Standard Box
Leek
Cauliflower, 1 hd
Napa Cabbage, 1 hd
Walla Walla Onion
Lettuce, 1 hd
Gold Beets with Greens, 1 bu
Scarlett Runner Beans, .5 lb
Lacinato Kale, 1 bu
Red Cabbage, 1 hd
Cherry Tomatoes, 1 pint
Edible Flowers, 13 count
Small Box
Leek
Cauliflower, 1 hd
Napa Cabbage, 1 hd
Walla Walla Onion
Lettuce, 1 hd
Gold Beets with Greens, 1 bu
Heirloom Tomatoes, .75 lb
About Napa Cabbage
Napa cabbage has a lovely pale green color and graceful shape. It is also very nutritious, despite the fact that it resembles iceberg lettuce in color.
One cup has only 20 calories, but contains 46% of the RDA of vitamin C and 26% RDA of vitamin A. It also has 1 gram of vegetable fiber, 1 gram of protein, and lots of absorbable calcium.
But the real surprise is how many phytochemicals it contains. Phytochemicals occur naturally in plants but are not considered “essential nutrients.” However, they appear to have effects on many human diseases, including fighting cancer.
Napa cabbage is also called Chinese cabbage and is used extensively in Oriental cuisines. Here are a few ways to enjoy its flavorful crunch.
- Steam some of the large outer leaves until just soft enough to roll. Fill with browned sausage, rice, onions and herbs. Top with some chopped Nash’s tomatoes and a little cheese, and bake until bubbly.
- Mix 2 cups of chopped Napa, 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar, 4 sliced garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 Tbsp. of your favorite hot sauce. Chill in the fridge overnight and enjoy!
- Slice into a stir-fry with other veggies and peanut oil Serve over rice.
- Substitute Napa cabbage for green cabbage in any slaw recipe. Try combining 2 cups chopped or shredded Napa, 1 chopped nectarine, a finely diced jalapeno, 1/3 cup mayo or Vegennaise, 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar, and salt to taste. Chill before serving.
- Napa is fabulous sautéed or braised in veggie broth. Add a little ground ginger, garlic powder and a dash of soy sauce. Cook 8-10 minutes until just soft.
- Slice the green portion of a couple of leaves very thin, mix with finely chopped cooked shrimp or chicken, some chopped fresh basil and some cooked rice or rice noodles. Roll in a spring roll wrapper and serve with soy sauce or fish sauce.
- Add to tacos! It has more crunch than plain lettuce.
Scarlet Runner Beans
The organic scarlet runners in the Standard boxes were grown in a no-till experimental plot this year on property owned by manager Kia Armstrong.
Instead of tilling, Kia prepped the beds with plastic mulch for over a year to kill the weeds and grass. Once planted by hand, the beans were then inter-planted with rows of buckwheat and phacelia to provide competition for re-emerging weeds. Cardboard and straw mulch were also layered along the borders to suppress grass. Although the beds required some hand weeding, the thickly sown buckwheat and phacelia did a great job outcompeting the thistle and no tractor cultivation was required. Drip irrigation was used to maximize water efficiency. In the photo above, the buckwheat flowers can be seen on the ground, while the bean vines with their lovely red flowers can climb as much as 10-15 feet.
After harvest peaks in the bean patch, August and September tasks will include more mulching and reseeding cover crops, and putting the beds “to rest” for the coming fall and winter. Kia will also experiment with different types of long-term mulches, and possibly double the area planted next year.
Now that the fencing and trellis infrastructure has been established, we have a unique area to continue experimenting with growing no-till crops to increase the long term health of the soil, reduce reliance on irrigation, and provide perennial pollinator habitat. Although the “no till” model is not feasible for the 50+ acres of vegetables we usually grow every year on the farm, we are excited to experiment further with this technique to see how aspects of it could be used for better resource management across the farm.
The scarlet runner beans in the Standard boxes this week are tender and slightly sweet. Use them as you would green beans: raw dipped in hummus, steamed, stir-fried or oven roasted, or even marinated and tossed on the grill!