We had a very radish-ful start to the season, but hopefully you all have had a long enough break to enjoy these. French breakfast radishes are my favorite variety, and my preferred way to eat them is the french way —raw with a healthy smear of butter. But if you don’t like the spiciness of […]
We left the popcorn on the cob for the novelty of it. Just put a full cob into a large paper bag and use the popcorn setting on your microwave (3.5 oz, ~1.5 mins). Most of the popcorn will pop off the cob into the bag, but some will stay on the cob so you […]
We had arugula in the shares back in May. It prefers cool weather which is why it’s making its return into the shares now. I’ve always found Nichols’ arugula to have a more intense pepperiness than what is typically sourced by restaurants or grocery stores. Its pretty fragile so prioritize using it up first. Similar […]
We had a very radish-ful start to the season, but hopefully you all have had a long enough break to enjoy these. French breakfast radishes are my favorite variety, and my preferred way to eat them is the french way —raw with a healthy smear of butter. But if you don’t like the spiciness of […]
We’re pulling a little TV magic here. Cabbages came in the shares this week, but the problem we run into is that we receive one cabbage per a full share. The first time we received cabbages in the shares, we purchased extras so that we could give everyone whole cabbages (to the detriment of our […]
Sunchokes are starchy tubers similar to potato and can be used similarly. Sunchokes are closely related to sunflower, and will often be call ‘Jerusalem artichokes’ for unclear reasons. Roasted sunchoke until tender is always nice. A favorite, but laborious, of mine is to make sunchoke chips to use as a gorgeous crunchy topping for a […]
Goldrush are my favorite apples for a multitude of reasons. Goldrush apples are the state fruit of Illinois as of 2008 when a fourth-grade class from Woodlawn petition state legislature to adopt the fruit as a symbol of the state. Initially breed via a collaborative breeding program between University of Illinois, Purdue, and Rutgers, Goldrushs […]
We had Snowsweets back in the 9th share as well. They were the ones I recommended for charcuterie/cheese boards since they will keep a bright white once cut and have a savory buttery note. Nichols has noted that this has been on of their best apple crops ever, to the point that they are working […]
We have a treat from farmer Jarvi for this week. Last week was the last for harvesting at their Bronzeville plot at Legends Farm. The plot is rented by Windy City Harvest, the Chicago Botanical Garden’s urban agriculture apprenticeship program, and has to deal with the big problems plaguing urban agriculture; dependence on city water […]
Beets seem to be pretty polarizing for people. I would have thought most people don’t like them too much but I’ve been surprised by how many people tell us they love beets. The earthy flavor of beets is due to a molecule called geosmin. It’s also actually present in soil. When it rains, geosmin from […]
More leek! With the potatoes in this share a potato leek soup is sounding delicious. Vichyssoise is a classic. While typically served cold, with the cooler temps I’d just eat it hot.
We also had butternut in the shares back in September. We’ve been enjoying our squash roasted, as soup, and even as pasta sauce.
A variety of fingerling potatoes, these are an easy to use size. In kitchens, we often refer to tasks that are tedious and not really necessary as ‘french’. Peeling potatoes for anything besides mashed potatoes a bit too ‘french’ for me when doing home cooking.
The carrots are building up in our refrigerator from the ample amount Nichols has put in the shares this year. We’re planning to use some of the carrots for carrot cake as a different format for enjoying them. The rainbow carrots might add a fun variation to a typical carrot cake. Or it might just […]
Eggplant and peppers are a couple of fruit-that-we-call-vegetables that have seasons extending into fall (vs. cucumber, tomato, or summer squash). This will be the second time we have them in the share from Otter Oaks and will be the some of the last things they harvest from the Bronzeville plot. Next year Otter Oaks will […]
I don’t think you would be able to find scallions quite this big at the grocery store. Popular in Chinese cooking along garlic and ginger as the base aromatics for most dishes, the white portions can be used just as you would onion while the greens are perfect for a garnish and bringing a nice […]
Collard greens are most famously used in the dish simply called ‘collard greens’ or ‘collards’. The name ‘collards’ however is derived from the same word as other brassicas its closely related to. From On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee; Several vegetables in the cabbage family, ‘kale’, ‘collards’, and ‘cauliflower’, have names that derive from […]
In the list Nichols sent me, they had noted bell peppers for this week but not onions. Yet when we received the shares, onions and peppers! My guess is that as we near the end of the pepper season, there weren’t quite enough for all of the CSA shares Nichols does (>1000 per week) so […]
Greenhouse growing enables Nichols to greatly expand their variety and availability of produce at the beginning and end of seasons. As we start to approach cold nights that lettuce wouldn’t enjoy, growing it in a greenhouse keeps the temperature more even from the day to night allowing them to thrive and increasing the diversity of […]
We had shallots in the shares back in August. Peeled shallots are a staple in restaurant walk-in coolers -but they’re typically enormous and a little sad looking. These from Nichols are smaller and have an intense flavor. We like to use a couple here or there in dishes like we would garlic or onion. Peeled […]
“Supersweet winter” isn’t the variety of these carrots, rather it describes the timing of their planting and harvesting. Once cold weather hits, carrots that are still in the ground convert starches to sugar. In that context, these are early winter carrots but the sweetness is already there. The carrots are building up in our refrigerator […]
This the second time we’ve received Jonathan apples this season. We haven’t been a particular rush to eat all of our apples. Come Thanksgiving, we’ll be thanking our past selves for hording away apples since we’ll make the most delicious mixed variety apple pie to bring to the festivities.
This will be the third share in a row with brussel sprouts which helps make up for the smaller amounts of them that we’ve been getting. I’ve been using them a lot recently to make a quick slaw as an side/garnish for whatever else I’m cooking. I’ll thinly slice 2-5 brussels, and then dress it […]
Nichols listed these as ‘yellow’ potatoes, so I’m not exactly sure which variety they are. If I had to take a guess, I’d say they are the Canada Golds that we had back in the beginning of September.
A favorite tool I use when writing these blurbs is the website Apple Rankings. Written by comedian Brian Frange, it often gives extremely harsh but comical reviews of apple varieties. I’ll leave a blurb here from Apple Ranking’s review of Melroses, but I promise these are tastier than it makes it sound. “This WWII-era tank-fruit […]
These tomatoes are a mix of red and green as this week we’re helping out Otter Oaks by taking what fruit was left on their tomato plants. As the season is wrapping, farmer Jarvi has to completely clean up and clear out their plot at the Legends farm in Bronzeville. The land the Legends farm […]
Watermelon radishes are a little deceptive from the outside; green on the top fading to a pale white and then pink blushed at the tap root. On the inside they’re a strikingly vibrant purple-red. If you like the spiciness of radishes (they’re pretty spicy), they look amazing thinly sliced on a salad. Otherwise consider a […]
Onions are the poster child for the group of vegetables called alliums which includes garlic, leek, shallots, and chives. The distinctive flavor of alliums is due to sulfur compounds that work as irritants resulting in the spiciness of alliums. When cells are damaged by cutting or chewing, enzymes are released that breakdown sulfur compounds into […]
We had big bok choy from Otter Oaks back in the beginning of the season. These from Nichols are small and cute. Bok choy is part of the rapa group of brassicas along with turnips and napa cabbage. The smaller leaves of baby bok choy makes it nice for use whole, either quickly boiled, steamed, […]
A mix of red and green leaf lettuce.
The characteristic green bell pepper flavor is due to the compound isobutyl methoxypyrazine (the same that give sauvignon blancs their distinctive vegetal notes). In red varieties, those compounds fade as the peppers ripen and the flavor becomes dominated by fruiter and more floral compounds like capsanthin, capsorubin, and beta-carotene.
These cute dollop-of-pumpkin winter squashes were initially bred in Japan and are still popular there. They have an chestnut-like flavor which is how they got their name; kuri means “chestnut” in Japanese.
Jonagolds are a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathon bred at the New York State Experimental Station in the 1950s. The texture of the one I tried was a little softer than I prefer but the taste was a strong sweet-tart balance with an intense apple juice flavor.
Ambrosias were first cultivated in British Columbia, Canada in the 1990’s. They’ve gone on to find wide popularity as a year-around grocery store staple often displacing Red Delicious. These ones from Nichols are sweet with only a touch of tartness and a flavor that reminds me of banana bread.
Another storage item from Nichols, this a pretty fun one and easy to make. Just put a full cob into a large paper bag and use the popcorn setting on your microwave (3.5 oz, ~1.5 mins). If you’d rather, you can always break the kernels off the cob and pop on the stove top like […]
We had this variety of potato back in August, but those were still ‘new potatoes’. Since then, these potatoes have gone through a curing process that improves their storability. They’re still deeply purple on the inside, but as the skin has cured, the outside is a little more brown looking.
This would be the sixth time that we’ve had onions in the shares, which sounds like a sweet deal to me. Onions being the chief among the allium family (garlic, leek, etc.), they are pretty much foundational to all cuisines and have been prized by humans for thousands of years.
We grilled some radishes whole the other night. It worked out better than I expected, with the outside taking on a nice char while the inside soften and sweetened without getting mushy.
‘Supersweet’ is the descriptor that Nichols attached to these carrots, and they live up to the name. We’ve stopped peeling carrots when we cook with them. I find it doesn’t make much of difference besides taking time, and when roasting the skin tends to crisp up nicely.
Jonagolds are a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathon bred at the New York State Experimental Station. A little less tart than the Jonathan, its similarly sweet but comes off a little flatter.
Winecrisps are typically regarded for their complex flavor. Along with a crisp texture and nice sweet/acid balance, they’re extremly versatile; nice for eating fresh as well as in cooking applications.
Kabocha squash are popular in Japan. In Japan though, ‘kabocha’ is used to refer to this squash, pumpkin, and other winter squashes. They’re extremely sweet with a nice firm texture. We have used them in place of pumpkin for pumpkin pies before to great success.
Fall crop meaning that they have been freshly dug. These ones are a some hunkers, and some are little funny looking (but definitely taste great). They’re pretty different than the ones we had just earlier this week that were skinny ones (still rainbow).
We had these back in share 9, but those were still ‘new.’ Since then these potatoes have gone through a curing process that improves their storability. You’ll notice that these have a somewhat thicker skin then before (but not so unpleasant that requires peeling).
With all the greens in the shares this week, salads are definitely in our futures. Use the vinaigrette from this recipe for a quick dressing that would work with this lettuce or the with the arugula (or maybe both mixed?!).
Fall crop meaning that they have been freshly dug. I’d call these pencil carrots, and think they would be fun roasted whole. I’d do ~420F for ~10mins so you can crisp up the skins a bit without over cooking the carrots; hot and fast.
This garlic is not too spicy but has a prominent aroma.
Sautéing kale is usually our go-to for cooking it (typically along with other veggies) but it can do well as a salad green. Because it can be a little tougher than other greens, ‘massaging’ it beforehand can help soften the bite. Simply chop the kale, add some oil and salt, and get in there with […]
Also called celeriac, celery root is a favorite of ours. It’s from the base of the plant that celery shoots up out of the ground from. We’ve cleaned them up to the point that all they need is a quick easy peel and they’re good to chop. They have a deeply celery flavor but a […]
Honeycrisp, a prized apple bred for taste, was developed by the University of Minnesota and released in 1991. They are a mix of green and blush-red and are sweet, tart, and fragrant.
These are also known as Tropea onions. Another reappearance as we had them in the fourth share of the season. Their long shape makes them pretty easy to cut, and they have a prominent flavor almost similar to shallot.
From On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee: “People have eaten this plant since prehistory, initially its leaves, then the underground part of specialized varieties. In Greek times beet roots were long, either white or red, and sweet; Theophrastus reported around 300 BCE that they were pleasant enough to eat raw. The fat red type is first depicted […]
We had bell peppers in the last share, and I mentioned that it would likely be the last of the season. I am much more confidence that these are finally the last. Bell peppers have been the one variety of peppers that Nichols was able to salvage this year as the rest of the varieties […]
Eggplant is part of the nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, and even tobacco). Interestingly though, it’s the only nightshade to have been domesticated in the outside of the Americas.
Developed by the University of Minnesota, honeygolds were breed to be an alternative to Golden Delicious that is suitable for colder climates. They have yellow to golden red skins with creamy flesh that has subtle notes of pear.
When writing these blurbs, I usually do a bit of research. One of my favorite resources for apple varieties has become this website, Apple Rankings. Created by comedian, Brian Frange, the reviews are some of the most entertaining out there.
Winter squash are members of the squash family (cucumber, melon, zucchini, pumpkin, etc.). They have a tough dry skin, and are more starchy than summer squash or melon making them great a storage crop. They were domesticated in the Americas ~5000 BCE and can be used in a number of sweet or savory applications: custards, […]
These are a fun different brassica. They’re a cross between brussels sprouts and kale, forming small heads on a stalk similar to brussels sprouts instead with kale leaves. We’ve trimmed the outer large leaves off and packed them separately. This way you can cook them separately since the large outside leaves tend to be fully […]
Empires have the classic brown apple notes (like apple cider or the soda Manzanita Sol) with nice tartness. Empire is cross between Red Delicious and McIntosh, bred at Cornell University in upstate New York.
Bred by North Carolina State University, Covington sweet potatoes are great baking, mashing, and roasting. The simplest way to enjoy these is by baking whole at 375F for ~1hr.
Most people are probably more familiar with fennel seed than fresh fennel. With a characteristic anise or black licorice flavor and a surprising sweetness, fennel is crisp and refreshing when raw, but can also fit well into savory dishes. Fennel caramelizes really well, and benefits from high temperature cooking to develop color. Bulb, stalks and […]
We love radishes, but know they aren’t for everyone. The french thing to do is to eat them raw with a liberal smear of butter (so tasty). If you don’t like radishes, try roasting or sautéing them until soft and translucent (but not too long). The spiciness mellows and allows their sweetness to shine.
The peppery bite of arugula is intoxicating. We love it in salads with a tart dressing and a little bit of shaved hard cheese. It can be a little strong for some people though. A quick sauté will mellow it out. All you need to add is some onion or garlic.
A mix of different colored carrots. There’s orange, ruby, yellow, and (going from outside in) purple-yellow-orange carrots. All very tasty.
Another squash for the centerpiece (or for noshing).
This variety of winter squash was bred at Cornell University and made famous by Dan Barber (chef/author of Blue Hill and The Third Plate). It’s like a butternut squash, but just concentrated down into a smaller package. Super sweet and with a deep squash flavor, they don’t need much more than a simple roast. And […]
Mutsu apples are a golden delicious cultivar, first grown in Japan. In Japan, there are three kinds typically available: Sun, Red, and Silver. Each kind differ in color based on how much sunlight they receive. These from Nichols are a pale yellow-green with red blush, almost a mix of three varieties. SnowSweets are a University […]
Parsnips are in the same family as carrots and parsley. Before the introduction of potatoes from the New World, parsnips were an important staple crop in Europe with the variety grown today having been developed in the Middle Ages. Like potatoes or carrots, parsnips do well roasted. Peeling the skin can make them a little […]
The same variety of blue potatoes that we saw earlier in the season. A casserole or au gratin with these might make a fun Halloween dish.
The sprouts are starting to get larger further into the season. If you’re looking for something different, try making a slaw, thinly slicing the brussels sprouts in place of cabbage.
Fresh ginger isn’t something you’ve likely seen at the grocery store. It doesn’t have the brown papery skin typical to cured ginger. This makes it easy to peel, simply scrap off with a spoon.
Idareds are a cross between Jonathan and Wagener apples, first grown in 1791. Small in size they have a nice sweet-tart balance and hold up well when baked.
With dark crimson-red skin, Arkansas Blacks are rather large apples. They have a thicker skin and are very firm. Through storage, the color will deepen and the flavor sweeten so do not rush to eat these.
Bred by the Midwest Apple Improvement Association , Ludacrisps have a medium size with rose gold colored skin. They are tart and their flavor is tropical-fruity, almost reminiscent of Juicy Fruit gum.
Jonathans are an old school apple. The origin story for it is a bit misty, but they’ve been around since at least the early 1800’s. With a relatively thicker skin, Jonathans have a nice sweet tart balance mild aromatics. Jonagolds are a cross between Golden Delicious and Jonathon bred at the New York State Experimental […]
Beauregards have brick-orange skin with deep orange creamy flesh. Nichols has had one of their best Sweet Potato seasons, harvesting nearly 30,000 lbs. Sweet potatoes are first cured at 85F for 10 days, then they can be held at 60F for nearly the entire winter. The simplest way to enjoy these is by baking whole […]
Potatoes for potato season. Yukons are a solid all-purpose potato. Use for any of your potato needs.
Earlier in the season I mentioned that receiving cabbages in shares is always nice as a rainy-day item. It will keep in the refrigerator for months, and you can always just cut a portion off the head to use, and put the rest back in the refrigerator for later (in a unsealed plastic bag). I’ll […]
We’re at the point in the season that these onions were just about fully cured to the point that they could have been kept in the pantry…..however I trimmed them a bit. In an effort to trim the roots and remove some of the dirtier outer layers of skin I’ve exposed the less fully cured […]
I love how peppery this arugula is. On a sandwich, in an omelet, or as a simple salad, it is delightful. If you don’t like the spicy zesty-ness of raw radish, you might not like raw arugula as much. In that case, try roughly chopping and sautéing it with some leek. I’m a little torn […]
In the last share you all got celery root, now here is some celery. Greenhouse grown celery is usually a little nicer than field celery for eating as less exposure to sunlight means less chlorophyll development and a less bitter celery.
Nichols referred to this a ‘Biker’ Leek, and in my due diligence, I typically research any particularly named variety. In that effort, I occasionally come across some pretty fun descriptions/reviews. Here is one from seedway.com on biker leeks: This summer leek features a very straight long shaft and remarkably erect leaves that make it easy to […]
The last eggplant of the season, these are some nice smaller ones.
This variety of kale is a little frilly with mild flavor and pretty dark red color. It’s hardy and sautés well.
This is my favorite variety of kale. Dark green, with bumpy looking leaves, it’s often called “dino kale.” It’s hardy with a crisp texture that holds up well to sautéing or roasting.
We received honey crisps a couple of shares back, but we won’t complain. 20 Ounce Apples are named such because they can grow to be monstrously big. With a nice level of tartness and flavor similar to Granny Smiths, 20 Ounce Apples first appeared in 1843, supposedly discovered natively growing in upstate New York.
These are some of the biggest delicatas we’ve ever seen. With a thin edible skin, you often see them sliced and roasted as pretty rings. Being so big, these would do well cubed and roasted (or anyway you’d do any other winter squash).
In order to store well, sweet potatoes are cured after harvest. After spending 10 days at 85-90 degrees, the sweet potatoes will keep at 60 degrees until spring, which is good because Nichols Farm harvested over 30,000lbs (!!) this season. The Bayou Belles are the purplish-red, ones, while the Covingtons have brick orange skin.
A lot of leek to close out the season, but we like that though. Besides cleaning leeks (but that’s what you have Gard Mo for), they’re easy to use and add a nice mellow oniony-ness to any dish.
The smaller leaves of baby bok choi makes it nice for use whole, either quickly boiled, steamed, or roasted. Or just chop it and add to a veggie stir fry.
The sprouts are starting to get larger further into the season. If you’re looking for something different, try making a slaw, thinly slicing the brussels sprouts in place of cabbage.
Celery is often described as having no flavor, but that’s just not true. It has a very distinctive flavor that most people would recognize as celery, but it’s just subtle. That aroma is due to less common compounds called phthalides in combination with the ever-common terpenes (piney, citrus, etc.).
Similar to last share, I trimmed these a bit to remove the roots and the dirtier outer layers of skin, but that exposed the less fully-cured layers so store these in the crisper box in the refrigerator and they will last quite a while.
These are some large radishes. You’ll often see daikons pickled in Korean cuisine, and these would be very pretty prepared that way. Otherwise, they do well roasted or sautéed.
Parsley can be polarizing, but I promise this flat leaf Italian parsley is much nicer than the curly parsley that finds its way onto plates. Throw into any dish for a bit of brightness.
You could call this ‘essence of corn’. As we cut all the corn off the cob for you all throughout the season, we held on to the cobs so that we could make this corn cob stock. The flavor is intense and pretty sweet, so consider diluting with some water to use. Corn Cob Stock […]
These cherry tomatoes actually came from my Dad’s garden in Geneva, IL. He planted some cherry tomatoes a few years back, and now they just come back every year and are without a doubt the most productive tomato plants I’ve ever seen. We pickled them with sherry vinegar and dill seed. Toss in a salad, […]
We’ve got a little bit of theme with the apples this share, so if you haven’t thought about the Roman Empire recently, you’re welcome. Empire Apples are named so because they developed at Cornell University. A cross between McIntosh and Red Delicious. Aromatic with nice sweet/tart balance, Empires are great snacking apples. Rome Apples are […]
Spaghetti Squash is named such because of the way the the flesh breaks apart when cooked. You’ll often see it in recipes replacing pasta but I think it stands alone pretty well with just some butter. Roasted is a sure-fire way to cook it, but if you’re in a rush microwaving it works as well.
We really like leek because of how easy it is to use. We cut it down to manageable size pieces so all that you have to do is give it a quick slice and throw in with whatever other veggies you’re cooking.
A mix of orange and yellow carrots. Sweet, snappy, and snacky.
Spinach in the shares this week was a happy accident of the whacky weather recently. We had initially planed for some bok choi, but the cold weather this week killed off the tender crops at the farm. However, hardy crops like spinach, actually get sweeter as the cold nights set in so we get to […]
We’re at the point in the season that these onions were just about fully cured to the point that they could have been kept in the pantry…..however I trimmed them a bit. In an effort to trim the roots and remove some of the dirtier outer layers of skin I’ve exposed the less fully cured […]
Brussels sprouts are one of the more time consuming things for us to prep. We trim the woody ends, and remove the outer dark green leaves. We do that for two reasons. One is that there is often some bad leaves just under those couple tops leaves, and without going through them all you end […]
Celery is often described as having no flavor, but that’s just not true. It has a very distinctive flavor that most people would recognize as celery, but it’s just subtle. That aroma is due to less common compounds called phthalides in combination with the ever-common terpenes (piney, citrus, etc.).
A while back, we mentioned that we we’re including celery leaves in the share. But I (Ben), in a let’s-get-this-done stupor, put all of those leaves into the freezer forgetting that we promised them to you all. Well here are some from the celery in the share this week. Add as a garnish to about […]
Japanese sweet potato from the outside look like the Carolina Rubies that we had a few shares back, but their flesh is a pale white. Fluffy, and sweet these are pretty tasty just baked, or use anywhere you would any other sweet potato.
