to hold up well to sautéing.
Tacos is probably most people’s first thought as to what to do with cilantro, but it can brighten up so many dishes. Its great in curries or salads. Lisa made us banh mi inspired sandwiches for dinner that happily took an ample amount of cilantro. If it feels like you won’t get through it all, […]
Early season beets are nice since they’re quite a bit smaller. Roasted whole is a fun way to go, but my preferred way to cook beets is by braising with a decent amount of acid to help brighten up the beets.
This a fun mix of different greens, harvested still small so they are relatively sweet and mild. Great for salads.
These are the same as the spring onions received in the last share, just with a couple more weeks of growth. Its fun how much variety there can be just based on when its harvested. Instead of looking like scallions, now the onions are closer to the size of shallots. The greens at this point […]
Similar to the spring onions, its fun how much bigger these are than when we saw them earlier. Try braising these whole for the veggie equivalent of a pot roast.
From the greenhouse, these cucumbers are great for slicing and eating raw. Once cut, just store in an airtight container.
More tomatoes. Nichol’s is one of the few local farms with an extensive greenhouse program that allows them to have tomatoes at this point in the season.
The larger leaves of the bibb lettuce make them perfect for sandwiches in comparison to the mixed baby lettuce also in the share. The texture is velvety with a mild flavor.
These strawberries are next level. They may be ugly, but they’re intensely flavorful. The reason they’re both ugly and insanely delicious is unfortunate though; we’ve only seen ~1/4″ of rain over the last two months or so. And because of this, its been a very bad year for strawberries. These are likely the only ones […]
Another late spring/early summer favorite. These snap peas are crunchy, and sweet with a mild green bean flavor. Eat as a snack whole, slice for a salad (maybe with those strawberries and some balsamic), or lightly sautee for a fun side dish.
Nichols’ has a significant amount of storage crop space, so these are actually from the fall. They still taste great though, with a creamy texture, and are a nice size for easy chopping.
I like to quarter these and roast them until they are soft and sweet, with much of the intense radish flavor gone, but I’m also crazy and love just eating them raw; plain, with a little butter, or as a garnish.
These are the same as your typical yellow onion, just harvested early so they are still small, tender and little more mild.
Enjoy it, we’re on the back half of the season so before you know it, you’ll be missing it.
These won’t compare to the field tomatoes we’ll get later in the season, but they certainly beat the warehouse ripened ones you’d find at the grocery store.
The flavor is very similar to romaine, but with shorter leaves. Chop just before dressing, for a forkable salad that’s still crunchy.
These are my favorite. Raw they have a slight crunch and a funky flavor between a radish and horseradish (mild though). When cooked, the texture softens to creamy adjacent and the flavor mellows out. Try braising whole for the veggie equivalent of a pot roast.
With the amount of other greens, we went ahead and hit the pause button on these. Use this week, next week, or in 4 months. You won’t be making a crunchy salad but the flavor and quality of the frozen spinach will be near identical to if you were to have cooked it from fresh. […]
In comparison to the spinach, blanching and freezing here was a little more out of convenience than abundance-management as you wouldn’t likely eat these raw anyway. Add at the last moment to any soup, stew, braise, or just sautéed veggies to minimize over cooking.
With the amount of other greens, we went ahead and hit the pause button on these. Use this week, next week, or in 4 months. You won’t be making a crunchy salad but the flavor and quality of the frozen spinach will be near identical to if you were to have cooked it from fresh. […]
Rapini is sometimes also called broccoli rabe. Its from the same family as broccoli (brassicas). Rapini is much leafy-er than broccoli, with the skinniest of florets that are now starting to flower so you’ll see the pretty yellow dotting it. The flavor is very similar to broccoli, but with a slight herbal woodiness that reminds […]
This a red leaf lettuce. It can be on the more bitter end, so as a salad it goes nice with a sweeter dressing (think honey mustard). Alternatively, you can cook it by very briefly by sauteeing it. Sauteed greens like this is a little more common in chinese cuisine, so if you have an […]
This is likely the last of asparagus from Nichol’s for the season. Enjoy it because you will be missing it soon
These won’t compare to the field tomatoes we’ll get later in the season, but they certainly beat the warehouse ripened ones you’d find at the grocery store.
I like to halve/quarter these and roast them until they are soft and sweet, with much of the intense radish flavor gone. If you like it, these are particularly spicy which can be nice raw with butter or something creamy to dip into.
Just a week or two ago, spring onions looked very different. They were much smaller and the greens were still usable, but at this point in the season the greens are starting to become unwieldy so I didn’t include them (although, you might see them make a reappearance). The bulbs are also a little bigger […]
Sweet Winter Carrots from last season’s harvest. Nichol’s is fortunate enough to have a significant amount of storage crop space so we get to enjoy carrots before the ones this season are ready. Don’t worry though, these are still tasting great with a sweet kick and deep carrot flavor. I went ahead and cut these […]
Kohlrabi is another member from the brassica family (same as the rapini). Here though, the base of the stem is what we’re eating. It has pretty much the same flavor and texture as broccoli stems, so you can use it anywhere you would use broccoli (I also like to shred it and make ‘kohl’ slaw). […]
