Hello All and Happy Friday! Spring has officially arrived and soon we will be seeing more produce. Next week’s bins will include some favorites. We are especially excited for the leeks and baby turnips! Many people shy away from these root vegetables, but when cooked right, they are splendid.
The leeks are especially special as they are local from Ralph’s! His leeks are the best, hands down!
A Little History: There is a lot of lore from many different cultures surrounding the leek. In 640 A.D., the Welsh wore leeks in their hats to distinguish themselves from the enemy during the battle between King Cadwallader of Wales and the Saxons.
Leeks are also great for many nutritional reasons: they are a good source of dietary fiber; contain goodly amounts of folic acid, calcium, potassium, and vitamin C; are easier to digest than standard onions; and leeks have laxative, antiseptic, diuretic, and anti-arthritic properties.
Cooking Tips (Courtesy of HomeCooking.com): When cooking leeks as a side dish, it is important they not be overcooked. Overcooking will turn them into a slimy, unappetizing pile of mush. They should be cooked until tender but still exert a little resistance when pierced.
The dark green trimmed leaves may be used to flavor stock or blanched and used as a wrapper for any variety of fillings. In general, leeks can be substituted for onions in most dishes using onions for flavoring. Raw leeks may be sliced thin and added to salads. Leeks partner well with veal, cheese, chicken, andham. Complimentary herbs and spices include chervil, parsley, sage, thyme, basil, lemon, and mustard.
We are also very excited for the Baby Bunched Turnips! These are young tender turnips with greens attached – so use the whole thing when cooking! They are not bitter like the larger variety. They can be eaten raw like a radish, but are delicious sautéed or roasted!
Turnips are nutritious root vegetables found mostly in cuisines from Europe, Asia, and Eastern American regions.
The roots have been known to be a staple food during ancient Greek and Roman periods. Although the bottom is widely eaten; it is the top fresh greens that are more nutritious: richer in vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants.
Cooking Tips (Courtesy of Nutrition-and-you.com): Wash roots in cold running water in order to remove soil and any fungicide residues from the surface. Trim the top and bottom ends of the vegetable. Peeling may not be necessary in young roots.
Here are some serving tips:
- Young turnips are one of the favored items in raw salads for their sweet taste, complementing with cabbage, Parsnips, carrots, beets etc.
- Its cubes can mix well with other vegetables like kohlrabi, potato, carrots in variety of recipes.
- Diced roots can be added to poultry, lamb, pork etc.
- Add raw baby turnip slices with olives and cherry tomatoes to make delicious appetizer.
- Its top greens used with other greens in the preparation of soups, curries as well as in cooked vegetable recipes.
