The Great E-Scape

With this hot summer weather comes some boomer of storms. I am typically all in favour of a good rain, but I will pass on the hail.
As we move into July, there has been rapid growth in the garden. It seems that I will be gone for a couple days and plants will double in size. So is it unreasonable to think by spraying these plants with a compost tea it will make the garden look like Jumanji?
As the season moves along, old plants come out and new plants and seeds go in. Nature has a cool way with dealing with old and dying plants.

*Hail damage on a zucchini leaf           *Compost Tea

The Circle of Life

It seems that we can’t escape a summer season without getting a little hail. After that scorcher of a Canada Day, some areas got a good storm or two. The garden was no exception. We got a hefty 1 inch of moister, but along with it came some hail. It wasn’t sever and only lasted a minute or so, but some damage was done. Some leaves got tore up, thankfully the plants are putting on so much new growth that they will bounce back in a couple days.

It’s funny this time of year the size of the garden can change in a couple days. What once was only a foot tall plant, will seemingly grow a foot in 2 days. A prime example of this is the zucchini and cucumbers.

So it seems like I am playing with fire by giving these plants a fertilizer boost each week. Staying true to the organic growing practices. I have opted for a natural form of plant food, worm compost tea. I have a red worm bin at home that I feed every couple weeks, with vegetable scraps.

This worm compost or vermicompost as it is called is highly sought after by all growers not just organic producers. I make a batch of this compost tea in a 5 gallon bucket, with a little molasses, 2 cups of worm castings wrapped in cheese cloth, and one secret component. A standard air pump that is used in aquariums. This helps oxygenate the tea. I then dilute the worm tea by doing a 50/50 of water to compost tea in a sprayer. I then spray the leaf of the plants and watch the garden grow.

What happens to all these plants when they hit their full growth cycle? They come out of the ground, and automatically go to huge compost pile that I have started just by the garden. That pile is then turned and mixed for weeks after helping all the organic matter to break down. As a result, that very compost will go back into the garden for the next year.

Queue up, the Lion King, Circle of Life theme song.

What’s In The Haul

HALF

Romaine Lettuce

Bundle of Kale

Garlic Scapes

Dill or Cilantro

FULL

Romaine Lettuce

Kohlrabi

Garlic Scapes

Green Onions

Turnip Greens

Collard Greens

Week 3 Recipes

Romaine Lettuce

Caesar Salad
Bacon Ranch Salad

Lettuce Storage Tips:

In a resealable container or bag, line the bottom with a paper towel. Place the lid back on or reseal the bag and store in your fridge for up to 7 days. A container works great because it prevents the lettuce from getting bruised.

Caesar salad

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup mayo

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1 tsp anchovy paste

Salt and Pepper

-Mix the ingredients in a bowl and pour over your Caesar salad.

*anchovy paste in the tube stores well in the fridge and is way more convenient than a tin of anchovies.

1 large head or 2 medium heads of Romaine

1 cup of croutons

1/4 cup parmesan

Roughly chop Romaine into bite size pieces. Add croutons, parmesan cheese, and Caesar salad dressing. Mix together and enjoy.

Bacon Ranch Salad

1 head of romaine

1/2 cup bacon, cook and roughly chopped

4 hard boiled eggs, cut into 1/4’s

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 bundle chopped green onions

Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp green onion or chives

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp dill

Salt and Pepper

-Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over your salad.

OR

Greek Yoghurt Ranch Dressing

1/2 greek yoghurt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp green onions

1 tsp dill

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Salt and Pepper

-Mix together all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over your salad.

Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi and Pear Salad
German Style Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi Storage Tips:

Kohlrabi, can be stored in your fridge as is, and can stay fresh for 3 weeks.

Freezing kohlrabi, peel the thick skin from the vegetable. Cut into 1 inch cubes and blanch the kohlrabi in the boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove from the water and transfer to an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Put the cooled kohlrabi into a freezer bag and freeze. It will last in the freezer for 6 months.

Kohlrabi and Pear Salad

1 large kohlrabi, peeled and sliced

2 ripe pears, sliced

1/4 cup walnuts

1 bundle of green onions sliced

1 bundle of parsley

1 leaves of mint

3 tbsp olive oil

Juice from half of a lemon or 1 tbsp of vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Peal and slice the kohlrabi and place in bowl. Then add the thinly sliced pear, walnuts, green onion, roughly chopped parsley and mint, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss the salad together and let sit in the fridge for a couple hour for the salad to come together and develop flavour.

German Style Kohlrabi

1 Kohlrabi

1 tsp Salt

1 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp AP flour or Gluten free flour

3/4 cup of milk

Pinch of nutmeg

In a pot of boiling water add the peeled and slice kohlrabi. Let it cook for 6-8 minutes just until fork tender (poke it with a fork). Drain and set off to the side.

Using the same pot over medium heat add in the butter and let melt. Once the butter is melted, stir in the flour and let it cook for a minute. Once the butter and flour are cooked add in the milk and mix well to prevent any clumps from forming. This sauce should thicken up in about 5 minutes. Add the salt and nutmeg to the sauce, and dump in the cooked Kohlrabi. Mix together and enjoy.

Optional add German Style kohlrabi to a baking dish, sprinkle with 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

**Garlic Scapes**

Garlic Scape Compound Butter
Sautéed Broccoli, Mushrooms and Garlic Scapes

Garlic Scape Storage Tips:

Store in a resealable bag in the fridge, they will last up to 10 days.

Scape & Lemon Compound Butter

1 bundle of garlic scapes

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup soft butter

Salt and Pepper

In a food processor add all the ingredients and blend together. With a rubber spatula scrape the butter mixture out and onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form the butter mixture into a rough log shape and wrap the plastic wrap around shaping the butter. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to tighten the package. Place in the freezer to keep. When you want to use the compound butter remove from the freezer 10 minutes before using. Slice a coin off the butter and serve over grilled meat or potatoes.

Sautéed Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Garlic Scapes

4 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic scapes, diced

1 cup of mushrooms, sliced

3 cups of broccoli, cut into florets

In a sauté pan over medium high heat, add the oil, onions and garlic scapes. Let the veggies heat up and sizzle. Add in the sliced mushrooms and broccoli. Reduce the heat to medium and let cook until broccoli is tender. About 5 minutes, remember to stir the pan to prevent burning.

Green Onion Storage Tips:

Whole onions can be stored in a cool, dry, dark and well ventilated place. This would be a basement, cellar, or garage. Already peeled and cut onions can be stored in the fridge in a air tight container to prevent the onion odour corrupting other foods. They will store in the fridge for 7-10 days.

Green onions can be stored in the fridge in a zip lock bag with a paper towel for up to a week.

Green Onion Dip

1 bundle of green onions, chopped

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 sour cream

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp white vinegar

Salt and Pepper

In a bowl combine all the ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste. Let chill in the fridge for two hours before enjoying with your favourite raw veggies.

Turnip

Sautéed turnip greens
Pickled turnips

Turnip Storage Tips:

Cut the green tops off of the turnips. Place the turnip bulb into a zip lock bag with a paper towel to wick away any moisture. If you want to keep the tops, remove the greens from the stalk. Store the greens in a zip lock bag with a paper towel. Greens should last a week in the fridge. Where as the bulb will last up to 2 weeks.

Parings to go with Salad Turnip

Bacon, Butter, Parmesan Cheese, Cream, Dill, Garlic, Honey, Leeks, Green Onion, Potatoes, Thyme, Lamb, Roast Chicken

Sautéed Turnip Greens

4 strips of bacon

2 cups of turnip greens, roughly chopped

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/8 cup white wine

Preheat a sauté pan over medium heat. Dice the bacon and cook until almost fully cooked. Add in the onion and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Next add in the chopped turnip greens and sauté for a few minutes. Add the white wine and let it reduce completely. Salt and pepper and enjoy.

Pickled Turnips

1 cup of water

1/3 cup of vinegar

1 bay leaf

1/8 cup Kosher Salt

4 small turnips, cut into sticks

1 small beet

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, add the water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a simmer and let it go until the salt is dissolved. Let the brine mixture cool to room temp. In a sealable container add the turnip, beets, garlic and cooled brine mixture. Cover with the lid and let it marinate for 3 days in the fridge.

KALE

Kale Chips
Kale Pesto with Grilled Peach Pizza
Kale Kimchi

Kale Storage Tips:

Take the washed kale and place in a zip lock bag or air tight container. Put a dry piece of paper towel in the bag or container to wick away any moisture. Kale is pretty resilient and will last in your fridge up to 10 days.

Freezing kale, remove the rib from the kale leaf. Blanch the kale in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the kale from the water, letting it air dry or dry it off with a dry towel. Place it on a baking sheet and put into the freezer for 2 hours. Once frozen put into a zip lock bag and put it back into the freezer. It will last up to 3 months.

What Pares with Kale

Garlic, olive oil, onions, red pepper flakes, salt, thyme, vinegar, butter, cheddar cheese, roast chicken, lemon juice, pancetta, bacon, sweet potatoes.

Kale Chips with Ranch Seasoning

Bundle of kale

2 tbsp olive oil

Ranch seasoning

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dried dill

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the kale into bite size pieces and massage the leaves with olive oil. Lay the leaves on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Mix together the ranch seasoning and sprinkle onto the kale. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Then rotate the pan and bake for another 15 minutes

Kale Pesto and Grilled Peach Pizza

1 recipe of kale pesto

2 ripe peaches

Prosciutto

Feta or bocconcini

4 flatbreads, store bought pitas

Preheat the BBQ on high. Cut the peaches in half, remove the pit. Cut into 1/8 and grill on the BBQ.

While the peaches cook, preheat a cast iron pan on the BBQ. Remove the peaches. Once the skillet is hot start building the pizzas. Spoon and spread the kale pesto on top of the flatbread. Add the prosciutto, peaches and cheese to the top and place the pizza in the hot cast iron skillet. Close the lid and let it cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese is melted and the flatbread turns golden brown.

Kale Kimchi

1 Bundle of Kale

1 tsp kosher salt

4 carrots, grated

8 radishes, grated

1 bundle of green onions, chopped

1 tbsp ginger, grated

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tbsp red chilli flakes

3 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp paprika

Hand tear the kale. In a bowl combine the kale, carrots, radish, green onion, ginger, and garlic.

Sprinkle the salt amongst the vegetables and massage in. Let the salt and vegetables sit for 10-15 minutes.

In a smaller separate bowl combine the paprika, chilli flakes and fish sauce. Add to the vegetables and mix together thoroughly. Pack everything into a mason jar and cover with the seal. If need be add a bit of water to the vegetables just until they are covered. Do not tighten the ring, leave it loose. This will allow gas to escape the jar while the vegetables ferment. Let it sit on the counter for 3-4 days. Once fermented tighten the lid and store in the fridge.

Collard Greens

Bacon and Collard Greens
Collard Greens: Tuna and Veggie Wrap

Collard Greens Storage Tips

Take the washed collard greens and place in a zip lock bag or air tight container. Put a dry piece of paper towel in the bag or container to wick away any moisture. Collards are pretty resilient and will last in your fridge up to 10 days.

Freezing collards, remove the rib from the leaf. Blanch the greens in boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the collards from the water, letting it air dry or dry it off with a dry towel. Place it on a baking sheet and put into the freezer for 2 hours. Once frozen put into a zip lock bag and put it back into the freezer. It will last up to 3 months.

Bacon and Collard Greens

2 strips of bacon, diced and cooked

1 onion, diced

3 cloves of garlic, slice (optionally use garlic scapes)

4 leaves of collard greens, roughly chopped

In a sauté pan over medium high heat, add the chopped bacon to the pan and let it cook fully. Once the bacon is cook and released the fat add in the onion and garlic, let it cook for a couple minutes. Next add the roughly chopped greens to a pan and let it cook for a couple minutes.

Collard Greens; Tuna and Veggie Wraps

4 leaves of collard greens

1 can of tuna or fresh grilled tuna

1 cucumber, diced

1 tomato, diced

Green onions, diced

Cilantro, roughly chopped

Siracha Mayo

Start by de-veining the collards. Using a paring knife, remove the vein that runs up the collard, but don’t cut through the collard green. In a pan over medium heat lay the leaf flat and steam for 5 seconds on each side.

Assemble the wraps, lay the leaf flat. Add the mayo, cilantro, green onion, tomato, cucumber and tuna.

Herb Storage Tips

Store in a bag or resalable container in the fridge. Will last in the fridge for up to a week.

IG Fresh Haul Week 3

The Great E-Scape

The Circle of Life

What’s In The Haul

HALF

FULL

Week 3 Recipes