Harmony Valley Farm

Things are changing fast around here! Over the past week the strawberries have started to ripen and now over two-thirds of the field has red berries. We have cilantro coming in from several different fields and we may be harvesting zucchini by the end of the week! The garlic field is pulling into the next phase of development as it is pushing out scapes, which is the focus of this week’s feature article!

This week we’re featuring two very simple, yet versatile recipes. The first is for Garlic Scape & Basil Dip (See Below). You can use this as a dip, or I’ve given you a few other ideas for how you can use this recipe in multiple ways. I also included one of my favorite recipes, Garlic Scape & Cilantro Pesto (See Below). It is so easy to make a batch of this and keep it in the refrigerator. I mix a spoonful into scrambled eggs in the morning, toss it with hot pasta and chicken for a quick dinner, or use it as a spread on a ham sandwich. Beyond these two recipes, thank you to the member in our Facebook Group who shared a link to 30+ Ways to Use Garlic Scapes! This is a great collection of recipes and definitely worth checking out!

Baked Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast
Photo from www.halfbakedharvest.com

This week’s box is heavy on vegetables to use for some delightful spring salads! I included several links for salad ideas that incorporate other items in the box, such as this recipe for Asparagus & Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing. You can incorporate your strawberries into salad as well for a savory spin on things. Check out these recipes for Arugula & Goat Cheese Salad with Fresh Strawberries and Strawberry Poppyseed Salad. If you’d like to save your mini heads of lettuce for something other than salads, check out these two recipe collections for 30 Best Lettuce Wrap Recipes and

20 Lettuce Wrap Recipes You’ll Want to Devour Stat!. They have some excellent options for using lettuce leaves as wraps and carriers for tasty fillings!

On the non-salad front, I added a little variety to offer suggestions for a few ideas that may serve as a main dish item. These Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Sauce and Grilled Steak with Scallion Ginger Sauce sounded like good recipes to kick off grilling season!

I’ll wrap up this week’s Cooking With the Box article with a few recipes from the sweet side of things. I have not had baked French Toast in quite a while, but this recipe for Baked Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast looks decadent! Of course, you can never go wrong with a simple crisp such as this Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp!

Have a great week and as always, let us know what you’re cooking up in your kitchens over the next week! I also want to remind you that our Strawberry Day event is coming up very soon on Sunday, June 18. If you are a CSA member, check your email for more information about this event and a link to RSVP. See you next week!

-Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Garlic Scapes

by Andrea Yoder

Garlic scapes are a great example of how interesting and diverse the world of vegetables can be! If you are not familiar with garlic scapes, they are easily identifiable. They are green, long, and skinny and have a natural curl to them, hence we work with the curl when we bunch them.

Garlic Scapes in the field

Nearly the entire scape is edible and is best when harvested while young and tender. You may need to trim off the skinny end near the little bulb at the far end of the scape as this portion is often tough. The remainder of the scape is usable and tender, so they do not need to be peeled. Scapes have a bright, juicy, mild garlic flavor. They may be used in any recipe that calls for garlic cloves, just chop them up and add them as you would minced garlic. They can also be grilled or roasted, pickled, fermented, and make an awesome pesto! They are a great addition to eggs, stir-fries, pizzas, etc.

Garlic scapes are actually a byproduct of growing hardneck garlic. They grow up from the center of the plant and we harvest them in early June, about a month ahead of our annual garlic harvest. Scapes are part of nature’s plan for the plant to propagate itself in the soil. If left unattended, the bulbil on the end of the scape would get bigger and would eventually be so heavy as the scape grows up out of the center of the plant that it would fall down and plant itself, thereby propagating a new plant! We’re cultivating garlic, so we plant a clove of garlic from a full-sized bulb and use that as a means of growing the plant. Since we don’t need the scape to produce another crop, we go through the field and cut them off from the plant so the plant can focus its energy into producing a nice sized bulb instead of a scape.

Up until the early 90’s we used to remove scapes from the garlic plant and throw them on the ground! We were the first farm in the Midwest to start harvesting the scapes for use as a vegetable, thanks to one of our customers from Korea who asked us to save the garlic scapes for her so she could make pickles. We thought this was odd but saved some for her anyway. She was gracious enough to share a jar of pickled scapes with us and that was our introduction to how delicious they are to eat!

Store scapes in the refrigerator until you are ready to use them. They’ll store for 2-3 weeks. If you’re looking for some interesting ways to use garlic scapes this year, check out this article featured at www.practicalselfreliance.com for a list of 30 tasty garlic scape recipes!

Garlic Scape & Basil Dip

Photo from www.yellowbirchbobbyfarm.com

Yield: 1 ½ cups

6 garlic scapes

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

1 ½ cups full fat sour cream

1 lemon

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Trim the ends of the garlic scapes and roughly chop into 1-inch pieces. Add them to a food processor along with the basil. Process in the food processor until very finely chopped. Scrape the contents out into a medium mixing bowl.
Add the sour cream, the juice from the lemon, and the salt and pepper. Mix well. Add more salt and/or pepper as needed, to taste.
Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld, then serve.

Recipe borrowed from www.yellowbirchhobbyfarm.com.

Serving Suggestions: This is a simple, handy recipe to make as you can use this “dip” to enhance your meals in a variety of ways. Use this dip for fresh vegetables or serve it with grilled asparagus or roasted or baked potatoes, add a drizzle to tacos, grilled fish, pork, or beef, or add a dollop to a bowl of beans or lentils. You can thin it out with a touch of cream and turn it into a creamy dressing to toss with romaine lettuce, or substitute cream cheese for the sour cream and turn it into a spread for sandwiches, wraps, flatbreads, or crackers.

Garlic Scape & Cilantro Pesto

Serves 6 (Makes approximately 1 ½ cups)

1 cup garlic scapes (6 to 8 scapes, or about 1 bunch), cut into 1-inch pieces, tips removed and discarded

1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems coarsely chopped

½ cup raw pumpkin seeds, toasted and cooled

1/3 cup cold-pressed sunflower oil

2 tsp lime juice or apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine scapes and pumpkin seeds in food processor and pulse until coarsely ground.
Add cilantro, lime juice and oil; pulse until evenly chopped. Season with salt and pepper. Use within a week in the fridge or freeze it.

**HVF Serving suggestions: Toss with hot pasta and grated cheese for a quick dinner; Stir into scrambled eggs, use as a spread on a sandwich, mix with sour cream or plain yogurt and use as a dip for fresh veggies.

We featured this simple recipe in our newsletter back in 2015, but I wanted to publish it again for those of you who may be relatively new to CSA. Creative credit for this recipe goes to Dani Lind, a longtime friend of HVF and a talented chef from our area! Her recipe was originally featured in the Edible Madison, Season by Season 5th Anniversary Edition.

Thursday, June 1, 2023

2023 Pollinator Packs!

Pollinator Packs: Supporting our Pollinator Creatures Since 2016!

By Andrea Yoder

Eight years ago we had an idea to publish a series of educational articles entitled “The Silent Spring Series.” These articles are available on our blog and we encourage you to take some time to read them. You’ll find links to each article in the series at the conclusion of this article. This idea was preceded in May 2015 by the White House’s release of the “National Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators,” an important groundbreaking step towards acknowledging and mobilizing action around our rapidly declining pollinator populations within North America. However, the report was not considered complete by many individuals in conservation circles who raised concern about the impact pesticide use was/is having on our declining pollinator and wildlife populations. Over the course of the summer of 2015 we reported more in-depth about the impact the use of these chemicals was having on our environment, human health and the health of our pollinator populations. As the articles started to stack up, the topics got heavier and heavier! As we neared the end of the series, we found ourselves asking “But what can we do to take positive action?” As we sat around the kitchen table and discussed how we were feeling, we found ourselves brainstorming. Out of this brainstorm session the idea to introduce Pollinator Packs was born!

Pollinator Garden at Harmony Valley Farm

In 2016 we planted our first Pollinator Packs to share with our CSA membership. This is our way of investing in positive change to benefit our own farm and the areas where we work and live, but we wanted to bring all of you along in the effort as well! This is where the “C” in CSA comes into play. We don’t make any money on these pollinator packs, rather we invest our time and resources to put them together for you. But it’s not about making money. It’s about coming together as a community to support positive changes and make an impact where we can. As we partner together as a community on this project, we’re able to broaden the reach and multiply the impact. Not only do we have some very nice, well-developed pollinator habitat areas on our farm and around the fields where we grow your vegetables, but now many of our CSA members have their own gardens and spaces that are supporting pollinator populations in their communities as well!

Rattlesnake Master,
Harmony Valley Farm

So this year I’d like to put out a request to anyone from our CSA community who is willing to contribute. Later this season I would like to compile an article that reports on the positive changes happening in your/our communities. We want to know how your pollinator gardens are growing and developing since we introduced this concept back in 2016. Send us pictures of your plants and spaces, but also let us know what creatures and wildlife these plants have attracted and supported. Have others in your community or friends and family members seen what you are doing and started to ask questions? My vision is to share these stories and reports with our CSA membership, but also to send the article out into the world to be shared with others as a way of encouraging them to take responsibility and invest in similar projects. Of course, in a world that is full with quite a lot of “bad news,” it would be nice to have some positive contributions!

Now on to this year’s packs. We always try to plant a variety of native wildflowers and grasses that will bloom across the season so as to provide a steady supply of food. We also try to balance some easy to establish plants with ones that are a bit more unique and sometimes a challenge to start. This year Richard went crazy when he was ordering and ordered a lot of different things! (Ok, I’ll take responsibility for contributing to that list as well). While every seed does not germinate and take off, we had more plants than would fit into our Standard Pollinator packs. Thus we planted two different packs this year--Standard Pollinator Packs & Enhancement Packs. We've included the photos and diagrams below to assist you in identifying your plants. If you position your pack as it is positioned in the picture, your pack will match the diagram and make it easy for you to identify each plant.

All of the seeds we used were sourced from Prairie Moon Nursery. If you click on the name of the plant below, it will take you to their website where you can get more information about how and where to plant these packs, how to care for them, etc. Please note, we did have to make a few substitutions to some packs. Thus, your pack may differ slightly from the contents below. See your "What's In the Box" email from the week of June 1/2/3 or June 8/9/10 for details about substitutions.

STANDARD POLLINATOR PACK CONTENTS:

Standard Pollinator Pack Diagram

Blue Ridge Buckbean, Harmony Valley Farm

Blue Ridge Buckbean

Rose Milkweed

Smooth Blue Aster

Purple Lovegrass

Silky Wild Rye

Wild Bergamot

Brown-Eyed Susan

Butterfly Weed

Lance Leaf Coreopsis

ENHANCEMENT POLLINATOR PACK CONTENTS:

Enhancement Pollinator Pack Contents Diagram

Wild Lupine, Harmony Valley Farm

Wild Lupines

Partridge Pea

Prairie Dropseed

Silky wild Rye

Blue Wild Indigo

Side Oats Grama

Silent Spring Series, Part 1--Introduction

Silent Spring Series #2—The Rise of Neonicotinoids

Silent Spring Series #3—The Rise of Neonicotinoids, Part 2

Silent Spring Series #4—Glyphosate, Roundup’s Best Friend,Part 1

Silent Spring Series #5—Reflections on the Precautionary Principle

Silent Spring Series #6—The Challenge

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

June 1, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Baby White Turnips

Cooking With This Week's Box

Baby White Salad Turnips:

Maple-Glazed Baby White Turnip & Shiitake on Soba Noodles (See below)

Roasted Baby White Turnips & Radishes (See below)

Smoked Salmon Dip with Green Onions
Photo From www.razzledazzlelife.com

Overwintered Potato Onions:

Smoked Salmon Dip with Green Onions

Hon Tsai Tai:

Vegetarian Carbonara with Baby White Turnips & Greens

Hon Tsai Tai and Shiitake Potstickers

Sesame-Soy Hon Tsai Tai & Chicken Salad

Asparagus:

Ham, Gruyere, and Asparagus Tartine

Asparagus, Egg & Cheese Strata

Spring Stroganoff with Asparagus

Green Garlic:

Spring Lettuce Salad with Roasted Asparagus
Photo from www.foodandwine.com

Roasted Green Garlic & Asparagus Pasta with Greens

Green Garlic Pesto

Baby Arugula:

Arugula and Strawberry Salad with Feta Cheese

Asparagus, Arugula & Cannellini Bean Salad with Walnuts

Salad Mix:

Spring Lettuce Salad with Roasted Asparagus

Spring Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Green Top Red Radishes:

Pan-Seared Chicken with Crispy Radish Salad

Turmeric Chicken with Lemon Radish Salad

Rhubarb:

Honey Rhubarb Chicken

Roasted Rhubarb Barbecue Sauce

Grilled Chicken and Radish Salad
Photo from www.cuisineathome.com

Mini Green Romaine Head Lettuce:

Grilled Chicken and Radish Salad with Carrot-Miso Dressing

Pea Vine:

Pasta with Asparagus and Avocado-Pea Vine Cream Sauce

Pea Vine Cream Cheese

Pea Vine Pesto Pasta Salad

We’re moving into the month of June, and it is definitely heating up! Hopefully, that means a strong finish to our asparagus season, but it also means we have a lot more vegetables coming in very soon! This week we’ve added Baby White Turnips to the lineup. These delicate turnips are a real treat in the spring and they’re gorgeous! If you’re not a turnip lover based on your experiences with purple top or other fall storage turnips, I hope you’ll give these a try as they are a totally different eating experience! This week’s featured recipes include Maple-Glazed Baby White Turnip & Shiitake on Soba Noodles (See below) and Roasted Baby White Turnips & Radishes (See below). Of course, they’re also delicious simply cooked lightly in butter or olive oil!

Pea vine is another new vegetable in this week’s box. When pea vine is younger, the stems are tender enough to eat, however they have a tendency to get more tough with time. I recommend you taste a little bit of the stem. If you find it to be a little stringy, strip the tender leaves off the stems. Don’t throw the stems away though! They are packed with flavor and may be used to add flavor to vegetable stock or soup. Just steep the stems to extract the flavor and then discard. I included a few of our favorite recipes from the past including Pasta with Asparagus and Avocado-Pea Vine Cream Sauce, Pea Vine Cream Cheese, and Pea Vine Pesto Pasta Salad.

Fresh red radishes are back in the box and I’ve given you a few ideas for ways to use them in more non-traditional ways. Check out these two chicken recipes for Pan-Seared Chicken with Crispy Radish Salad and Turmeric Chicken with Lemon Radish Salad.

These are just a few of this week’s recipe highlights, but I know you’ll find plenty of quick, easy ways to put this week’s vegetable ingredients to use in quick salads as well as some breakfast/brunch appropriate recipes. I know you always like to know what’s coming up, so I’ll whet your appetite by telling you that we’re likely going to start picking strawberries this week! Kohlrabi is also very close to harvest as well as more heads of lettuce from the field. The garlic scapes are also starting to form in the garlic field and we’re hoping to add some cilantro to the upcoming boxes! Lots more to look forward to as we start to transition from Spring to Summer!

Have a great week and happy cooking!!

-Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Baby White Turnips

by Andrea Yoder

Baby white turnips are a classy little vegetable we often describe as being “pristine.” They are classified as a salad turnip and are tender with a sweet, mild flavor. Both the roots and the green tops of baby white turnips are edible and may be eaten raw or lightly cooked. We plant baby white turnips for harvest early in the spring and again in the fall when the growing conditions are cooler. They are intended to be harvested when they are still small and tender. The other turnips we grow in the fall are meant for storage purposes and have a thicker skin compared to the thin skin of a salad turnip. Baby white turnips also mature much faster than beets, carrots, and fennel, etc. so they are a very important part of our spring menus until the other root vegetables are ready for harvest.

While we call them “baby white turnips,” they are often referred to as Hakurei or Tokyo Turnips as they were actually developed in Japan. As I was researching this week, I found a new tidbit of information about this vegetable. These salad turnips were developed in Japan in the 1950’s at a time when there were food shortages due to World War II. This vegetable was a good option at that time because they mature in just 5-6 weeks.

To prepare baby white turnips for use, separate the roots from the greens and wash both well to remove any dirt. Salad turnips have such a thin exterior layer, they do not need to be peeled. They are delicious eaten raw in a salad, or just munch on them like an apple! You can also cook these turnips but remember to keep the cooking time short as it doesn’t take much to cook them to fork tender. You can simply sauté them in butter, stir-fry or roast them. The greens may be added to raw salads, or lightly sauté or wilt them in a little butter.

To prolong the shelf life, separate the greens from the roots with a knife and store them separately in plastic bags in your refrigerator.

Roasted Baby White Turnips & Radishes

Yield: 4 servings

1 bunch radishes

1 bunch baby white turnips

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Move the rack in the oven to the lower middle position. Place a roasting pan in the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F.
Remove the greens from the turnips and radishes.
Scrub the turnips and radishes well and wash the green tops of both in a sink of cold water.
Cut the turnips and radishes into wedges. Halve the small ones, and quarter or sixth the larger ones.
In a large bowl, toss the root vegetables with 2 tbsp of olive oil and ½ tsp of salt. Remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and spread the vegetables into the roasting pan, arranging them so most have a flat side down in the pan.
Return the pan to the oven and roast for 15 minutes, stirring and turning the vegetables at 7 minutes.
Dry the washed greens to remove excess water. Roughly chop the greens into bite-sized pieces, then toss them in the large bowl with the rest of the olive oil and salt.
Pull the roasting pan out of the oven, turn, and stir the vegetables again and then make a space for the greens. Spread out the greens in the space and return the pan to the oven.
Roast for 5 minutes more or to your liking.

Recipe sourced from www.justalittlebitofbacon.com.

Maple-Glazed Baby White Turnip and Shiitake on Soba Noodles

Yield: 2 servings

Photo from www.pbs.com

1 bunch baby white salad turnips

2 oz shiitake mushrooms (about 8 medium)

¼ cup light, un-toasted sesame oil or neutral vegetable oil

1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup

¼ tsp salt

½ pound buckwheat soba noodles

2 Tbsp tamari or soy sauce

1 Tbsp rice vinegar or mirin

1 Tbsp fish sauce

Optional: Fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Separate the turnip leaves from the turnips and wash both well. Pat the leaves dry and then finely slice the leaves. Cut the turnips into bite-sized pieces. Remove the tough stems from the shiitake mushrooms. Slice the shiitake tops thinly.
In a skillet, warm 2 Tbsp of light sesame oil or other neutral vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped turnips, mushrooms, and salt into the warmed oil and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the 1 ½ Tbsp maple syrup and 2 Tbsp of water. After about 5 minutes, the water will have evaporated, and the turnips and mushrooms will be nicely glazed. At this point, add the sliced turnip greens and cook until wilted, about 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
While you prepare the glazed turnips and mushrooms, place a large pot filled with 8 cups of water on high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the soba noodles. Cook according to package directions. Do not overcook the noodles. As soon as they are done, drain all the water out and rinse the noodles in cold water to remove excess starch (this gives the noodles a lovely texture and ensures they won’t clump). If the noodles are too cold after rinsing, quickly dunk them in a fresh pot of boiling water.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix the remaining 2 Tbsp sesame oil, the tamari or shoyu sauce, the rice vinegar, and the fish sauce. Stir well and then add the drained noodles, tossing gently to coat the noodles well.
Serve the noodles with the glazed turnips and mushrooms and garnish with a little cilantro and sesame seeds.

Recipe sourced from wwwpbs.org with original recipe credit given to Aube Giroux from Kitchen Vignettes.

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

May 25, 2023 - This Week's Box Contents Featuring Hon Tsai Tai

Cooking With This Week's Box

Photo from www.ohsnapletseat.com
Coconut Chicken Curry with Potatoes

Russet or German Butterball Potatoes:

Oven Baked Potato Chips

Coconut Chicken Curry with Potatoes

Overwintered Potato Onions:

Grilled Green Onion Dip

Drop Biscuits with Green Onions

Hon Tsai Tai:

Spring Hon Tsai Tai & Mushroom Miso Soup (See Below)

Sesame Soy Hon Tsai Tai & Chicken Salad

Hon Tsai Tai & Shiitake Potstickers with Sesame Honey Dipping Sauce

Photo from www.101cookbooks.com
Asparagus Panzanella

Asparagus:

Asparagus and Quinoa Salad with Feta Cheese

Asparagus Panzanella

Green Garlic:

Pizza with Green Garlic, Potatoes and Herbs

Green Garlic Risotto

Baby Arugula:

Super Simple Arugula Salad

15 Minute Thin Crust Pizza with Arugula & Hot Honey

Salad Mix:

Spring Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette

Roasted Asparagus Green Salad

Photo from www.homeadefoodjunkie.com
Sweet & Spicy Rhubarb Ginger Sauce

Rhubarb:

50+ Rhubarb Recipes—Sweet & Savory

Rhubarb Baked Beans

Pan Fried Rhubarb Chicken

Sweet & Spicy Rhubarb Ginger Sauce

Rhubarb & Greek Yogurt Popsicles

Mini Green Romaine Head Lettuce:

Chicken Taco Lettuce Wraps

Welcome back to our fourth week of CSA deliveries! We’re wrapping up the month of May and getting ready to move into June. There are little strawberries set on in the strawberry field, the kohlrabi are starting to form little bulbs and next week we’ll be harvesting the first of our baby white salad turnips! Early in the season our CSA boxes are heavy with spring greens, as is evident with this week’s box! So lets kick off this week’s Cooking With the Box article with a focus on our featured vegetable, Hon Tsai Tai. First of all, don’t be intimidated by the name. If this is your first time using this green, please take a moment to read this week’s vegetable feature article. This green may be eaten either cooked or raw. Our feature recipe this week is for Spring Hon Tsai Tai & Mushroom Miso Soup (See Below). This is a super simple, and pretty quick recipe to make while also being packed with flavor. I added rhubarb to this soup on a whim, with the concept of Hot and Sour soup in mind. I think the tang of the rhubarb helps to brighten the soup, but try it for yourself and see what you think. The recipe calls for adding udon or ramen noodles, but you could serve it with steamed rice instead or omit any additional starch. It would also be good with the addition of chicken or beef if you want to add additional protein. I also included links to two popular recipes from past newsletters. Sesame Soy Hon Tsai Tai & Chicken Salad is a member favorite and is substantial enough to be an entrée salad. You’ll likely have extra dressing, which you could use as a dip with this week’s mini romaine lettuce! The other recipe that has been popular in the past is this Hon Tsai Tai & Shiitake Potstickers with Sesame Honey Dipping Sauce. Potstickers take a little time to assemble, but this is a great recipe to involve the whole family in!

If you have not yet checked out our private members only Facebook Group, I encourage you to do so. There have been some great posts in there so far this year. Over the past week one member posted this simple recipe for Asparagus and Quinoa Salad with Feta Cheese. I definitely want to give this one a try. Another member provided a link to this collection of 50+ Rhubarb Recipes—Sweet & Savory. There are a lot of great rhubarb recipes in this collection including Rhubarb Baked Beans and Pan Fried Rhubarb Chicken that uses this Sweet & Spicy Rhubarb Ginger Sauce. Check it out, I’m sure you’ll find at least one recipe to put this week’s rhubarb to good use!

I also included a few suggestions for a simple pizza and salad kind of meal plan. Consider trying this recipe for Pizza with Green Garlic, Potatoes and Herbs or 15 Minute Thin Crust Pizza with Arugula & Hot Honey. Pair your pizza with Spring Salad with Rhubarb Vinaigrette or Roasted Asparagus Green Salad.

Have a great week of cooking and I’ll see you back next week with some recipe suggestions for Baby White Turnips, and more asparagus and rhubarb. We may be harvesting our first crop of cilantro next week and we have a new crop of spring radishes coming in!

--Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Hon Tsai Tai

by Andrea Yoder

Hon Tsai Tai (pronounced hon-sigh-tie) holds an important place in our spring vegetable line-up because it matures more quickly than other spring-planted greens. It is in a group of plants referred to as “flowering brassicas.” While it is related to such vegetables as mustard greens and Bok choi, what sets it apart is that it has beautiful purple stems that produce a sweet, delicate, edible yellow flower. The sweetness of the buds and flowers is the part we love the most! While other vegetables in the brassica family also produce flowers, they do so towards the end of their life cycle and at that point there are often undesirable flavor changes in the edible portion of the plant. Hon Tsai Tai is unique in that it produces the flower early in its life when all the parts of the plant still taste good.

Hon Tsai Tai has a mild mustard flavor that is very well-balanced this time of the year. The entire plant is edible and may be eaten raw or cooked. The thin purple stems are more tender when the plant is young. While still flavorful, they may become more coarse as the plant matures, so should be cut very finely at this stage. Hon Tsai Tai is delicious in stir-fries or lightly steamed, but may also be incorporated into soups, ramen bowls or added to fried rice. It is tender enough to also become the base of a raw salad, either with just a simple vinaigrette or dress it up and make it a main dish with the addition of protein, chopped nuts and seeds, other spring vegetables, etc.

If you do a search for recipes using Hon Tsai Tai, you will likely be directed to some basic recipes for sauteed Asian greens, or you’ll be linked back to our past newsletters! Hon Tsai Tai is in the same family as Bok choi and mustard greens. You can expand your recipe search to include these two vegetables and use Hon Tsai Tai interchangeably in most recipes. Given Hon Tsai Tai has a pretty mild flavor, you may also incorporate this green into any recipe calling for spinach or other greens of similar texture. The most intimidating thing about this green is its name, but beyond that it’s quite versatile in its uses!

Store Hon Tsai Tai loosely wrapped in a plastic bag in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator until ready for use. Prior to using, remove the twist tie and wash the greens in a sink of water. If you are using the greens for a raw salad, be sure to pat the leaves dry.

Spring Hon Tsai Tai & Mushroom Miso Soup

Yield: 4-6 servings

2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

8 oz sliced cremini or shiitake mushrooms

¾ cup thinly sliced green onions (white base and green tops)

½ cup thinly sliced green garlic (white base and green tops)

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

1 cup finely diced rhubarb

6 cups broth (vegetable, chicken or beef) or water

3 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 bunch Hon Tsai Tai

4-6 oz ramen or udon noodles (optional)

3 Tbsp sweet white miso**

Heat the toasted sesame oil in a medium saucepot over medium heat. When the oil is warm, add the sliced mushrooms, green onions, green garlic, fresh ginger and crushed red pepper. Stir to combine and sauté until the mushrooms are soft.
Add the rhubarb, broth or water, soy sauce, 1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat a bit to bring the soup to a rapid simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the Hon Tsai Tai. Cut the stems into ⅛ to ¼ inch pieces. Cut the leaves into thin strips. If the leaves are larger, you may want to cut them in half the long way and then slice them horizontally to create smaller pieces. Add the Hon Tsai Tai to the soup. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes. If you are adding ramen or udon noodles to the soup, add them accordingly based on how much time the noodles will take to cook.
Once the vegetables and noodles are tender, remove the soup from the heat and stir in the miso. Sometimes it’s easier to put the miso in a small bowl and add about ½ to ¾ cup of the hot liquid from the soup. Stir to incorporate the miso into the liquid and then pour the hot miso liquid back into the soup pot.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning to your liking by adding additional soy sauce, salt, and/or miso as needed.

**Miso is a fermented staple ingredient in Japanese cooking. It adds depth of flavor to food while also contributing beneficial probiotic bacteria that are beneficial to our gut health. If you are not familiar with this ingredient, check out this article entitled: “What Is Miso, and How Do I Choose the Right One for What I’m Cooking?” or read more on the website for South River Miso. You will find miso in the refrigerated section of your grocery store, often displayed near eggroll and wonton wrappers and/or other fermented foods like kim chi, sauerkraut, etc. There are different varieties of miso. Sweet White Miso is a good place to start as it has more of a mild flavor. If you like more full-flavored foods, you may want to try a darker miso such as red miso or one that has been aged a little longer. I recommend adding miso right at the end of cooking so you preserve all of the beneficial probiotic bacteria that may otherwise be killed by extended time in simmering liquid. Miso stores for a long time in your refrigerator, so don’t worry about only using 3 Tbsp this week. Keep it in the refrigerator with the lid tightly secured on the container and you can use it over the course of the season.

Recipe by Andrea Yoder, Harmony Valley Farm