Your box has Fava Beans, Spinach, Basil, Bunched Carrots, Lettuce, and Baby Bok Choy.

The small box also has: Cucumber
The standard box also has: Red Bunched Beets, Napa Cabbage, Broccoli

Your first box has some veggies that need no introduction, such as spinach and the first carrots of the season. Here are some that might be new to you.

FRESH FAVA BEANS

Fava beans are rich in vegetable proteins, fiber and iron. In Charles Dickens’ time, they were called “the beef of the poor.”

Split the pod at the seam and remove the beans. They look like large lima beans. You can cook and eat them with the pale outer skin still on, but they will be a little more chewy.

To remove the second skin, make a small slit with a knife along the edge of the bean to pop it out of its skin. Blanching the beans for about a minute, then plunging them in ice-cold water to stop the cooking process makes it easier to extract them.

1.25 lbs. favas in the pods make about 1 cup beans. This may seem like a lot of work, but the rich, buttery flavor is worth it. You’ll find recipes on Nash’s website Recipe Blog.

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR FRESH BUNCHED BASIL

Make pesto.
Stuff some sprigs into your favorite olive oil to infuse it.
Stack slices of tomato, mozzarella and a fresh basil leaf and drizzle with Balsamic vinegar for an appetizer.
Make tomato, watermelon and basil skewers. Add to pizza, soups and salads.
Grill halibut, shrimp or salmon, and add tomato and basil at the very end.
Add punch to your favorite side dishes.
Serve basil with fruit like watermelon, lime, lemon, mango and strawberries.
Don’t forget your cocktails! Muddle basil into lemon or berry-based drinks, like daiquiris.

Once you get your basil home, place the cut stems in an inch of water and keep it away from light and air currents. The water should be changed every other day.

You can also wrap it in a damp paper towel and store in the refrigerator crisper. Be sure to keep the towel damp.

NAPA CABBAGE

Instead of using green cabbage for cabbage rolls, try some of the larger outer leaves of Napa cabbage. Cut them in half and steam or boil them until they just turn soft and then fill with a mixture of cooked rice and browned mild sausage or hamburger, and onion. Top with tomato sauce, a little cheese, and bake until bubbly.

Rotating around the Farm

You may wonder sometimes how come some crops seem to be available for months and others have a very short season of availability. At Nash’s organic farm, we provide our customers only what is in season in our region, so it is absolutely fresh and at its prime. But how and why do we keep up a steady supply of certain vegetables, while others make only a brief appearance?

We strive for a consistent supply of several staple vegetables by planting what is commonly called “rotations.” Spinach, for example, is a quick-turning crop that takes about 30 days to fully mature, and once its been harvested we can re-prep the field and plant something else.

We plant successive rotations of spinach twice a week from April to September. Rotations vary in size, depending on where they’re planted. 40 rotations will be harvested from May into December of these calcium-rich tender greens for local sales, farmers markets and wholesale shipping.

Carrots is another crop that gets repeated plantings, although not nearly as frequently as spinach. We plant 5 or 6 rotations of carrots, at about two-week intervals. Rotations of broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are also scheduled to go in the ground once a week for several months.

On the other hand, celery is so labor intensive and takes so long to fully mature, that we only plant one rotation annually. Celery seeds are started in the greenhouse in March, are transplanted into the field in early May. We don’t actually harvest it until early October!

Three rotations of corn on Delta Farm.